The event will take place for half an hour from 12:30 to 13:00 at the Highwood Pass. Plan your trip accordingly to reach the posted coordinates by 12:30 PM depending on the route you choose and your cycling abilities.
Located within the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park on Alberta Highway 40, at 2,179 meters (7,148’), Highwood Pass is the highest paved pass in all of Canada, and also among the most picturesque. Hwy 40 from the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park to Highwood House Junction is closed to motor vehicle traffic from Dec 1 – June 14th most years. This creates perfect early season road cycling opportunities along one of the most beautiful roads in Alberta. Highwood Pass is the highest paved pass in Canada..so a unique opportunity to get to this elevation on a road bike in Canada. I, WhyWhySon1, my friend and her son rode this route a few years ago. The two ten-year-olds made it all the way to the Pass with an educational stopover at the now archived Earthcache site. The road was not too busy for a Wednesday, but in then beautiful weather and stay-at-home times, there were still enough people to meet a 76-yo granddad with three teenage grandkids, a training racer in golden shoes (I mean it - golden!), a grumpy lady who didn't have enough room on the road and had to remind the struggling kids to "keep right", a colourful group of fancy dressed cyclists on super expensive bikes, and a few regular crowds of people totally enjoying the ride!
I plan to cycle Kananaskis (North Gate) to Summit, read more below and on linked website about route options.
Ride Statistics from Cycle Alberta:
Ride with GPS map, coordinates and elevation chart
Ride Difficulty Rating: Beginner
Distance: 33.9 km
Estimated time: 1.75 hours based on cycling speed of 20 km/hr, but you might be quite a bit faster because there is quick descent on this route.
Elevation Gain: 622 m
Maximum Grade: 7.1 % uphill just before you reach the summit and of course 7.1% downhill on you quick return trip.
Maximum Elevation: 2,206 m
Points of Interest/Amenities: Highwood Pass Summit at the 16.9 km mark. If you proceed just past the summit, there are washrooms and picnic tables.
Best Parking Option: Park where Hwy 40 ends at the Kananaskis Lakes Trail turn off. Pull well off to the side of the road.
Note: as of June 1, 2021 you will need to purchase a Kananaskis Conservation Pass in order to park here.
Cycle Alberta also notes that as of June 4, 2023 the road surface is not as good as in past years. For the North gate to Summit route there are sections of rough pavement as well as a few herds of mountain sheep to contend with on your swift descent. Our current recommendation, is to do this route from the South gate to the Summit as the road is in better condition.
South Gate to Summit – Ride Statistics
Ride with GPS map, coordinates and elevation chart
Ride Difficulty Rating: Intermediate
Distance: 75.8 km
Estimated time: 3.5 hours based on cycling speed of 20 km/hr, but you might be quite a bit faster because there is quite a long descent on this route.
Maximum Elevation: 2,206 m
Grades: Uphill 5.8 % at 32.8 km, 5.0% downhill at 43.7 km
Use caution as there are several Texas gates!
Points of Interest: On your ascent you will be surrounded by beautiful mountain views. The summit is your destination.
Best Parking Option: Drive to Longview, turn west on to Hwy 541. Proceed to the south gates which is at the Highwood House Junction. Park at the south gates. Pull off the road.
Amenities: there are no washrooms at the parking spot, but within the first 10 minutes or so of the route there are pit toilets at the first picnic spot that you will encounter.
Read more about all options here.
Thanks to generosity of Calgary geocachers, a door prize shall be drawn among all attendees for a very special Highwood Pass geocoin!