I bookmarked your site and will be checking back soon. Reservable backcountry camping information . Be aware that this involves climbing up a steep cliff where chains have been installed. Pilot Mt. It offers some of the most breathtaking scenery in all of Kananaskis. There is the option to continue over High Col to Birdwood Pass or on to Burstall Pass in one day if you have two vehicles. The view ahead over the open waste lands of stream’s, rock slabs and scree. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The steep portion of the trail can be difficult to follow at times – we took a wrong turn on the way up, and only made things more difficult for ourselves. In the above image it is viewed from Commonwealth Creek. Banff National Park is a very special place to enjoy a backcountry experience. ( Log Out /  We ventured up a little further to the ridge above the upper lake to take in some amazing views of both Birdwood Lakes, Mount Birdwood, and looking West over into the Great Divide beyond. The trailhead is is located at the first left after the bridge past Engandine Lodge in Kananaskis. Please refer to the trail description in the guidebook, especially for unofficial, off-trail hikes. The views looking back into the valley are incredible. Change ). These were some extremely strong, aggressive fish and it was a tough to get any good pictures of them since they struggled so much. Ba15 Wildflower Creek 82 N/8 686-003 Bo1c Bow River/canoe 82 0/4 802-771 ... * Us15 Birdwood 82 J/14 108-276 Us18 Burstall 82 J/14 118-247. I could even see Mount Bourgeau and the formidable Mount Birdwood beyond if I squinted my eyes enough. ... (camping is typically only allowed in official backcountry campgrounds). On top of the grassy “saddle” – Lower Birdwood Lake is visible behind, Upper Birdwood Lake with grassy “saddle” on the right. To give you an idea of how difficult this last part is, we completed the first 6.2 km in just over an hour, and the last 1.1 km took us a whole other hour on top of that. A grassy “saddle” separates the two lakes, and you once again need to gain elevation to access the second lake. Scenery: 10/10 Camping This is actually an excellent scramble for camping due to the Romulus campground at the river crossing. This is a nicely fitted out campground, firewood was chopped, a porta-pottie was in place, tons of tie outs for horses, picnic tables galore and a nice grassy area to share for R&R. There is the option to continue over High Col to Birdwood Pass or on to Burstall Pass in one day if you have two vehicles. Beyond gorgeous. The nice thing about this hike is that on the return trip, once you are down the initial 1.1 km, you know it’s nothing but smooth sailing from there! Birdwood Downs is located approximately 20km east of Derby WA. Create your GDT itinerary with a complete list of all National Park (NP) campgrounds to be used on your trip. Backpacking. As a backcountry user, you can access treasured natural wonders not seen by most park visitors—and experience them without the crowds associated with the park’s more accessible attractions. Birdwood Downs offers year round camping.Birdwood Downs Station, based near Derby, Western Australia, has since 1978 been an innovative pastoral property, pioneering new ways of living with and upgrading the fragile ecology of the Kimberley… Region: Kananaskis Country The trail gains around 400 m in the final 1.1 km to the lakes. It is a very peaceful place. Oh okay I didn’t know how far it went in if it was camp able. An opinionated guide to the Burstall Pass hike in Kananaskis country, near Canmore, Alberta. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Horses are also able to use this trail. The trail forks after a while and you need to take a right which takes you into Smuts Pass. This guide is brought to you by Canadian Rockies hiking experts Kathy and Craig Copeland at hikingcamping.com.. There are other ways to access the lake if you choose. Backcountry camping. Cascade Mt. Trekking poles come in handy to help steady yourself on the way down on the loose rocks. Time (one-way): 2-3 hours Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Spray Valley - Spray Valley Trail Map (Middle) Map, Kananaskis - Spray Valley, Spray Valley Trail Map (South) Campground: Eau Claire, Lillian Lake Backcountry, Ribbon Falls Backcountry, Ribbon Lake Backcountry, Spray Lakes West, Rummel Lake Winter Backcountry Day Use: Buller Mountain, Driftwood, Galatea, Goat Creek, Mt. At around the 2.3 km point, you come to a Y-Junction, keep right here. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Reply. When visiting the Canadian Rocky Mountains around Banff, one can feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of gorgeous hikes at their disposal. Alaska Camping & Hiking Tips Alaska Sea Kayaking Tips Advice For Alaska Float Trips Alaska Fishing Tips RV Parks & Campgrounds. Birdwood Downs Station, based near Derby, Western Australia, has since 1978 been an innovative pastoral property, pioneering new ways of living with and upgrading the fragile ecology of the Kimberley region. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The Rockwall is even more impressive closer and higher up (Photo 6). Point Backcountry Campground and Jewell Bay Backcountry Campground are great for people with limited mobility or young children as they're accessible by boat. July 28, 2018 at 2:29 PM. Build some flexibility into your itinerary in case any campgrounds are not available. It’s no secret that in the Canadian Rockies we find one of lower Canada’s largest and unfettered wilderness areas. ( Log Out /  Soon you come across Commonwealth falls – a beautiful waterfall in the middle of the forest. Hiking down the steep slopes of Mount Birdwood. Anchorage Fairbanks Girdwood Talkeetna Kenai / Soldotna Cooper Landing Homer Distance (one-way): 7.3 km  Robertson Glacier is also visible from this viewpoint in the distance. It’s also right at our fingertips. Another hiker we ran into said they saw a grizzly swimming in the lower Birdwood lake earlier in the morning. BIRDWOOD LAKES. As a backcountry user, you can access treasured natural wonders not seen by most park visitors—and experience them without the crowds associated with the park’s more accessible attractions. Upper Birdwood Lake. The trek down the headwall was treacherous. While most of the crowds stay near Banff or along the tight Icefields Parkway corridor, there is an endless supply of amazing adventures off the beaten path. Don’t be fooled by this however, as the last 1.1 km is absolutely punishing. Self Drive & Railbelt Towns. It is located just off the Smith-Dorrien Highway about 10 km North of the Chester Lake  parking lot. Distance 14.6 km return, height gain 497 m. Two blue-green lakes in superb alpine country. We also wandered around the grassy “saddle” between the lakes. Outdoor aficionado, Andrew Hardingham, gives us four great reasons to lace up our hiking boots, and his best recommendations for wilderness experiences in Banff National Park. Backcountry skiing is an inherently dangerous activity that requires experience and knowledge to travel safely. GRID REF . Arriving at the back of the meadow, you can clearly see that there is nowhere to go from here except for straight UP. This past weekend we had gorgeous weather and were able to finally try a trail that had been on our bucket list for a while – Birdwood Lakes, Smuts Pass, Smutwood (whatever you want to call it) in Kananaskis Country. Elevation Gain: 500 m (to lower lake) The campground at Silent Grove is a great base from which to explore Bell Gorge, ... Birdwood Downs Station is a pastoral station of 2500 ha located on the Gibb River Road in the West Kimberley. Distance 14.6 km return, height gain 497 m, moderate. Our Tourism facilities include a bush style campground for tents, campervans and … The lakes are located between Mount Smuts and Mount Birdwood, hence the multitude of names for this place and why they are used interchangeably. Rather than gradually zigzagging up towards the headwall, the trail just follows a straight vertical. From Smuts Pass overlooking Birdwood Lakes turn left and head towards the trees looking for a thin trail to lead through the trees and down a sharp drop into avalanche slopes ladened with wild flowers. The lower flanks of the mountain as well as the west slabs are excellent compact limestone. If you are just day hiking it you don’t need any pass as it is not in a National Park. As you get deeper into the valley, the trail leaves the edge of Commonwealth creek and makes it way more towards the middle of the meadow. Not as many fish biting in this lake, though it could have been just the wrong time of day by this point. There were also some fresh grizzly digs. The final views of the meadow and valley on the way down are spectacular. Birdwood is a very mixed bunch of rocks. The majority of this hike is fairly easy and flat – there is minimal elevation gain in the first 6.2 km or so. We’re looking to do this trek Monday. The trail quickly narrows and enters the dense forest. Total mileage of 10 kilometres. Birdwood Downs Station is a pastoral station of 2500 ha located on the Gibb River Road in the West Kimberley. Descending to the lake, fish can be seen swimming near the shoreline since the water is so clear. This trail has it all – meadows, creeks, valley views, iconic mountain peaks, lakes, you name it. Our Tourism facilities include a bush style campground for tents, campervans and camper. Photo 9 - 113 Birdwood Terrace, Auchenflower QLD 4066 Photo 10 - 113 Birdwood Terrace, Auchenflower QLD 4066 Photo 11 - 113 Birdwood Terrace, Auchenflower QLD 4066 Castle Mt. View Activities by Town. A lot of scree and large loose rocks. Backcountry skiing Canada is your resource for ski touring powder in BC and Alberta Canada. Hey! Back to Area selection – use your back button to select another trail in the same area. Start of the trail up the headwall, through a forest of Larch trees, View of the valley with a vast array of wildflowers in bloom. We have built a community to encourage safe travel through the mountains, promote a healthy appreciation for Mother Nature, and crank up the fun factor. Going for a stroll along the shores of Upper Birdwood Lake, Fishing Upper Birdwood Lake with Mount Smuts towering in the background. Descend steeply to the Egypt Lake campground. Two blue-green lakes in superb alpine country. We do not allow generators to maintain a natural environment. Photo Andrew Nugara. GDT Campgrounds & Resupply Locations January 2020 = Developed, vehicle-accessed, frontcountry campground * = Campground is off route (+additional distance) = Developed backcountry campground BP = National Park Backcountry Permit required = Primitive backcountry campground RCP = National Park Random Camping Permit required = A flat spot suitable for camping BP and RCP are $10.02 per … Birdwood Downs Savannah Bungalows: Great camp ground and great horse riding - See 27 traveller reviews, 41 candid photos, and great deals for Derby, Australia, at Tripadvisor. Fresh horse tracks indicated riders within the last week (this is an approved Banff horse trail) but other than that … Top quality. Birdwood Downs Station is open, but only for camping. Bonnet Peak Flints Banff National Park is a very special place to enjoy a backcountry experience. The trail follows a mountain pass to a pair of lakes above a headwall. Any of the routes on this site may be dangerous depending on conditions. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Day 1: Vista Lake Trailhead to Ball Pass Junction via Gibbon Pass. The meadow in this valley is stunning – Commonwealth creek meanders through. Round trip: 15 km … The very scenic Wonder Pass Trail links Marvel Lake to the rest of … Mount Birdwood is normally clearly visible from the road. Various iconic mountain peaks are in view, including Commonwealth Peak, the Fist, Mount Birdwood and Mount Smuts. Now the beautiful paddocks with their groves of native trees, spectacular boabs and eucalyptus, serve as a model for sustainable management of the tropical savannah and support our horses and cattle herd. The Birdwood Pass can be seen. The first day was tough but beautiful. Ribbon L ake is generally reached from a steep hike from Ribbon Falls backcountry campground. It starts through a Larch forest, then opens up to more meadow-like terrain with an absolutely amazing variety of wildflowers. View of Mount Smuts and both Birdwood Lakes from the high ridge, View on the other side of the ridge – Mount Birdwood on left & Robertson Glacier beyond. The Smuts Pass trailhead is unmarked. Birdwood Downs – open! Still not a ton of elevation gain by this point, but the trail gets unbelievably narrow at times – you almost needed to bushwhack your way through. Looking over the crest of the headwall back into the valley. Shortly after this, you descend into a meadow and the trail continues on, following closely to the right of Commonwealth creek. Whoever built this trail apparently didn’t understand the concept of switchbacks. Birdwood Downs is a working cattle station close to the western end of the Gibb River Road. Kananaskis Country Trail Guide Volume 1 Trail #85, Trail start: Tryst-Commonwealth 50.83908N, -115.35105W, Your browser does not support displaying the Trailhead Map. To comply with COVID-19 safety rules, they have limited their number of camping parties to 15. Mount Rundle Citadel Peak Mount Bourgeau Mount Ball Storm Mt. The site aims to be a one-stop-shop for skiers seeking timely, on-the-money information. The trail offers a number of activity options. The trail starts off easy on a flat logging road that offers some pretty decent views along the way. We saw very little evidence of humans anywhere along the Spray River Valley. The only trouble is they were so big they often ended up snapping the line and swimming away with the hook before you could fully reel them in. Might just make a day trip for those massive cuties ! Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Logging road with view of Commonwealth Peak. Kananaskis Country is home to many of these. Lessons learned for our return journey! There are some interesting views looking back at Mount Birdwood from here, as well as an amazing display of wildflowers. ( Log Out /  The upper lake is a deeper blue color. Turn West at Mount Engandine Lodge/Rummel Lake trailhead, and follow this road about 1 km West until you see a small parking lot on the left. It is nestled at the base of Mount Smuts, and is a beautiful green color. Although more energy was initially expelled going up the headwall, the descent was very slippery and hard on the knees. Like Liked by 1 person. The focus of the property is on ecology and responsible environmental management. Despite this, it was one of the most beautiful trails we have ever done and worth the pain of getting up there. Parks Canada ? Day three: Hike 3.0 kilometres up to Healy Pass and then descend 9.2 kilometres to the parking lot at Sunshine Village. For backcountry camping you often need passes, but I don’t believe you are allowed to camp at these lakes since they are in a Provincial Park and random camping isn’t allowed (camping is typically only allowed in official backcountry campgrounds). For those with young children, both Point and Jewell Bay campgrounds can be accessed by short hikes … After spending a couple hours at the lower lake, we decided to venture up to the second (upper) Birdwood lake. Since 1978 Birdwood Downs Station has pioneered new ecological methods of improving degraded lands using stock management, weed control and planting improved grasses. On bush style campground we can have a limited number of unpowered sites for tents, campervans, camper trailers and caravans. Birdwood Downs Station is located on the Gibb River Road, only twenty minutes from Derby WA. The scenery is just wow. […] We won’t go into the details on how to access this hike, all information on access and a full trail description can be found here in our blog post from last year: Smuts Pass / Birdwood Lakes […], […] valley on the other side of these mountains on another one of our favourite hikes, the trail to Smuts Pass / Birdwood Lakes and Smutwood Ridge, in summer, so it was interesting to see a different perspective of these peaks […]. View of iconic Mount Birdwood and the Lower Birdwood Lake, Mount Birdwood with a display of wildflowers. Just wondering what u got for backcountry passes.. is it through parks Alberta? Ugh. Photo 9 - 13 Birdwood Drive, Samford Valley QLD 4520 Photo 10 - 13 Birdwood Drive, Samford Valley QLD 4520 Photo 11 - 13 Birdwood Drive, Samford Valley QLD 4520 Finally coming over the headwall, after what felt like an eternity for just 1.1 km, the first (lower) Birdwood lake comes into view. Burstall Campground via Great Divide Trail is a 22.9 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Kananaskis Improvement, Alberta, Canada that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The Birdwood back country campground was eerily quiet as we hiked past. Backcountry Advice. We dropped our lines in and pulled out some big cutthroat trout – the largest we have seen to date at any alpine lake. Lower Birdwood Lake laid about 40 m below in the pass, Mount Smuts rose sharply to the north, and Smutwood Peak rose to the west. You are responsible for your own safety in the backcounty—the team behind backcountryskiingcanada.com disclaim any responsibility for any injury resulting from people travelling on routes described on this site. The bush style campground accommodates tents, campervans and camper trailers and a limited number of caravans. ( Log Out /  It is absolutely brutal! Mount Birdwood dominates the view. Description. BACKCOUNTRY CAMPGROUNDS CAMPGR OUND T OPO MAP NO . Location: Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. The lakes are located between Mount Smuts and Mount Birdwood, hence the multitude of names for this place and why they are used interchangeably. Difficulty Level: Moderate to Challenging Fishing: 8/10, **Note: see also our more recent trip report of this hike for some important trail updates**. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. If you are interested you can learn a bit about those topics on the offered guided tours and gain insights into the day to day workings and the larger issues of the sustainable management of a Kimberley station. Pulling in a fat & fiesty cutthroat trout. Birdwood Downs offers year round camping. Trail through the middle of the meadow with Mount Birdwood as a backdrop, Looking back into the valley – the Fist towers on the left. The upper chunk of the mountain is very rotten. This will not be for everyone. 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