In just five years, Wentworth Ski Hill has built one of the top bike parks in Eastern Canada, with 14 trails on offer. But for all that progress, it was still missing one thing: a race-worthy double black diamond downhill (DH) trail.
Thanks to funding from Shimano’s Trail Born Fund, such a trail is currently under construction. It will make the most of the hill’s 230 meters (755 feet) of elevation and be the only trail of its kind east of Quebec.
To find out more about the park and its newest trail, Singletracks reached out to Scott Jewett, the North American Lead for the Shimano Trail Born Fund; Charles Stevens, the owner of Kodiak Trail Works; Thor Durning, the Head Coach for Team NS/Wentworth Freestyle and the Freestyle Terrain Manager for Ski Wentworth and Wentworth Bike Park; and Adam Purcell, a member of the Wentworth Mountain Bike Association and a local sales representative for several major mountain bike brands.
Until 2020, mountain biking was not a part of the resort’s offerings
Wentworth Ski Hill is the largest alpine ski facility in Nova Scotia and has been a downhill ski destination since the 1930s. According to Purcell, the hill also held mountain bike races for many years during the warmer months.
But the original trails at the ski hill were hand-built by local riders. They were not sustainable or suitable for riders of all skill levels. After seeing the rise in popularity of mountain biking during the 2010s and into the pandemic, Durning said the ski hill’s owners decided to invest in a professionally-built bike park.
The Wentworth Mountain Bike Association began building trails on the hill in 2020. From 2020 to 2025, over 40 km (25 mi) of trails were built, first by the club, and then by the hill’s own dig crew and a private contractor hired by the hill.
The trails are divided into two zones: a climb/enduro zone with six trails, and a hill zone with eight trails. Together, they created a new bike park unlike anything else in Nova Scotia.
The bike park has a huge variety of trails, but it was missing a double black diamond trail.
Wentworth Ski Hill’s new bike park helped increase the popularity of mountain biking in the region, but it still lacked something
Durning said the trails increased the popularity of mountain biking in the entire Eastern Canadian region. He told Singletracks that rider usage of the bike park doubled from the first season to the second season.
But the hill needed a trail that would push the limits of the most advanced riders. “[Stevens] wanted to build a trail that would attract higher-end races to the hill and give it publicity,” said Purcell.
However, outside funds were needed to get the trail built quickly. Purcell, who does work for Shimano, knew about the Trail Born Fund and helped apply for a grant.
Shimano’s Trail Born Fund provided the funds needed to build the trail
In 2024, Shimano started the Trail Born Fund, dedicating $10 million over a 10-year period to funding “boots on the ground” trail projects and trail advocacy organizations. Jewett said that Shimano looks for “shovel-ready projects that create miles and opportunities, like being a first-of-its-kind project in an area.”
In 2025, Shimano received applications from all over the world. The applications were then narrowed down, and 45 were presented to Shimano Japan for final approval. The Wentworth DH trail was one of the projects granted that year.
Jewett said that the new DH trail at Wentworth drew his attention because “most of the project applications we receive are West Coast-centric.” In addition, the project was pitched as a way to encourage more riders to stay closer to home instead of traveling for more challenging trails.
Shimano’s Trail Born Fund awarded a total of $55,000 to the Wentworth project in two phases. The phase one application was granted for 2025, and the phase two application was granted for 2026. The Wentworth Mountain Bike Association was the point group for the project.
A local builder is making the DH trail a reality
Stevens has a special connection to Wentworth Ski Hill. He grew up skiing there and lives in the surrounding valley. Stevens built the first trail at the ski hill and has been responsible for building most of the trails at the bike park.
“[Stevens] has a unique ability to look at the land and see lines that are suitable for every type of rider,” said Durning. Durning told Singletracks that Stevens’ work at the bike park has hit everyone’s interest level and increased the popularity of mountain biking in the valley.
According to Stevens, the new DH trail is being built with racing in mind. “It’s a full top-to-bottom DH trail with no intersections,” he said.
The trail is a classic mountainside DH trail built on top of a creek gorge. It features several rock bluffs lined up in a row with lots of line options. “We built a big wooden landing off the first one, and the dirt work at the bottom of the trail gives us good transitions,” said Stevens
The trail also includes a 20- to 25-foot gap jump over the creek partway down the hill, as well as big berms and shark fins, which are signature features of the trail. He said the trail should be completed in July and will be open to the public by August 1st.
For Stevens, the new trail will be a natural progression from the existing trails at the park. “I’ve watched the riding community progress a lot since the trails have been developed here.”
Stevens is also going to be putting the finishing touches on the K-Line trail this summer.
The new trail is one of two being finished this year, and there are plans for more trails in the future
In addition to the new double black diamond DH trail, Purcell told Singletracks that another trail called K-Line will be completed this summer. “It’s an A-Line or Dirt Merchant-style jump trail,” said Purcell.
The trail is named in honor of Kyle Currie, a local rider and firefighter who passed away about six years ago. According to Stevens, it was Currie who got him into biking and trail building.
K-Line is currently rideable, according to Purcell, but the bottom of the trail is still under construction. Stevens said the signage for the trail will also be installed this summer.
The new trails have already benefited Wentworth even before they’ve officially opened. The Devinci Into The Gnar Experience Series, a three-day progression session with pro riders, coaches, and full-send legends Yoann Barelli, Nate Spitz, Flavio Kodato, and Cath Begin, selected Wentworth as its last stop this year. The series comes to the hill in September.
Beyond 2026, the future is endless, according to Purcell. He said the Wilson family, who own the hill, has given Stevens and Durning’s crew a lot of freedom when it comes to designing and building trails. “It’s just been amazing to see what can be done,” said Purcell.
He pointed out that “none of this would be possible without the passion, vision, and trust that the Wilson family has for the community and their team. It takes good people like the Wilsons to step up and allow this to happen and take a chance on a project like this. It just shows the passion they have for the outdoors and the outdoor community.”
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