Cardinal Headwaters Trail
Near Cardinal Divide · Coal Branch Public Land Use Zone
Trail score 51 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality
About this trail
Cardinal Headwaters Trail is a 16.5 km out and back trail near Cardinal Divide in Coal Branch Public Land Use Zone. It runs 8.3 km each way. The route gains 293 m in total and tops out at 1,960 m. Hike Alberta rates it hard. Allow about 5 hours of moving time. It meets Cardinal Pass route at 2.1 km.
- Length
- 16.5km
- 8.3 km each way
- Elevation gain
- 293m
- Estimated time
- 5h
- Moving time
- Route
- Out and back
- Highest point
- 1,960m
- Lowest point
- 1,830m
Elevation profile
1,830 m to 1,960 mHighest point 1,960 m, lowest 1,830 m, 293 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 12% over 100 m.
Predicted coverage: 87% of route
87% LTE · 0% 5G
- Longest modelled gap
- 1.1 km
- Model
- 2024 · Natural Resources Canada
Predicted coverage is not guaranteed. It varies by carrier, terrain, weather, device and network load, and it does not guarantee emergency service.
Good for
- Hiking
- Dog friendly (on leash)
Rankings
Trailhead
The trail starts at 52.8913° N, 117.2309° W.
Before you go
Carry an offline map and plan for no service in backcountry areas. Trails close for wildlife, fire, weather and construction. Check the official sources:
Nearby trails
- Cardinal Divide Ridge RouteModerate · 7.8 km · 214 m gain · 1.2 km away
- Rocky PassEasy · 4.2 km · 188 m gain · 4.4 km away
- Toma TrailModerate · 10.8 km · 314 m gain · 5.8 km away
- Cardinal Headwaters TrailModerate · 11.3 km · 271 m gain · 6.5 km away
- Cadomin Mountain TrailHard · 15.7 km · 1,141 m gain · 7.0 km away
- Cardinal Pass routeHard · 17.6 km · 600 m gain · 9.0 km away
All 13 trails in Coal Branch Public Land Use Zone
Government of Alberta, Open Government Licence Alberta
Elevation © Mapterhorn from NRCan HRDEM (Open Government Licence Canada) and Copernicus GLO 30