Short Cycle: Abbotsford Gravel Ride Along the Fraser River

Start

Start the ride at Douglas Taylor Park, where parking is free. The route begins on winding, rolling forested paths of Olund Trail before opening onto the dyke system of Matsqui Trail Regional Park. Olund is a shared path between bikes, pedestrians and horses, so be aware, take corners at a slower pace, use a bell or communicate you are coming. From here, you ride a ridge overlooking the train tracks, the Fraser River and the tip of Matsqui Island. At Glenmore Road, approximately 3.5 km into the ride, there is a parking lot; this is where you transition to the Matsqui Trail.

The elevation profile is gentle and approachable. Starting at ~70 m, dipping down toward sea level over the first 3 km, then remaining flat for the middle 22 km before a gradual climb back to the start. It’s a ride with long stretches where you can just spin and take in the surroundings.

The Route & Landscape

The Matsqui Trail is primarily a raised gravel dyke. There is a section you can choose between the dyke or a slightly lower riverside trail through Matsqui Park. Both options offer a different perspective of the Fraser River. Maybe you do one on the way out and the other on the way back. The lower section is busier as it is through the park. Though many of us think the dyke is a lovely path for walkers and cyclists. It’s actually an important part of a flood control system protecting the Matsqui Prairie. This area is one of the Fraser Valley’s oldest agricultural areas. Before these dykes were built up, seasonal flooding was common, and much of this land would have been marshy and unpredictable. 

You’ll ride under the Mission Bridge (Highway 11) and a smaller metal swing train bridge shortly after. Going under the railway bridge is almost like going through a tunnel – not a lot of height, dark, and narrow.

Throughout the ride on one side, farmland stretches toward the mountains with a snow-capped Mount Baker towering in the distance. On the other: the wide, constantly shifting Fraser River. It is one of the largest salmon-bearing rivers in the world. It creates a quiet but powerful contrast between cultivated land and natural force.

This route turns around where the gravel dyke turns into a road, just after some railway tracks. The road connects to Sumas Mountain. If you are looking for a longer and harder ride, consider adding this near 10 km climb. You could also link up with this route on the other side.

Some Facts

Important to note that the Matsqui area is the unceded home of the Matsqui First Nation, whose territory spans this part of the Fraser River. The river corridor would have been an important travel and fishing route long before it became farmland and a recreational trail.

This section is also part of the Trans Canada Trail, which adds a bit of scale to what otherwise feels like a quiet local ride. You’re briefly part of a route that spans the entire country—coast to coast to coast—which gives even a short out-and-back a sense of continuity beyond the Fraser Valley.

Facilities are simple but well placed, with outhouses at Matsqui Trail Regional Park and another along the river trail.

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