Great Divide Trail - Section A (Canada/USA Border to Coleman)

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Features Birding · Commonly Backpacked · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

• Great Divide Trail (GDT)

The GDT is a wilderness trail. Hiking it provides a wilderness experience that in places may include unmaintained trail, no trail at all (route finding required), animal sightings and encounters, isolation, unbridged creeks and rivers, and long distances between resupplies.

Summer weather can include snow :>)

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"
- GDT App
- Ryan Silk's GDT Map Atlas
- Gem Trek maps

The GDT (Great Divide Trail) is a long distance hike along the Continental Divide in Canada. This is Section A, the southernmost section of it.

Section A runs from the Canada/USA border in Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park (the combined Canadian Waterton Lakes National Park and US Glacier National Park) at the northern end of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), to the town of Coleman, Alberta.

One of the most scenic sections of the GDT, Section A features high ridge walks with views of the rugged, snowy mountains that go on forever. In some places one can even see the prairies in the far, Far, FAR distance to the east.

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

Alternate Routes
- Great Divide Trail - Waterton Detour Alternate Route
- Great Divide Trail - Mt Rowe/Sage Pass Access Alternate Route
- Great Divide Trail - Mt Rowe/Sage Pass Alternate Route
- Great Divide Trail - Barnaby Ridge Alternate Route
- Great Divide Trail - Grizzly Lake Trail Camp Alternate Route
- Great Divide Trail - Blairmore Alternate Route

Access Trailheads (motor vehicle accessible)
- Lakeshore Trail trailhead in Waterton Townsite in Waterton Lakes National Park (near Section A start)
- Carthew - Alderson Trail trailhead in Waterton Townsite in Waterton Lakes National Park (near Section A start)
- Akamina Parkway from Rowe Lakes Trail trailhead to Carthew - Alderson Traverse and Summit Lake Trail trailhead (near Section A start)
- Castle Mountain Ski Resort
- Suicide Creek Trail trailhead near Castle Mountain Ski Resort
- Lynx Creek Road
- Lynx Creek Road at Lynx Creek Road to Coleman Trail trailhead
- Coleman (Section A end)

Access Trails
- Snowshoe Trail and Twin Lakes Trail (7.4 miles)
- Yarrow Creek trailhead to Great Divide Trail - Waterton Detour Alternate Route at the 20 mile mark, to main GDT (23 miles)
- Bovin/Blue Lake Trail for 8.3 miles to Great Divide Trail - Waterton Detour Alternate Route at the 37.9 mile mark (Castle Road), to main GDT (12.5 miles)
- South Castle Road for 14.7 miles to Great Divide Trail - Waterton Detour Alternate Route at the 38.3 mile mark (Font Creek Trail), to main GDT (18.5 miles)