more stats
2.5 miles
Distance
564 ft
Climb
-255 ft
Descent
00:29:46
Avg time
308 ft
Altitude change
4,725 ft
Altitude min
5,259 ft
Altitude max
4,732 ft
Altitude start
5,039 ft
Altitude end
2.3%
Grade
-46.6%
Grade max
49.9%
Grade min
2 miles
Distance climb
3,448 ft
Distance down
1,552 ft
Distance flat
00:29:46
Avg time

Ridgeback – R3 Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Winter Fat Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Station Flats
    Bragg Creek, Alberta
  • AKA
    Ridgeback, R3
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    65 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 85 in E-Biking
    • 90 in Trail Running
    • 50 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
  • Global Ranking
    #42615 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #12662 in E-Biking
    • #48869 in Trail Running
    • #114786 in Hiking
    • #1374 in Horseback
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Fat
  • Direction
    Both Directions
    Popular In Reverse
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Bridge
  • Year Opened
    2009
  • Land Owner
    Alberta Forestry and Parks

Ridgeback is one of the trails in Kananaskis built and maintained by the Calgary Mountain Bike Alliance. It's a mix of machine-built and hand-built construction, designed to provide an alternative to the perpetual wetness of the Tom Snow trail.

Ridgeback and Tom Snow come together at three points, dividing both trails into four sections, all of which are good in either direction. The parts of Tom Snow that Ridgeback bypasses are almost always wet & muddy.

R3 is the longest and hilliest section of Ridgeback. The middle part runs along the ridge which features some rocky sections. The descent to the south features a number of bermed corners and a section of boardwalk.

Access Info

Access from Bobcat or Snakes & Ladders if coming from West Bragg Creek via Ranger Summit, from Ridgeback R1 & R2 to the south (from Station Flats) or from R4 & Moose Packers to the north. Note that Snakes & Ladders joins Ridgeback R3 in the middle, at the north end of the ridge.

Trail Supporters

  • 2009 - 2010
    Builder
Local Trail Association

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 14.6 km average
6 Months
  • 7 rides
  • 20.5 km avg distance
All
  • 347 rides
  • Last: Jun 26, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Ridgeback – R3 Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
May 9, 2026 @ 12:13pm (America/Edmonton)
May 9, 2026
May 8, 2026 @ 5:58pm (America/Edmonton)
May 8, 2026
Four locations with downed trees between Ladders and Bobcat. Trail is dry.
Feb 13, 2026 @ 12:10pm (America/Edmonton)
Feb 13, 2026
Dec 16, 2025 @ 6:40pm (America/Edmonton)
Dec 16, 2025
Snowy and icy near Bobcat end. Bone dry north of logging road crossing. A few trees down.
Nov 10, 2025 @ 3:51pm (America/Edmonton)
Nov 10, 2025
So many down trees. Top of ridge down to Ridgeback 4 is unrideable. I was able to remove 8 smaller diameter trees but about 15 large diameter...
more »
Status:
on May 9, 2026
Dry
Avg: 3.94 (28 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to ridgeback--r3 trailhead (50.910920, -114.710300)

        Photos

        35 more »
        565 |
        Sep 26, 2016 @ 1:03pm
        Sep 26, 2016
        407 |
        Sep 26, 2016 @ 1:03pm
        Sep 26, 2016
        643 |
        Jul 4, 2013 @ 2:26pm
        Jul 4, 2013
        149 |
        Jun 20, 2021 @ 7:35am
        Jun 20, 2021

        Videos

        4 more »
        Tom Snow to Ridgeback 3, Bragg Creek.
        21:07 | 646 | Oct 10, 2020 , Bragg Creek
        GoPro: Downhill Mountain Biking in Ridgeback...
        967 | Oct 21, 2015 , Bragg Creek
        Edmonton Pinoy MTB, Downhill Mountain Biking...
        805 | Oct 19, 2015 , Bragg Creek
        Ridgeback 3 from YYCMTB
        0:29 | 312 | May 11, 2017 , Bragg Creek

        Routes with this trail

        4.8 13 miles 2,246 ft 7 Loop
        A fun easy loop. I recommend riding counter clockwise. This is also the route for the 2016 Provincial XC...
        4.0 13 miles 2,322 ft 14 Loop
        A loop to do Snakes and Ladders from WBC parking lot.
        11 miles 1,643 ft 7 Loop
        BBB: Bobcat Brew Boundary Ranger > Bobcat > R3 > S&L > Strange Brew > Boundary To maximize...

        1 Review & Comments


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        Frequently Asked Questions About Ridgeback – R3

        Where is Ridgeback – R3 located?
        Ridgeback – R3 is located in Station Flats, Bragg Creek, Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Station Flats trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 50.91092, -114.7103.
        How hard is Ridgeback – R3?
        Ridgeback – R3 is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 2.3%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
        What is the elevation gain for Ridgeback – R3?
        Ridgeback – R3 has 564 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 255 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 4,725 ft to 5,259 ft.
        Is Ridgeback – R3 a point to point trail?
        Ridgeback – R3 is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.

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