GREAT DIVIDE TRAIL 2-MONTH ITINERARY Total distance: 1084.0 km 49 hiking days and 8 rest days = average 22.

1 km or 13.7 miles/hiking day

SECTION 1: WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK TO COLEMAN 164.6 km: 9 hiking days and 1 rest day Day 1: 12.6 km International Boundary to Waterton Townsite Campground (Waterton NP) Return hike from Waterton Townsite to Monument 276 on the International Border and back. Alternately, ride the tour boat ($27) from Waterton Townsite to Goat Haunt Ranger Station in Glacier National Park USA and hike 12.8 km back. Trail: easy hiking on excellent trail. RESUPPLY: Waterton Lakes Post Office, T0K 2M0; Tel: 403-859-2294 Day 2: 7.4 km to Alderson Lake Campground (Waterton NP) Trail: easy hiking on excellent trail. Day 3: 16.6 km to Akamina Creek Campground (Akamina-Kishinena PP) Hike 14.3 km to the Akamina Pass Trailhead on the Akamina Parkway and then 2.3 km off-route to the Akamina Creek Campground. Trail: moderate hiking on excellent trail. Day 4: 24.8 km to Lone Lake Campground (Waterton NP) Trail: easy road-walk and strenuous hiking on excellent trail. Day 5: 21.4 km to Jutland Brook Campground Trail: strenuous hiking on fair trail with sparse water sources. Day 6: 15.9 km to random camp on West Castle Road Trail: strenuous hiking on fair trail, cross-country route and ATV track; sparse water sources. Day 7: 12 km to Castle Mountain Ski Resort Trail: easy hiking on ATV track and gravel road. OPTIONAL RESUPPLY: Castle Mountain Ski Resort, Box 610, Pincher Creek AB T0K 1W0; Tel: 403-627-5101; Office hours M-F 8:30am-4:30pm. There is a campground, hostel and a pub (only open Friday & Saturday). Day 8: 22.7 km to Lynx Creek Campground Trail: easy hiking on gravel road and ATV track. Day 9: 31.2 km to Coleman Trail: easy hiking on fair trail/ATV track and gravel roads.

Day 10: Rest day and RESUPPLY RESUPPLY: Easy Living Unlimited Store & Coleman Post Office, Box 332, Coleman AB T0K 0M0; Tel: 403-563-5511

SECTION 2: COLEMAN TO HIGHWOOD HOUSE 149.1 km: 6 hiking days and 1 rest day Camp anywhere on the GDT in this section. Day 11: 23.3 km to Alexander Creek Campground Trail: easy hiking on wide trail and gravel roads. Day 12: 25 km to South Line Creek random camp Trail: moderate hiking on gravel roads, ATV tracks with some cross-country route. Day 13: 26.5 km to South Hidden Creek Campground Trail: strenuous hiking over three passes on good trail with some ATV tracks/roads. Day 14: 26.2 km to Oldman River/Memory Lake Campground Trail: strenuous hiking on good trail with two steep ascents. Day 15: 24.8 km to Cataract Creek Campground Trail: moderate hiking on good trail. Day 16: 23.3 km (including 11 km off-route via Baril Creek trail) to Highwood House Trail: moderate hiking on good trail with some navigational challenges in recently logged areas. Day 17: Rest day and RESUPPLY RESUPPLY: Highwood House (small store), Box 90, Longview AB T0L 1H0; Tel: 403-558-2144

SECTION 3: HIGHWOOD HOUSE TO PETER LOUGHEED PP VISITOR CENTRE 71.7 km: 4 hiking days and 1 rest day Day 18: 17.1 km to Fording River Pass Campground Trail: moderate hiking on good trail over one high pass. Day 19: 18.5 km to Weary Creek Campground (includes 1 km off-route) Trail: steep descent on poor trail, then easy road-walk to campground. Day 20: 23 km to Lower Elk Lake Campground (Elk Lakes PP) Trail: easy walking on gravel roads. Day 21: 13.1 km to Boulton Creek Campground (Peter Lougheed PP), (2 km off-route) Boulton Creek Campground has a small store, restaurant & hot showers.

Trail: easy hiking on excellent trail over one pass. Day 22: Rest day and RESUPPLY RESUPPLY: Peter Lougheed PP Visitor Centre, 6 km from Boulton Creek Campground on the Kananaskis Lakes Road - Box 130, Kananaskis AB T0L 2H0; Tel: 403-591-6322

SECTION 4: PETER LOUGHEED PP VISITOR CENTRE TO SUNSHINE SKI VILLAGE 106.8 km: 5 hiking days and 1 rest day Day 23: 21.8 km to Turbine Canyon Campground (Peter Lougheed PP) Reserve campground in advance. Trail: moderate hiking on good trail with one steep climb. Day 24: 21.5 km to Burstall Campground (Banff NP) Trail: moderate hiking on good trail over one pass; steep descent and ascent of one pass on fair trail. Day 25: 21.7 km to Marvel Lake Campground (Banff NP) Trail: easy hiking on excellent trail. Day 26: 18.5 km to Og Lake Campground (Mt. Assiniboine PP) via Wonder Pass Trail: superb hiking on excellent trail with one strenuous climb. Day 27: 23.3 km to Sunshine Ski Village Trail: moderate hiking on good trail with one long climb. Day 28: Rest day and RESUPPLY RESUPPLY: Sunshine Ski Village, P.O. Box 1510, Banff AB T0L 0C0; Tel: 1-877-542-2633 Or Banff Post Office, 204 Buffalo St., Banff AB T1L 1A0 Shuttle into Banff from Sunshine Village ($43 return with White Mountain Adventures Backpacker Shuttle 1-800-408-0005).

SECTION 5: SUNSHINE SKI VILLAGE TO FIELD 117.9 km: 5 hiking days and 1 rest day Day 29: 22.7 km to Ball Bass Junction Campground (Banff NP) Trail: moderate hiking on good trail with climbs over three passes. Day 30: 24.9 km to Floe Lake Campground (Kootenay NP) GDT Half-way point. Trail: moderate hiking on good trail with two strenuous climbs. Day 31: 17.6 km to Tumbling Creek Campground (Kootenay NP)

Trail: moderate hiking on good trail with two strenuous climbs. Day 32: 25.2 km to McArthur Creek Campground (Yoho NP) Trail: moderate hiking on good trail over two high passes. Day 33: 27.5 km (includes 4 km off-route) to Field Trail: easy hiking on good trail with gradual descent to Highway 1. Day 34: Rest day and RESUPPLY Field has a few motels/B&Bs, restaurants and a store. RESUPPLY: Field Post Office, Field BC V0A 1G0; Tel: 1-800-267-1177

SECTION 6: FIELD TO THE SASKATCHEWAN RIVER CROSSING 120.4 km: 5 hiking days and 1 rest day Random camp on the Amiskwi River Trail in Yoho National Park and on the Howse Pass Trail in Banff National Park. Day 35: 25.1 km to Otto Creek (Yoho NP) (includes 4 km hike from Field back to GDT on Tally-Ho Trail) Random camp on the Amiskwi River Trail. Trail: easy hiking on fair trail. Day 36: 21.5 km to Ensign Creek Random camp 1km beyond Amiskwi Pass. Trail: easy hiking on fair trail with one gradual climb. Day 37: 26.7 km to Cairnes Creek Campground (100m off-route) Trail: easy hiking on gravel roads. Day 38: 16.2 km to Conway Creek (Banff NP) Random camp on the Howse Pass Trail. Trail: difficult hiking on deteriorating trail. Day 39: 30.9 km to the Saskatchewan River Crossing (includes 2 km off-route to The Crossing Resort) Trail: difficult hiking on overgrown trail until Glacier Lake trail junction; then easy hiking on good trail. Day 40: Rest day and RESUPPLY RESUPPLY: The Crossing Resort (hotel, restaurant, pub, small store), Mail bag 333, Lake Louise AB T0L 1E0; Tel: 403-761-7000

SECTION 7: THE SASKATCHEWAN RIVER CROSSING TO JASPER 210.8 km: 9 hiking days and 2 rest days Random camp in the White Goat Wilderness Area.

Day 41: 20 km to random camp near Michele Lake Trail: strenuous hiking and cross-country route over one high pass. Day 42: 24.5 km to random camp along Cataract Creek Trail: strenuous hiking and cross-country route over two high passes. Day 43: 25 km to Boulder Creek Campground (Jasper NP) Trail: strenuous hiking on fair trail and cross-country over one high pass. Day 44: 25.4 km to Jonas Cutoff Campground (Jasper NP) Trail: moderate hiking on good trail with one steep climb. Day 45: 21.5 km to Avalanche Campground (Jasper NP) Trail: easy hiking on excellent trail. Optional trail exit at Poboktan Creek trailhead (6 km off-route to Hwy 93). Day 46: Rest day (can be used to resupply at Poboktan Creek trailhead) Day 47: 19 km to Mary Schaffer Campground (Jasper NP) Trail: moderate hiking on fair trail over one pass. Day 48: 27.2 km to Little Shovel Campground (Jasper NP) Trail: moderate hiking on good trail. Day 49: 23.2 km to Tekarra Campground (Jasper NP) Trail: spectacular hiking on excellent trail over three high passes. Day 50: 25 km to Jasper Day 51: Rest day and RESUPPLY RESUPPLY: Jasper Post Office, 502 Patricia St., Jasper AB T0E 1E0; Tel: 780-852-3041

SECTION 8: JASPER TO MOUNT ROBSON BERG LAKE TRAILHEAD 142.7 km: 6 hiking days Day 52: 22.5 km on Highway 16 to the Miette River Trailhead This distance could be driven or hitched on Highway 16 to the Miette River trailhead to avoid the long walk next to a busy highway. Day 53: 27.1 km to random camp on the Miette River (Jasper NP) Trail: moderate hiking on poor trail. Day 54: 21.6 km to Colonel Pass Campground (Jasper NP)

Trail: challenging hiking on fair trail with three moderate remote passes. Day 55: 22.2 km to Steppe Creek Campground (Mount Robson PP) Trail: strenuous hiking on deteriorating trail with navigational challenges and several deep river fords. Day 56: 27.3 km to Robson Pass Campground (Mount Robson PP) Trail: difficult hiking on fair trail with one high pass. Day 57: 22 km to Berg Lake Trailhead Trail: superb hiking on excellent trail. FINISH!

Resupply locations (south to north): Waterton Lakes Post Office, T0K 2M0 Tel: #403-859-2294 Castle Mountain Ski Resort Box 610, Pincher Creek AB T0K 1W0 Tel: 403-627-5101 Email: info@castlemountainresort.com Easy Living Unlimited, Coleman Post Office Box 332, Coleman AB T0K 0M0 Tel: 403-563-5511 Highwood House Box 90, Longview AB T0L 1H0 Tel: 403-558-2144 Peter Lougheed Provincial Park Visitor Centre Box 130, Kananaskis AB T0L 2H0 Tel: 403-591-6322 Mount Assiniboine Lodge Box 8128, Canmore AB T1W 2T8 Tel: 403-678-2883 Sunshine Village P.O. Box 1510, Banff AB T0L 0C0 Tel: 1-877-542-2633 Field Post Office Field BC, V0A 1G0 Tel: 1-800-267-1177 The Crossing Resort Mail bag 333, Lake Louise AB T0L 1E0 Tel: 403-761-7000 Email: info@thecrossingresort.com Jasper Post Office 502 Patricia St., Jasper AB T0E 1E0 Tel: 780-852-3041