The YukonA trail network with a story
Much of this network traces back to one person. In 1998, a Carcross local named Wayne Roberts was bushwhacking along the Skagway highway looking for places to take tourists when he spotted an old wooden structure up the hillside. Following it, he found the remains of a century-old mining tramway, towers and tin cans still scattered through the bush. Over the following years, largely on his own and without waiting for any official process, he cleared and shaped that old tramway route into what became Mountain Hero, now the network's signature trail. When a national biking magazine wanted to film it in 2011, the trail wasn't ready; Roberts reportedly spent two straight days and nights hacking it into shape before they arrived.
The Singletrack to Success program, launched by Carcross/Tagish First Nation in 2006, picked up where Roberts left off, employing and training local youth to finish Mountain Hero and build out the rest of the network from there. Wayne Roberts died in 2016 after a battle with cancer, but his work is still very much part of what you ride today: Mountain Hero itself, and a separate trail built in his memory, Wayne's World, a traversing route linking Carcross to the historic McDonald Creek trail with views over Bennett Lake along the way. The result of both his early vision and the program that followed is more than recreation: it's a source of pride, employment, and connection to the land for the community, and it shows in the care and quality of the riding.
The riding
Montana Mountain offers everything from flowy, machine-smooth descents to technical alpine lines, with a shuttle road and climbing trails to access the top. Mountain Hero itself, the trail Roberts started, was inducted into the International Mountain Bicycling Association's Epic Trails list in 2011, only the fifth Canadian trail ever to receive that designation. Long, sustained descents drop through changing terrain, rock, root, and berm, with views over Bennett Lake and the surrounding peaks. There's terrain for strong intermediates up to expert riders.
When to ride
The season runs through the snow-free months, roughly late spring to early autumn, with high summer's long daylight allowing marathon days in the saddle. Trails higher up melt out later, so early-season riders should check conditions.
Practicalities
Bring your own bike, or rent one right in Carcross. Icycle Sports, a Whitehorse shop, runs a seasonal rental location in Carcross Commons through the summer, with bikes, trail advice, and repairs on site, so there's no need to haul a rental bike down from Whitehorse yourself. It's worth coordinating ahead of time either way, especially in peak season. Carry water, tools, a spare tube, layers, and bear spray, this is genuine backcountry, and wildlife is present. Ride within your limits, as help is not close at hand, and tell someone your plans.
Beyond the bike
Carcross itself rewards a stop, with its restored commons, First Nations carvings, the shore of Bennett Lake, and the nearby Carcross Desert. Combine a morning ride with an afternoon exploring the village and the Southern Lakes for a superb day out.
World-class trails, a genuinely inspiring backstory, and scenery few bike parks can match, Montana Mountain is proof that some of the best riding on the continent is hiding in a village of a few hundred people in the southern Yukon.
Questions, answered
Where is the mountain biking near Carcross?
On Montana Mountain, directly above the village of Carcross, about an hour south of Whitehorse, with 65+ km of hand-built singletrack.
Who built the trails?
The network began with one person, Wayne Roberts, a Carcross local who rediscovered and single-handedly cleared an old mining tramway into what became the Mountain Hero trail in the late 1990s and 2000s. Local Carcross/Tagish First Nation youth, through the Singletrack to Success program launched in 2006, then finished and expanded the network into what exists today.
When is the riding season?
Roughly late spring to early autumn, once the snow melts. Higher trails clear later, so check conditions early in the season.
Is there a trail named for Wayne Roberts?
Yes. Beyond Mountain Hero itself, which he built, a separate trail called Wayne's World was created in his memory, linking Carcross to the historic McDonald Creek trail with views over Bennett Lake.
Every stay booked through The Yukon funds one verified tonne of carbon removal — same room, same price, the climate action already built into checkout.
You're not charged more and the hotel isn't paid less. It's just what happens when you tap Reserve.