A Quick and Dirty Guide to the GDT

Canada’s Great Divide Trail (GDT)  winds its way along the spine of the Canadian Rockies from Waterton Lakes and then north of Jasper, Alberta. The Great Divide itself separates the water that flows into the Pacific and the Arctic Oceans, and Hudson’s Bay.

The trail encompasses alpine views, high mountain passes, goes by glaciers, abounds with wildflowers, and there is a good chance you will see both wolves and grizzlies at some point during your trek.

Not always marked, this isolated trail is a suitable journey for the experienced backpackers who enjoy a challenge, thrives on a sense of the wild, wants to see the world-class scenery, and is not expecting a connect-the-dots trail experience.

Updated Jan 2020

The Great Divide Trail at a glance

 

GDT Overview map. From the Great Divide Trail Association

• The trail is 1200 km (750 miles) +/-; depending on which option is chosen for the northern terminus.  See a larger version of the map by clicking here.

• The southern terminus is at Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park on the US/Canadian border on Waterton Lake. The same point also serves as a terminus for the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Northwest Trail.

• The northern terminus is generally considered one of three possibilities: Jasper (~850km / 530mi), Mt. Robson Provincial Park (~1000 km / 620mi), or Kakwa Provincial Park (~1200km / 750mi).

• Currently not an “official trail” concerning signage or land management agency recognition.

• The GDT is a mixture of defined trail, abandoned trail, cross-country travel, dirt and paved road walking.

• Many alt routes that are typically non-technical ridgeline walks but may involve Class 3 or 4 scrambling in some cases.

• The GDT goes through:
  • Five National Parks
  • Nine Provincial Parks
  • Four Wilderness Areas
  • Four Forest Districts

• Lowest point is Old Fort Point near Jasper at 1055m (3500′)

• Highest point is an un-named pass above Michele Lakes at 2590m (8500′)

• The prime GDT season is July to September. Snowpack levels and early winter alter a start or end date.

• A typical thru-hike takes 30 days on the fast side to about 60 days on a more relaxed pace. Depending on the northern terminus chosen, alt routes taken, and time in town of course.

• Overall, the GDT is about the same level as the CDT around the early-2000s in my opinion: A resurrected trail getting more maintenance, a reinvigorated trail organization doing fantastic work, and increased recognition among the public, private, and government agencies.

GDTA Facebook page photo

The Great Divide Trail Association (GDTA)  is the volunteer trail organization that maintains, promotes, and plans out the Great Divide Trail.  The GDTA has done amazing work in recent years working with the Canadian National Parks and other land management agencies, clearing out and reviving abandoned trail, placing new markers, and making the GDT a crown jewel of a Candian wilderness experience.

If you plan on thru-hiking or section hiking the GDT at some point, consider joining the GDT.  And if you have the time and resources, the volunteer projects can always use some help, too!

Moose Pass on July 22nd.

Depending on snowpack level and early winter, the season is generally July through September.  Expect harder stream fords and more snow if starting in early July (esp. up north) along with many mosquitoes.  September can be a beautiful time with blazing color. But an early winter, or even a snow day or two, can occur.

From Digital Trends

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Gonna be a long bus ride.

A post shared by Paul Mags (@pmagsco) on Jul 20, 2018 at 4:05pm PDT

If you are section hiking or thru-hiking the GDT, the GDTA Access Page is excellent for getting to and from the various trailheads and termini of the GDT.

With Greyhound ending access in Western Canada, check the Access page on a regular basis  to see any additional private or public transit options for accessing the various points along the GDT.

The GDT has three generally accepted northern termini. Though other options are available and mapped to various degrees, the three options below are the most well-known. All three options have pros and cons depending upon trip goals and conditions.

Three northern termini for the GDT options:

• Jasper National Park (~850km / 530 mi ) – The original northern terminus WAY back when.  Super easy logistics to start or end the trail.  Shorter, perhaps more manageable, journey. However, ending or starting in a busy parking lot may not be the most dramatic place. Arguably some of the best terrain and scenery of the GDT is missed, too.

• Kakwa Provincial Park (~1200km / 750 mi ).  – The northern-most terminus. Very remote, wild, and beautiful by all reports from Kakwa to Robson.  Difficult access.  Once at the end of the GDT, a  potential ~60 km (40 mi)  walk to end or start the trail. From there, another ~150 km (90 mi) to hitch to Jasper. I think a better ending than a starting place IMO. (I wouldn’t want to start a journey with that long of road walk, for example. Ending? Psychologically easier.)

• Mt. Robson Provincial Park   (~1000 km / 620 mi ),–  A popular northern terminus. A happy medium between the two options for many. The Berg Lake Trail features an iconic view of Mt. Robson; the highest point in the Canadian Rockies.  Good trail to reach the visitor center. Relatively easy hitch back to and from Jasper. No longer has any bus service as of Oct 2018, however.

Suunto A-10 compass with lanyard. From Suunto.

Northbound is a generally easy start physically and trail wise versus going south. Logistics are simple from Calgary or Glacier NP, too.  Most GDT hikers make their way north.

Southbound puts you in the hardest terrain from the start.  Few people go south. I went south for logistic reasons. And the romantic in me wanted to end the GDT where I started the CDT back in 2006.

Way cool 2017 pass! From Parks Canada

A 200 km marker Tara Lee and Dan Durston made in 2017. Heart added later.

 I think most people experience about 20% drop in distance covered off their typical average on a more established trail and take longer do this reduced distance.  At least that is my unscientific gut feeling based on talking to other GDTers and seeing what people post after the trip.

More than anything, the GDT is physically challenging. Steep climbs on trails not maintained in a while, or trails that are theoretically there but are overgrown, and, when existing, the tread tends to be rough. (The GDT is getting better tread with each year though. Thanks, GDTA!)   Expect long days to do a lower distance.

Personally, it took me, typically, 12-14 hrs to hike ~33-40k / 20-25 mi. (On ‘Murican trails, I’ll usually do ~25-30 MPD. On my Utah walk in the Fall of 2017, I did about 20-25 MPD as well, but with fewer daylight hours and had more camp time.)

On a related note, the ever-helpful Dan Durston put together a GDT Trip Planner for a what he calls a Relaxed (67 day), Average (50 days), and Fast (41 days)  paces.  Campsites, resupply, and other pertinent info are readily available in a handy spreadsheet form. The distances are based on a Kakwa northern terminus. Adjust as appropriate for a Jasper or Robson northern terminus and your specific pace.

Finally, I felt the northern half (north of Banff) had the more difficult terrain overall. South of Banff, I found the terrain to be easier.

Walking into Coleman. In Canada, even the NO TRESPASSING signs are polite. 😉

Food carries are about 4-9 days depending on your pace.

The GDTA has an excellent Resupply and town information page that has most of the info a GDT hiker might need concerning resupply and lodging options, fuel availability, and mailing addresses.

I’ll just add the following additions:

• From Field, it is an easy and quick twenty-minute hitch to Lake Louise Village with outdoor stores, restaurants/cafes, and a surprisingly decent grocery store. If you are going to, or need to, spend time in town, the town of Golden is about 45 minutes away by hitching and is a full-service town with an outdoor store, a grocery store, and the Kicking Horse Hostel that is reported to be both inexpensive and hiker friendly.

• Boulton Creek Trading Post for the non-picky (!) hiker offers jerky, Ramen-like noodles, Mac n’ Cheese, Poptarts, cookies, instant oatmeal, and other circa-1990s AT thru-hiker delights. 🙂  Pizza and ice cream available! Nearby campgrounds offer showers if you need to break up this otherwise long section between here and Banff, too.

As for stoves and fuel,  I went with cold food. Why? Because flying with a stove can be a pain many times. And with the long daylight hours, easier to eat small meals throughout the day and hike to 9 or even 10 PM.  Due to grizzly activity, eating where I slept did not make sense and, for me, cold food is simple when “on the go.”

However, if you do want to bring a stove, I found that white gas  (more popular with Canadian hikers who tend to have traditional pack sizes and associated gear) is available wherever there are outdoor stores and ditto for isobutane canisters.   Fuel for alcohol stoves in Canada is not quite as handy in the US but is not overly tricky, either.

Whichever fuel you use, plan accordingly when in a larger or well-stocked area and don’t rely on finding fuel in every grocery store, convenience store, or gas station as you might do in the US.

A Canadian “Loonie” Dollar. From Wikipedia.

Costs are going to vary greatly depending on the type of GDT hike done.  Lodging is expensive, and food in certain areas (The Crossing!) is very much on the high side.

Rather than give a ballpark figure, here are some costs, in Canadian dollars, based on different options not counting starting gear or travel to and from the trail.  The exchange rate of the US Dollar, Euro, Pound, or other currencies will affect your overall expenses.

The summary of the info below is that if you go light on lodging, you can cut down your expenses quite a bit. A quicker hike is less expensive, too.

Some general expenses:

• Passes, permits, and reservation fees are about $200.

• Food costs in these tourists area are about in line with Banff as an overall baseline. This link is handy for both grocery stores and restaurants.
  • You could mail food from home, but you still have to pay postage fees and any possible customs delays. And, unless in Canada, those fees can add up.
  • Or you can buy a bunch of food once in Canada and then mail ahead, too, for a much more reasonable price.
  • I know of some people who fly with all their food into Canada and then mail ahead as well. 

• Replacement gear (shoes, insoles, and socks for me) is about in line at the outdoor stores with what you would pay at a MEC or equivalent.

• Stove fuel is about the same cost, too, from what I’ve seen (be it white gas, methyl spirits, or isobutane).

• Coleman is perhaps the best bargain on the trail. The Safe Haven B&B was only $65 a night with AYCE food! Other lodgings in town reported for a reasonable, rate, too.

• Banff is very expensive for lodging. About $80 for a dorm bunk. Up to $500+ for a room. Some people have received better deals via Booking.com or similar, assuming lodging is available. Campsites can become full at the peak of Summer but are otherwise about $30. If you camp just outside of town, hike in, and then hike out, your expenses are much less. Showers are available at rec centers in town, and a CoinOp laundry is available in the mall food court area in downtown Banff.

• Saskatchewan River Crossing (aka The Crossing) is indeed a very expensive resupply. About three times the normal price, if not more, for typical trail food!  Best mail a package here from Calgary or elsewhere in Canada. There Is a $25 fee for this package. The lodging is $200-$300. The staff is super friendly to hikers.  And my hiker hunger crushed the $22 AYCE yummy breakfast at the restaurant. 🙂

• Jasper is similar to Banff if not quite as expensive. Lodging about $200-$300.  Jasper hostels ~$50. If a room is available. Another town where it may be better to camp just outside of town, do town chores, and then hike out. If you are lucky, a low-cost campsite might be available in town. But, again like Banff, those sites fill up. CoinOp laundries available and the Jasper Rec Center offers showers.

• Other low-cost front country campsites are scattered up and down the trail. Near Boulton Creek, for example, there are campsites with showers available.

Ryan Silk Map Atlas

There are a few well-known alternate routes that quite a few GDT hikers will explore.

The Hiking Canada’s Great Divide Trail by Dustin Lynx guidebook, the Atlas Guide GDT App, and the Ryan Silk GDT Map Atlas lists alternate routes.

The GDT Hikers Facebook page (see below for more info) also discusses many of the alternates listed in the three resources above and additional routes put forth by other GDT hikers.

In general, the alt routes are ridgeline walks above the GDT proper and feature expansive views. Expect Class 3 or even Class 4 hiking in some cases. The app and the guidebook will give a suitable warning. Your micro-navigation skills and comfort with off-trail travel should be dialed in for some of these alt routes.  From photos I’ve seen, these alt routes look stupendous if the conditions are right.

Grizzly bears are the issues people seem most concerned about overall.  I think the typical black bear strategy (a creature also common in the Canadian Rockies) works well.  I never ate and slept in the same place, tried to use non-obvious campsites when possible, used an Ursack and Opsak combo when not in a place with a bear storage area, and when I did see three grizzlies in one day, I kept my distance. When a male griz noticed me and let me know he did not appreciate me being in his territory, I walked well way and waited until he was satisfied and left the trail.

If you decide bear spray is warranted,  purchase in Canada. Generally, you can’t fly with this equipment or cross the border. The MEC in Calgary has bear spray readily available. The outdoor store in the Waterton townsite also has bear spray available.

Stream Fords

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Apparently my first crossing of the Moose River is considered the most difficult. A bridge washed out that BC Parks never repaired. I scouted out a crossing up stream. Good times… . . #canada #rockies #backpacking #hiking #thruhiking #greatdividetrail

A post shared by Paul Mags (@pmagsco) on Jul 24, 2018 at 5:37pm PDT

Stream fords are the primary issue up north, not grizzlies, in my opinion.  Glacier stream fords in particular esp. in the afternoons or earlier in the season. Look upstream and try to hike in smaller channels that have gravel obvious. Use hiking poles to “scout” the steps ahead. And when uncomfortable, turn around! Worse case? Call it a day and cross in the morning when the flow from the glacier melt is lessened, and the crossing is safer.  In some cases, a makeshift bridge of sorts is available and put in place by previous hikers. Check the stability as you go along!

Not everyone has up to two+ months to thru-hike the GDT. But section hiking the GDT is a rewarding experience! You can cherry pick the times (Fall foliage anyone?), and still have a memorable experience. Check the GDTA Access page for more info on transportation options for section hiking.

Dogs

Most of the GDT is open to dogs, including the national parks!

To quote the GDTA FAQ:

Dogs are allowed on most of the GDT, with the exception of the section of trail in Jasper National Park from Four Point campground (e15) to Signal Mountain trailhead (e32) which is protected Caribou habitat, and dogs are not allowed in campgrounds on the Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park. In other areas of Canada’s National and Provincial Parks, dogs are allowed if they are accompanied by a person on a three metre (ten foot) leash. Pets are not allowed in public swimming areas, on public beaches or in public buildings. Outside of National and Provincial Parks, there are no restrictions on dogs but use good judgement. Dogs that are unfamiliar with wildlife may put their humans in jeopardy. Be aware that travelling in bear country with your canine companion may be exciting, to say the least. Fido might come running back to you with a bear, cougar or coyote in pursuit.

My friends Naomi and Mike. We met on a dirt road that is part of the GDT. I headed south; they headed north.

About 50 people stated their intent to hike the GDT in 2018 and with a smattering of section hikers, too.

There is no herd or bubble. And bumping into other GDT hikers, be it section or thru-hiking,  is usually fleeting.

I went south for logistic reasons and I met one fellow southbounder. We spent a morning shooting the breeze at The Crossing before I headed out again.

If you hike the GDT, you will be out there by yourself or with your partner only often. In popular provincial parks and national parks, you’ll see other backpackers of course. They just won’t be GDT hikers.

Any trail magic or trail angeling is of the old-school, spontaneous type: A lift into town, maybe a cold soda or extra food from other backpackers, kindness when needed, the trail maintenance done by dedicated volunteers, and the glorious views in the Canadian Rockies.   There are no hiker feeds or coolers left unattended in the grizzly bear roaming woods, either.

The GDT Hiker page on Facebook is where the community tends to be most visible.

The Howse River alt route that avoids many blowdowns. And could potentially be the official GDT.

You’ll hear many GDT hikers talk (vent! 🙂 ) about the David Thompson Heritage Trail, the Howse River area blowdowns, the 50k (30 mi) of road walking into Coleman, the Maligne Pass meadow area, etc.

Well, great news!  The GDTA is very active in getting these sections cleaned up, marked, maintained, and increasingly working with both Parks Canda and Provincial Parks to get some needed trail work done.

David Thompson Heritage Trail clean-up Sept 2018. Photo by Doug Borthwhick.

Coming plans for the GDT include being routed off roads, possibly go along the Howse River,  taking in a ridgeline walks, and other evolving plans for this dynamic trail.

Groups and online resources