Tom Snow (South)

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Unknown

Tom Snow trail is the main connector trail from the Elbow River valley to the Sibbald Creek Valley. It runs from Station Flats in the south, via the West Bragg area, to the Dawson recreation area in the north. The shorter southern section links Station Flats to the Packer's Mountain Road from West Bragg.

The trail is more popular with hikers and equestrians than bikers, and deservedly so. In fact the Ridgeback trail was built by the CMBA specifically to avoid the boggier sections of Tom Snow. Nonetheless, in the drier summer months Tom Snow still provides some good riding opportunities, especially in combination with Ridgeback.

From the south, the trail starts with a 1.0 km section of the Diamond-T loop and begins in earnest at a fork just after a bridge over a small creek. Take the right fork for both Tom Snow and Ridgeback. These two trails come together at three points, dividing the trails into four sections.

The short first section of Tom Snow is best avoided as it features a flat always-wet section and a sharpish climb that's partially blocked by a fallen tree. Take the boardwalk at the start of Ridgeback 'R1' to avoid this section.

The second section of Tom Snow offers a much shorter but much steeper alternative to Ridgeback 'R2'. From north to south this provides the challenge of a lung-busting climb. The long third section of Tom Snow (after the Ranger Creek bridge and the junction with Bobcat) is not bad but you'd miss all the fun of Ridgeback R3!

The final section of Tom Snow is doubletrack, although it's gradually getting narrower and more overgrown. There are usually a couple of muddy bogs along here but it's a good choice to loop around anti-clockwise via the mountain road to the top of Ridgeback R4.