SUMMARY

Distance: 248kms with 2800 gain. 

Terrain: Mix of hard-packed great quality gravel, rocky access roads and some pristine asphalt (the latter being a pleasant surprise at some points). 

Access: No access or land use issues, but this route does go through active forestry and mining areas so caution is advised around any large industrial vehicles (we saw few over our trip). Route also skirts along the Alexis First Nation Land and you pass through a small First Nations settlement at Smallboy Camp (no services).

DETAILS

The Coal branch is a looped tour of the Hinton and Cadomin area, a region with great historical and current significance in regard to mining, forestry and First Nations interests. The route starts and ends in the town of Hinton and passes over the high point of the Cardinal Divide at 2000m elevation via the Grave Flats Road.

A mix of road types with approx. 50km of pavement and the rest being gravel access roads of varying quality. Best time of year to go is between June and October.