Moose River Route: Yellowhead Highway to Moose River

Dogs Leashed

Features Commonly Backpacked · River/Creek · Views · Wildlife

Moose River Route in its entirety (about 40 miles) goes from the trailhead of this description, to Berg Lake Trail at the British Columbia/Alberta border. However, this trail description is only about the first 2.8 miles at the eastern end of Moose River Route. A great out-and-back day route is to run this trail from the highway to the banks of the beautiful, turquoise Moose River, and back to the highway for a total of 5.6 miles.

To find the trailhead, turn onto a dirt road on the north side of the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16) about 500 meters west of the highway's Moose River crossing, and 3km (2 miles) east of Moose Lake. Coming from either direction, there is a sign that says Moose River Route 500 meters ahead, for this dirt road. Once on the dirt road, follow it for a very short ways to the Moose River Route trailhead sign and park there.

From the Moose River Route trailhead sign, take the dirt road across the railroad tracks, and follow it as it veers right. After veering right, it continues for about 0.4 miles and then makes a U-turn to the left in a dirt area. Pass the horse hitching posts at this U-turn and continue on the dirt road for about 100-200 yards looking carefully to the left in the trees for a small horse/hiker trail sign AND good trail at the sign. There are 2 signs and if you see the first one, it does NOT have good trail, so don't take it, keep going looking for the second sign with good trail. This is where the singletrack trail starts through the fir forest. If you get to the end of the dirt road where it circles right, you went too far.

Now in the fir forest on the singletrack Moose River Route, the trail soon begins seriously climbing a forested ridge for a little over a half mile. At the 1.3 mile mark, the trail levels out, and remains level for over a mile. During this level mile, the healthy fir forest gives way to a burn area from a 2003 forest management burn. Through the open burn area, there are awesome views of the southwest slopes of Mt. George Graham to the right (northeast) across the Moose River valley, Also another prominent "hill" further up the Moose River valley can be seen.

At the 2.5 mile mark, the wild and beautiful, turquoise Moose River comes into view below. Still in the burn area, the trail descends to the banks of the Moose River, where this trail description ends.

Fir forest, burnt fir forest from a 2003 forest management burn, and beautiful fireweed and saplings in the regenerating burn area. The burn area also offers great views that would otherwise be obscured by dense trees of a mature forest.