Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
52.00 m (170.60 ft)
Trail type
Loop
Distance
6.00 km (3.73 mi)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The Alaska Highway has changed much over its 70-something-year existence. The road has come a long way since its more primitive years, especially since its original construction back in the 1940s. More recently, sections of winding, narrow, and hazardous road have been reconstructed or rerouted to better suit today's needs. With that being said, some older sections no longer in service have been refitted and offer travelers additional options for hiking along the Alaska Highway. In Stone Mountain Provincial Park, The Cut Trail is one such option, and it provides hikers with a better understanding of what the highway may have looked like in its infancy. 

While traveling the Alaska Highway, the trailhead is located approximately 5 kilometers north of the Summit Lake Campground. The parking area is more of a small driveway, and it is probably not suitable for a truck and trailer or larger RV. However, there is a highway pullout across the highway not far from the start of the trail. 

The trail has an information sign and map at the parking area before starting up the old section of highway. Approximately 1.3 kilometers from the trailhead there will be a small path leading off to the right that leads to a good viewpoint of the MacDonald River Valley and the new section of highway that has been cut into the rock face. 

Heading back to the main trail and the old section of highway, the route meanders through the subalpine forest before reconnecting with the Alaska Highway approximately 3.5 kilometers in. Hikers will have the option of hiking back to the trailhead by backtracking on the trail or looping back up the new section of highway at the rock cut, where stone sheep often congregate. 

Special Notes: This area is popular for wildlife such as stone sheep and caribou. Keep an eye out for wildlife while in the area, and give them their space.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Summer

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

None

Open Year-round

Yes

Pros

Proximity to other adventures. Wildlife. Historically significant.

Cons

No facilities. Lack of water.

Trailhead Elevation

4,176.51 ft (1,273.00 m)

Highest point

4,347.11 ft (1,325.00 m)

Features

Near lake or river
Wildlife
Family friendly
Big Game Watching
Historically significant

Typically multi-day

No

Suitable for

Biking

Permit required

No

Location

Nearby Adventures

Northern Rocky Mountains – Muskwa Ranges, British Columbia
Stone Mountain Provincial Park
Northern Rocky Mountains – Muskwa Ranges, British Columbia

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Stone Mountain Provincial Park
Northern Rocky Mountain Foothills, British Columbia

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