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Canadian Rockies at their best, wild and beautiful, along the Continental Divide.


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Map Key

160.2

Miles

257.9

KM

Point to Point

7,884' 2,403 m

High

3,877' 1,182 m

Low

25,576' 7,795 m

Up

27,096' 8,259 m

Down

6%

Avg Grade (4°)

149%

Max Grade (56°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Commonly Backpacked · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Section Of

Need to Know

The GDT is a wilderness trail. Hiking it provides a wilderness experience that in places may include unmaintained trail, no trail at all (route finding required), animal sightings and encounters, isolation, unbridged creeks and rivers, and long distances between resupplies.

Summer weather can include snow :>)

Resources regularly updated with the latest conditions and other information are:
- GDTA website www.greatdividetrail.com
- Dustin Lynx book "Hiking Canada's Great Divide Trail"
- Dustin Lynx's Guidebook Topo Map Set
- GDT App
- Gem Trek maps

Description

The GDT (Great Divide Trail) is a long distance hike along the Continental Divide in Canada. This is Section C, one of the middle sections of it.

Section C runs from the Kananaskis Lakes Day Use Area in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta, to the town of Field, British Columbia in Yoho National Park.

This is one of the longest Sections... for good reason. There is so much beauty to be seen between Kananaskis Country and Field, and much too hard to pick the best, that Section C decided to try to visit it ALL. One can hike high on the Continental Divide, cross one or both Kananaskis Passes, camp at Mt. Assiniboine (AKA Matterhorn of the Rockies). Try to visit all the lakes around Egypt Lake, hike the famous Rockwall, and with a side excursion spend an evening out on the town in picturesque Banff. Of course there is more, too much to list here. One must just go see for themselves. Disclaimer: Some involve alternate routes.

Please see the resources listed above under Need to Know for up to date detailed descriptions and valuable hiker information.

Alternate Routes
- Great Divide Trail - Northover Ridge Alternate Route
- Great Divide Trail - South Kananaskis Pass Alternate Route
- Great Divide Trail - Magog Lake Campground Alternate Route
- Great Divide Trail - Assiniboine Pass Alternate Route
- Great Divide Trail - Porcupine Campground Alternate Route
- Great Divide Trail - Sunshine Village Alternate Route

Access Trailheads (motor vehicle accessible)
- Elk Pass Trail trailhead (Section C start)
- Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail trailhead in the Kananaskis Lake Day Use Area (Section C start)
- Floe Lake Trail and Hawk Creek Trail trailheads
- Ottertail River Trail trailhead
- Field, British Columbia on the Trans Canada Highway (Hwy 1). The GDT goes through Field. (Section C end)

Access Trails
- Burstall Pass Trail (7.3 miles)
- Watridge Lake Trail (near Mount Shark) (3.8 miles)
- Brewster Creek Trail to Allenby Pass Trail to meet the Great Divide Trail - Assiniboine Pass Alternate Route (21 miles)
- Brewster Creek Trail to Fatigue Pass Trail (13.4 miles)
- Sunshine Road (shuttle available) to Great Divide Trail - Sunshine Village Alternate Route (8.4 miles)
- Sunshine Road to Healy Pass Trail (10 miles)
- Sunshine Road to Healy Pass Trail, then south on ??? Trail for 1.1 miles (9.4 miles)
- Redearth Creek Trail to Pharoah Creek Trail (12.3 miles)
- Redearth Creek Trail to Shadow Lake Trail to Whistling Valley Trail (11.2 miles)
- Numa Creek Trail (3.9 miles)
- Paint Pots Trail and Ochre Creek Trail to Tumbling Creek Trail (6.4 miles)
- Paint Pots Trail and Ochre Creek Trail to Helmet Creek Trail (9.0 miles)
- Wolverine Pass Trail (4.6 miles)

Contacts

Shared By:

Joan Pendleton

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#1951

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#12

in Alberta

#1,951

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Photos

Healy Pass at sunrise in mid-September 2022.
Nov 22, 2022 near Banff, AB
Fall colours on the trail up to Floe Lake.
Sep 18, 2018 near Invermere, BC
Larch meadows and creek along the trail to Healy Pass.
Oct 25, 2018 near Banff, AB
Larch in fall colors near Haiduk Lake
Feb 5, 2021 near Banff, AB
Late season on the alpine plateau near Wolverine Pass.
Sep 18, 2018 near Golden, BC
Views of "The Monarch" Mountain along the Healy Pass Trail.
Oct 25, 2018 near Banff, AB

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