Great Divide Trail - Collie Creek Alternate Route

Dogs Leashed

Features Commonly Backpacked · River/Creek · Views · Wildlife

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

Great Divide Trail - Section D (Field to Saskatchewan Crossing) Alternate Route.

This Alternate Route bypasses 11km of the forest service road walk in the Blaeberry River Valley and replaces it with a shorter 5.6km on historic trail and floodplain. Once across the cutblock, a 'Collie Creek Trail' sign marks the start of the historic trail, which descends steeply for 1.1 km to Collie Creek. Once at the creek, make your way downstream for about 1.5km along the cobble and rocks while looking for a good spot to cross. The best ford spot is where the river braids into a few channels about 800 m down and where cliffs on the close side force you to cross anyways.

Once across, continue downstream for a few hundred meters past a narrow canyon. 50m after the canyon the trail resumes at the forest edge and runs the final 2.5 km through a mix of forest and floodplain. Maintenance in 2021 - 2022 has cleared this section of trail. The trail ends at the FSR. Currently (2022) a forestry bridge is in place to enable you to cross the Blaeberry to rejoin the GDT at the Cairnes Creek rec site.

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