Find out the latest on the conditions out on the trail.
This page is updated frequently so refresh your browser for the most recent information. Trail conditions and closures are monitored by the GDTA but much of this information is crowd-sourced and depends on trail user contributions. Please report trail conditions via email.
July 24, 2026
Wildflowers are blooming! Trails are mostly bare or muddy with a few snow patches remaining at higher elevation. Some trails have not been maintained since last season and trail repairs for damage caused by the recent weather event will take additional time. Be prepared for variable conditions.
Trail Closures and Notices
- TRAIL CLOSURES: The following trails in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park are closed until further notice due to the washed out bridge over Upper Kananaskis River and flood damage to the trail: Maude-Lawson Trail (from Forks campground to North Kananaskis Pass) and Three Isle Lake Trail (beyond Point campground to just east of Three Isle Lake campground). This means the main route of the GDT is closed from the junction with Point campground to North Kananaskis Pass. Crews are conducting detailed assessments of trails, campgrounds, roads and other infrastructure impacted by flooding and high water. Please stay off closed trails and out of restricted areas to protect your safety, allow crews to complete their work, and help prevent further damage to already vulnerable landscapes and infrastructure.
DETOURS: The trail from Three Isle Lake campground to South Kananaskis Pass and the Aster Lake Trail have reopened which means the Northover Ridge Alternate Route is officially reopen. This allows contiguous hiking from Elk Pass trailhead to Height of the Rockies Provincial Park via South Kananaskis Pass. Note that the Northover Ridge Alternate is a difficult route with a short section of narrow exposed ridge walking as well as steep scree. It’s recommended to have good weather and no strong wind when attempting this route. Hikers can also exit or connect with the GDT via Burstall Pass Trail (to the north of the closure) and Elk Pass Trail (to the south of the closure) but this requires off trail travel between trailheads. - CAMPGROUND CLOSURES: The following backcountry campgrounds in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park are closed until further notice due to flood damage: Forks, Three Isle Lake, and Turbine Canyon. Note that Aster Lake campground has reopened. Crews are actively investigating damage and undertaking repairs where necessary. Backcountry campgrounds will be reopened as conditions allow. Impacted reservations will be cancelled and refunded.
- NOTICE: The new Blaeberry River Cable Car at the northern end of the Collie Creek Alternate Route is now fully operational. It can handle 1 or 2 people plus gear at a time, but the effort required is less if one person rides and one person pulls the hand line from the loading platform. Solo hikers are able to pull themselves across without assistance. If two people are riding at the same time, sit or kneel on opposite sides of the rope so the cart stays vertical, which reduces friction between the cable car and the wheels. The Collie Creek Alternate Route is open and is the recommended route given the Cairnes Creek bridge has washed out.
- NOTICE: Cairnes Creek bridge was damaged over the winter and washed away this spring. A new temporary footbridge was constructed in June 2026 near the creek’s confluence with the Blaeberry River. To reach it, NOBO hikers should stay on the road all the way to the Blaeberry River, then follow the obvious trail heading north close to the river. The new bridge leads to the new Blaeberry cable car. SOBO hikers heading to Cairnes Creek Rec Site should bypass the cable car, continuing on the trail parallel to the river and cross the new footbridge to reach the campground.
- CLOSURE – Kootenay National Park: Numa Creek Access Trail from Numa Creek campground to Numa Falls bridge is closed due to bridge washout and debris on trail.
- BEARS: Bears are out and about, actively searching for food and focused on feeding. Be bear aware on the trails this summer, make noise and carry bear spray.
- WARNING – Waterton Lakes National Park: A bear has approached people and has shown interest in human food in the area between Waterton townsite and Canada-US border. All campgrounds in the area are open. Extra caution is advised.
- WARNING – Waterton Lakes National Park: An aggressive grizzly bear charged a large group of people on the Rowe Lakes Trail. Extra caution is advised.
- FIRE: There is increased fire danger due to hot dry conditions in the Canadian Rockies and fire bans in southeast BC came into effect on July 23. Smoke from wildfires is having a moderate to high impact on air quality in the southern Canadian Rockies but can shift quickly with changing wind patterns. If you must have a campfire in the backcountry, please ensure you follow the rules.
Access
- Highway 742 / Spray Lakes Road is closed between Grassi Lakes parking area and Goat Creek, southwest of Canmore due to a rockslide. No public access for any type of vehicle or on foot.
- Highway 40 is open to one lane alternating traffic at the Evan-Thomas Bridge, south of Kananaskis Village. Campers are able to access frontcountry campgrounds in Kananaskis but expect delays due to ongoing repairs.
- A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for all vehicles visiting Kananaskis Country and provincial sites in the Bow Valley Corridor. The pass is not required for people arriving without a vehicle on foot, horseback or bicycle.
- Due to recent maintenance, BC Parks lists Walker Creek FSR in good condition up to km 50 but beyond that point it is still very overgrown and in rough shape. The BC Ministry of Forests has indicated the road is closed beyond km 52 due to safety concerns. Beyond that point, those with high clearance 4WD vehicles willing to drive the rough and very overgrown road might be able to drive closer to or all the way to the Bastille Creek trailhead.
- For more information, check out Alberta 511 and Drive BC.
National and Provincial Park Trail Conditions:
Banff National Park
Jasper National Park – Submit a Jasper trail condition report
Kootenay National Park
Waterton Lakes National Park
Yoho National Park
Akamina‐Kishinena Provincial Park
Castle Wildland Provincial Park
Castle Provincial Park
Elk Lakes Provincial Park
Height of the Rockies Provincial Park
Kakwa Provincial Park
Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park
Mount Robson Provincial Park
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park