Canada’s Great Divide Trail

Before I attempted a thru-hike of Canada’s 700-mile Great Divide Trail, I’d read that it was the kind of brutal, humbling experience that could crush even the strongest hikers.

For me, it didn’t feel like it was trying to humble me. It felt like it was trying to kill me. Not every single day, maybe, but often enough that I cried, cursed, and only slogged forward through sheer stubbornness.

You know how it is when you’re in the thick of it, muddy, miserable, mosquito-bitten, and you start asking yourself, “Why?” Why this trail? Why push this hard? Why now?

That question got buried quickly as I clawed through overgrown willows, forded glacial torrents, and stumbled through endless mud. I suppose what I wanted was the full experience, to feel really alive and test every part of myself: body, mind, and spirit.

And rest assured, I got all of that!

Wild and Remote

The Great Divide Trail— or GDT— is unlike any other in North America. It winds through some of Canada’s most astonishing and remote terrain of towering peaks, shimmering glaciers, boggy forests, and braided river valleys. 

Here, three major ecosystems converge, the Rocky Mountains, the Arctic, and the Pacific Northwest, creating a haven for wildlife. When you hike the GDT you’re sharing space with moose, elk, mountain goats and sheep, caribou, wolves, lynx and mountain lions, black bear and many grizzlies along with hundreds of pica and marmots, their peeping and whistling ping-ponging off the massive rock walls. 

Unlike the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail, the GDT isn’t an officially designated national trail. It’s more a rugged route, cobbled together from a mix of maintained paths, decommissioned tracks, game trails, and pure bushwhacks. Sometimes you’ll follow faded orange ribbons. Sometimes there’s no marker at all, just you and your compass.

The GDT earns its hashtag #wildestthruhike not only for its remoteness, but also for its brutality. It’s 138,000 feet of elevation gain (that’s 26 vertical miles!) taking you across the divide upwards of thirty times. The sections between resupply options are longer than most and the summer hiking season is very short indeed, its Goldilocks period just a short two months, with snow likely on either end. 

No surprise, then, that only a handful of people attempt it each year.

And I was one of them. 

Leave It to the Girls

The trail traces the Continental Divide between Alberta and British Columbia, where water flows east to the Atlantic and west to the Pacific, what Canadians call the “Great Divide.” 

While Indigenous people and fur trappers used many of these routes long ago, the idea for a long-distance hiking trail came from none other than the Girl Guides of Canada. Their dream was to connect the five national parks in the Canadian Rockies: Waterton, Banff, Kootenay, Yoho, and Jasper.

In 1970, Jim Thorsell created the first guide, more of a pamphlet, really. Later, the project gained momentum with a comprehensive guidebook by GDT pioneer Dustin Lynx. Still, only about 50 hikers attempt a full thru-hike each year.

What held me back for so long wasn’t the challenge of the trail itself, but the nightmare of the Byzantine permitting system. The GDT passes through five national parks, eight provincial parks, multiple wild-land zones, and forest districts each with its own set of rules. That means booking designated campsites across dozens of jurisdictions months in advance through online lotteries. Just planning the hike felt like a thru-hike!

But once I had permits in place, I worried I couldn’t keep up the pace. What if I fell behind schedule?

And what about bears, solitude and safety? Despite carrying a satellite communicator and bear spray, I decided not to hike alone. I joined forces with two tough women friends. And thank goodness I did. Without them, I might have quit. 

And in case I haven’t emphasized it enough, this trail is hard. Brutally, relentlessly hard.

A Trail Like No Other 

From the very start, the GDT throws down a challenge. After tagging the U.S. border, the trail climbs 3,500 feet over Carthew Summit then drops just as steeply. That sets the tone for the next 44 days. 

Thankfully, this summer was free of wildfire and smoke, but only because it rained 75% of the time. My feet were constantly soaked, and my spirits often followed.

Here’s a breakdown of what we faced:

GDT at a Glance

• Length: ~700 miles
• Highest Point: 8,497 ft (unnamed pass above Michele Lakes, Section E)
• Lowest Point: 3,461 ft (Old Fort Point Trailhead, near Jasper)
• Typical Duration: 6–8 weeks
• Best Months: July and August
• Direction: Most go northbound. We flip-flopped after arriving in Jasper then hiked south to finish.
• Resupply Towns: Coleman, Elk Lakes, Field or Golden, The Crossing Resort (expensive!), Jasper
• Estimated Cost: ~$1,000–1,500 USD
• Sections: 7, ranging from 4 to 8 days each depending on speed
• Camping: Tent only—no huts, no bothies, no shelters

Section Highlights

Section A – US Border to Coleman (91 miles, 7 days)

Magnificent ridgelines and picture postcard lakes crescendo to tough terrain on the infamous “hardest single day on trail” La Coulotte Ridge, an exposed, waterless scramble. But the wildflowers, like mountain paintbrush, fleabane, and the sturdy and slightly erotic beargrass, made this section one of my favorites. 

Pro tip: If the weather is good and you have time, continue walking the Barnaby Ridge off La Coulette. You’ll miss a whole lot of forest walking!

Section B – Coleman to Peter Lougheed (120 miles, 7 days)

Section B is the birthplace of the GDT and home to the High Rock Trail, mostly a mountainside sidle with balcony views for many miles. It’s also home to the hardest pass of the GDT, Tornado Pass. We pushed straight up loose scree in building clouds and got over in the nick of time. Once the rain settled in, we were subjected to slippery mud chutes masquerading as trail.

Pro tip: Invest in bomber rain gear and rain pants. The brush will shred anything less! Also consider a tent made of dyneema. My sil-nylon tent acted as a sponge in all that rain!

Section C – Kananaskis to Field (127 miles, 8 days)

This is the crown jewel of the trail passing through Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks. You will share the trail with many hikers. We took a high alternate as the rain continued, dampening our spirits and hurrying us along as lightning cracked. As we entered Banff, I exclaimed that maybe the weather would improve. Once the words left my mouth, thunder rumbled loudly. Still, it did clear and we had jaw-dropping views from nine passes as well as high meadows. In a word, spectacular. 

Pro tip: Resupply at Sunshine Village or bus into Banff and don’t carry 8 days of food if you can avoid it.

Section D – Field to Saskatchewan Crossing (66 miles, 4 days)

Known as the “black sheep,” D is full of overgrown willows and alders along with endless blowdowns. We had sunshine on the alternate Iceline Trail and up to Kiwetinok Pass, but lightning followed us down as we picked our way overland on large tallus. The focus of the trail is the Howse River, which you skirt on floodplain and through unmaintained forest. It is beautiful here, but incredibly frustrating to go at a snail’s pace.

Pro tip: Take 5 days, rather than 4. You’ll thank me that you did!

Section E – The Crossing to Jasper (117 miles, 7 days)

E is a study in contrasts of some of the finest walking in the world over Jonas Pass and the Skyline coupled with “decommissioned” trails in White Goat Wilderness and Banff, where “willow bashing” takes on a whole new meaning. You’ll stand on the highest (and unnamed) point of the trail, at 8,497 feet as well as ford a river that for us in pouring rain, was treacherous. 

Pro tip: Plan on stopping at Maligne Lake for a loaded waffle and other delights. We were on the verge of hypothermia and stayed for hours without anyone asking us to leave! 

Section G – Kakwa to Smoky River (96 miles + 20 access miles, 8 days)

Section G is considered the “Heart of the GDT” for good reason. In the words of SNL’s Stephan, it has everything! High passes, soul-sucking mud, many, many river crossings (17 in one day as well as four quite dangerous ones) Fall was coming when we arrived, the days shorter and the nights much colder. We had rain, sleet, hail and snow all in one day— the same day we caught a rare glimpse of two Woodland Caribou. It was magical and even though mighty difficult, G was our favorite section. 

Pro tip: Our plan from the start was to flip north after arriving in Jasper and finish the trail by walking south from the terminus. It allowed us to get the tough bits out of the way first— including the three-hour train ride followed by another three-hour shuttle up a bumpy forest road— then end our journey in an actual town with food and accommodation.

Section F – Smoky River to Jasper (62 miles, 3 days)

This was our last section and felt short and sweet even with many (fairly easy) river fords, high passes and, of course, mud and blowdowns. Our trip ended with a string of bluebird days as well as a plethora of huckleberries, thimbleberries and raspberries. I think the trail was not ready to let go of us!

Pro Tip: Many hikers hitch the 20 miles from Jasper and make a four-day trip out of Section F by coming out on the Berg Lake Trail to Mount Robson (very popular and requires permits!)

What the Trail Teaches

Sometimes, a trail isn’t just a trail. It’s a teacher.

It teaches you that rain, sleet, hail, snow, mud, bogs, swamps, rivers and willows can grind you down, but that you can still get up and keep moving.

It reminds you that the Canadian Rockies are some of the most majestic places on Earth. I wept often not just in frustration, but in awe. 

I remember one pass in a windstorm, the tipped mountains made of ancient limestone seabeds glowing purple under a sunbeam breaking through clouds. I stood there, gasping, stunned and full of gratitude to be alive in that exact moment.

Final Thoughts

Would I recommend thru-hiking the GDT?

If you’re willing to earn your views and suffer a little, or a lot, the answer would be yes. It’s not an easy, straight-forward hike and definitely not simple to plan. But it’s unforgettable.

Just don’t forget your bear spray.