Evan-Thomas Fire Road
Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada

Evan-Thomas is an old exploration road which gradually ascends to Evan-Thomas Pass. Frequented by local outfitters, the trail has seen better days. After the 1.5 km mark the trail is not maintained and can be loose, wet and boggy in sections, making for an interesting pedal up.

As this is an out-an-back, unless you plan on continuing on to the Elbow River, you may choose to turnaround at the 9 km mark after which the trail condition deteriorates further making it a challenging ride on the last 6 km to the pass. To Elbow River, the trail is approximately another 7 km from the pass to where it joins Elbow Trail. From Elbow Trail continue on for another 12 km to the Little Elbow Campground for a total of 34 km.

Evan-Thomas runs on mostly wide doubletrack surrounded by trees and offering a number of viewpoints when you pop out of the woods. The trees will thin in a few sections, just enough to provide glimpses of Evan-Thomas Creek running parallel to the trail. There are a number of creek crossings, which are sure to get your feet wet. Especially in the spring when the water levels are running high, possibly making the creek crossings impassable. Avoid riding this trail after it has rained due to the high equestrian use.

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Trail Stats

Distance: 30 km (return)
Time: 4 - 6 hrs
Elevation Gain: 928 m
Elevation Loss: 928 m
Min Elevation: 1,507 m
Max Elevation: 2,176 m
Technical Rating: Intermediate
Physical Rating: Hard
Season: July - October
Permit Required: No

Trail Location

Trailhead: Take Hwy 1 to Hwy 40 south. Drive about 27 km south on Hwy 40 to the Evan Thomas day use area; off Hwy 40 and well-marked. The trailhead starts right from the parking lot.

GPS: N50 53.609 W115 08.034 (TH)

Downloads

Map: click here
GPS Map (GPX): click here
Google Earth: click here
Alberta Parks: click here
Trail Report: click here

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