Join us at Prairie Dog Brewing on Thursday, October 16th from 6–9 pm for a casual meetup with the Great Divide Trail community—past, present, and future hikers welcome! ??
Whether you’ve thru-hiked, sectioned hiked, volunteered on trail, or you’re just GDT-curious, come swap stories, meet new trail friends, and enjoy great food & drinks.
When: Oct 16, 6–9 pm
Where: Prairie Dog Brewing (Calgary)
Who: Anyone connected to or interested in the GDT
It’s back! After the massive success last year that saw 30 different people submit absolutely astounding photos, the GDTA is once again running our Photo Contest!
Spend some time reminiscing and go dig through all the photos you’ve taken (this year, or any year). Then select your favourite(s) and submit by following the instructions below. Submitting your photos is a unique and simple way to help out the GDTA! As the association works to protect, promote, and maintain the trail, we’re always in need of high-quality imagery. Who better to provide that then those of you who’ve lived it?!
Need some inspiration? Have a look at the 2024 Winners of the GDTA Photo Contest.
2024 Photo Contest Winner: Mirror Mountain – Bradley Ayres
The GDTA will be awarding prizes for the top three submissions, as voted on by select members from our volunteer community.
Honourable mentions will be shared on our social media for:
Photographer: <your name>
Working Title: <one-sentence title>
Location: <specific location>
GDT Section: <A through G>
Detailed Caption: <longer caption, please include names of any identifiable individuals>
With this submission I affirm that I have read and agree to the terms and conditions of the GDTA Photo Contest. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited. By entering this contest, you agree to the terms and conditions relating to this contest and you are responsible for understanding your rights.
Photos entered are considered licensed to the Great Divide Trail Association in perpetuity. By entering the photo contest, you are giving the GDTA the right to use your photos as we see fit to promote the trail and its protection.
You will retain copyright to any photograph you submit. You only grant the GDTA rights to your photograph royalty-free, in perpetuity, nonexclusively to:
Whenever possible, the GDTA will provide attribution in the form the photographer’s name and/or photographer’s website URL per GDTA’s discretion. Attribution will appear next to the photo or in the credits of the work product.
By entering, participants agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the GDTA, its respective subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, volunteers, attorneys, agents and representatives, from any and all third party liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with the competition (collectively, “Losses”), including without limitation any third party claim for copyright infringement or a violation of an individual’s right to privacy and/or publicity right. The Contest is void where prohibited by law.
Contest entrants are responsible for ensuring that he or she has the right to submit the photos that he or she submits to the contest.
1The concept and inspiration for this contest comes from the Pacific Crest Trail Association’s annual Photo Contest.
Hiking on the GDT this summer? Following adventurous souls on Instagram? This summer, keep your eyes peeled for the GDTA Trail Ambassadors: Charlene, Keiko, Sara, Mo, and Claire. The five of them will be out there tackling Canada’s wild and inspiring Great Divide Trail, and they’ve been kind enough to take us along for their journey!
She’s completed the GDT three times, the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Arizona Trail, and loads of backpacks in the Canadian Rockies. She’s thrilled to be back on home turf this summer to reconnect with the GDT and explore the GDR.
10 years ago, Keiko’s very first backpacking trip on July Long Weekend 2015 was in Waterton on the Snowshoe Loop near Twin Lakes and a final night at Bertha Bay. She did not know it at the time, but she was on the Great Divide Trail! She has since spent the last decade hiking and backpacking along the GDT. She joined the GDTA in 2022 to learn more about the trail with the hopes of thru-hiking it someday. “Someday” is now – Keiko is celebrating her 10-year backpackerversary (and her 20th year in Canada) by thru-hiking the GDT as her first major thru hike this season!
Sara Laing aka “ Sunshine Sara” is a certified Professional IGA/ACMG Hiking Guide based in Canmore, Alberta, with a passion for Canada’s wildest places. This summer, she’s re-hiking the Great Divide Trail (GDT), including the Great Divide Route (GDR), as a GDTA Ambassador. She’s committed to promoting responsible trail use, sharing her journey to inspire others, and raising funds in honour of her stepfather for cancer research. Sara sets off southbound on August 1 from the Monkman Memorial Trail and looks forward to connecting with fellow hikers along the way.
We are Claire and Mo aka @unsupervisedhikers and this summer we are thru-hiking the Great Divide Trail from Waterton to Kakwa with a cast of whacky characters. We are outdoor professionals from Golden, BC taking the summer off work to explore the Rockies for ourselves! If you see us on the trail, don’t worry… We’re not lost. We’re just unsupervised.
Backpackers, hikers, outdoor enthusiasts!
The GDTA is seeking dynamic, committed, community-oriented Board of Directors candidates to join our team. These positions will be voted on by Members at our Annual General Meeting on September 29th, 2025.
We are seeking candidates with experience and/or a strong interest in the following areas:
Our amazing current Board Secretary has one year left in the role and is committed to fully training their successor and supporting a smooth transition over the coming year.
The GDTA is a registered charity, and the Board is accountable for ensuring that the Association is managed in accordance with applicable laws and its membership’s wishes. The Board is responsible to:
As individuals and collectively, Board Members are responsible to:
Term: Three (3) Years, 6-10 hr/month
Compensation: None – this is a volunteer position.
Interested Candidates should submit their names via email, to:
The nominating committee will review all applications, possibly interview interested persons and then present qualified candidates to the Association’s membership via email for their consideration. The successful nominees will be presented at the Annual General Meeting on September 29, 2025.
If you are not interested in a Board position but would like to contribute your time and talents in other way. There are always lots of ways you can get involved, including remotely and outside of peak-hiking seasons! Even if you have just a few hours to give, it can make a big difference.
The Great Divide Trail Association invites artists from the local community to submit artwork proposals for a vibrant public mural celebrating the iconic Great Divide Trail.
The mural will be prominently displayed at 7702 18th Avenue in Coleman, Alberta, a significant location at the end of Section A of the trail.
Coleman is a natural pause point for hikers as the GDT passes right through the community creating a convenient resupply and rest stop as hikers transition from Section A to Section B. It is an ideal site for a mural that honours trail culture and history, connects with the community, and showcases local artistic talent.
For more information on the GDTA: About the GDTA – The Great Divide Trail Association
Artists are invited to submit new or previously created artworks inspired by the landscapes, wildlife, experiences, and cultural significance of the iconic Great Divide Trail. The artwork should:
This project allows for creative expression of any medium, including paintings, photography, drawings/illustrations, etc. Below is just one example of a map project for the West Coast Trail that could serve as inspiration.
All submissions must be received by July 15, 2025.
Submit Proposals via our Mural Submissions Portal
Artists retain original artwork rights; the Great Divide Trail Association will hold rights for mural reproduction and promotional use only.
The project is supported in partnership with the South Canadian Rockies Tourism Association, with promotional recognition provided across multiple platforms.
We look forward to your creative interpretations celebrating the spirit and legacy of the Great Divide Trail!
For inquiries about submissions or the project, please contact:
Tara Fleming, Board Director, GDTA
Email: mural@greatdividetrail.com
The Great Divide Trail Association (GDTA) opposes the proposed construction and operation of a coal mine at Grassy Mountain, and the Government of Alberta’s lifting of the moratorium on new coal exploration and development in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The Grassy Mountain project, and increased exploration and development in the region, would have significant negative impacts on the Great Divide Trail (GDT) and the hundreds of people who enjoy it every year.
The GDT is a highly valued long-distance trail in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Each year, hundreds of people from across Canada and around the world are drawn to its spectacular mountain scenery and opportunities for outdoor recreation in a wilderness setting. For more than 40 years, the GDTA has invested countless volunteer hours in trail maintenance, promotion and education.
A surface coal mine at Grassy Mountain, and exploration in the vicinity of the existing trail corridor, will pose an existential threat to the trail, irreversibly harming the experience of the hundreds of people each year who enjoy and benefit from it.
Exploration activity and/or surface mining would cause harm far beyond these activities’ footprints, including through significant noise and dust from blasting and heavy machinery; negative impacts on air and water quality, as well as wildlife and their habitat; and sight pollution from great distances in areas of currently untouched natural beauty.
With respect to increased exploration, the greatest threat to the trail is in the Willoughby Ridge area, where there is 100 percent overlap between the trail and exploration leases. As a result of road building, drilling and blasting, parts of the trail could be completely destroyed.
Exploration activity and/or surface coal mining in or near the GDT corridor would negatively impact the world-class wilderness recreation experience the GDTA has worked hard to build for more than 40 years. It will also reduce the environmental gains achieved while building and maintaining an environmentally sustainable and protected trail along the Great Divide of the Canadian Rockies.
The impact on visitor experience would be substantial. In order to mitigate this, the GDTA may be forced to move the trail to a new location, causing years of disruption to trail users. Not only would this be expensive, but the impacts would be felt all across the 1,100km trail as limited GDTA resources would need to be redirected from other projects for the foreseeable future.
The GDTA calls for an end to the Grassy Mountain mining project and the reinstatement of the long-standing moratorium on new coal exploration and development in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
The Board of Directors
When most people think about supporting trails, they imagine funding the creation of new bridges or enhancing trail features. While these projects are certainly important, there’s another side to trail maintenance that often goes overlooked: operating costs.
To keep the Great Divide Trail Association (GDTA) running smoothly, we need consistent, unrestricted funding for things like insurance, website upkeep, office supplies, wages, and technology. These essential elements are the backbone that allow us to continue the trail’s maintenance, offer educational programs, and provide vital resources for hikers. There’s also a lot of work that goes on to maintain the GDT, such as engaging with the parks and communities along the trail, building relationships, and applying for permits. These tasks require more than just volunteer help, and donations help fund this crucial work that ensures the trail remains accessible and protected for all who enjoy it.
Without stable funding for these hard costs, we simply wouldn’t be able to keep our doors open. Monthly donations play a crucial role in ensuring we can cover these ongoing expenses. It’s not as glamorous as building a shiny new bridge, but it’s the foundation that supports everything we do.
When you sign up for a monthly donation, you’re ensuring that the GDTA stays open and continues its important work—maintaining trails, educating the public, and providing essential hiking resources. We can’t do it without your support.
Your commitment allows us to continue the good work that keeps the trails open and accessible for everyone. Thank you for helping us stay on track and keep the trail experience alive!
Applications are now closed for 2025 – Thank you for all that have applied
Are you hiking some or all of the GDT this summer? The GDTA is looking for a handful of hikers to be volunteer Trail Ambassadors this year. Share your love of this amazing Canadian treasure, and help out the GDTA while you enjoy your hike.
The GDTA will make sure you have some GDT stickers to hand out, and we’ll provide a little bit of hiker-appropriate swag (you can leave it at home if you’re counting grams!)
Anyone that’s hiking any amount of the GDT can apply to be a Trail Ambassador. All we ask is that you:
Priority may be given to people that have hiked parts of the GDT before.
Applications are now closed for 2025 – Thank you for all that have applied
Are you a member of the GDTA? If you are, then from the bottom of our hearts: THANK YOU! By being one of the 600+ members, you help us demonstrate that there are passionate people that love the GDT and want to see it maintained and protected.
There are lot of great things coming up, and we want to thank our members by offering a little something back for your dedication:
We hope you’ll consider signing up this month. Membership is not just for people hiking the GDT. Sure, there are the awesome Membership Benefits. But if you love the GDT, the idea of the GDT, or even just natural spaces that are protected, then becoming a GDTA member is one of the best things you can do.
Our members believe in the GDTA’s mission to preserve our mountain wilderness. In fact, we have members that have joined the GDTA solely for this reason. You don’t need to be a hiker, past hiker, or equestrian to believe in this mission – anyone can. By joining the GDTA your presence in our growing, organized, and visible community translates into public demand for wilderness preservation that is recognized by decision makers through the GDTA’s advocacy efforts. In other words, there is strength in numbers. Your GDTA membership adds to this strength and so helps preserve the precious Canadian Rocky Mountain wilderness.
Did you know that our membership numbers are an important demonstration to Parks Canada, Provincial Parks, Grant Providers, and Corporate Sponsors of how important it is to protect and preserve the GDT? The more members we have, the more they take notice.
and help protect this National Treasure!
The biggest challenge of thru-hiking the Great Divide Trail (GDT) isn’t the remoteness, the wildlife, the mountain passes, or the river crossings. It’s getting all the camping permits. But why is this so hard? What is the Great Divide Trail Association (GDTA) doing about it? And why isn’t there a blanket permit for the entire trail?
For starters, the GDT passes through five National Parks, eight Provincial Parks, three Wildland Provincial Parks, two wilderness areas and two special management areas. That’s a lot of different management jurisdictions and each of those areas has unique challenges and concerns. Consider Banff and Jasper National Parks – the two more difficult areas to secure permits. Banff sees 4.29 million visitors a year (1) while Jasper sees 2.41 million (2). Given those numbers, it makes sense that there needs to be a system in place to ensure that these areas aren’t overrun.
“But thru-hikers travel lightly, and we’re not the ones that will cause the damage” you might say, and you would have a point. This unfortunately doesn’t address the fact that many others also want to access these spaces. In 2023, Parks Canada was quoted as saying that “nearly 50,000 devices were connected to its reservation system when it opened … and more than 42,000 reservations had been made in the first six hours” (3). Another way to look at this is: just because we’re doing something special, does not make us special. We may tread more lightly and demand less from these paths, but others are just as entitled to access those spaces as we are.
The GDTA is aware of these challenges. Whether you are out there for the day, weekend, a section, or the whole thing, the GDTA is working towards making things better. Many hikers have already benefitted from the trip planning resources provided by the GDTA. The popular itineraries are curated annually and avoid the most popular (and therefore hardest to book) campsites. Behind the scenes, our Executive Director and Trail Information Manager have collaborated with Parks Canada to make small changes to the booking system – for example you may see fewer “those sites are too far to walk in a day” errors.
If you’re new to the Parks Canada reservation system, or just need a refresher, check out our National Park Backcountry Permit Online Reservation Instructions for a step-by-step guide to booking your campgrounds. Parks Canada reservations open January 22, 2025!
If you have read our Strategic Plan, you’ll see that one of our priorities is to “Advance Solutions that Improve Ease of Access”. You’ll notice that this doesn’t specifically say “one permit to hike the whole trail”. That is certainly one major milestone that would provide easier access to GDT hikers – but we recognize that something this large takes a lot of time and lot of collaboration with our partners. We’ll continue to build these strong relationships, but we’re simultaneously working on other ways to facilitate accesses.
If you’d like to see the permit system get better for GDT hikers, there are some very important things that you can do.
Our partners at Parks Canada and the multiple Provincial Parks the trail runs through are tasked with protecting sensitive ecosystems, and they have instituted a permit system to accomplish that. The best thing hikers can do to help the GDTA build relationships with the Parks is to respect their systems.
Having a spreadsheet of campgrounds is daunting, and keeping to those dates can be hard – after all, the weather and your body may have different ideas about how far you can hike in a day. It’s still on you to camp only where you’re legally allowed to. Luckily there are a few tips that can make this easier:
Our goal is to have all land managers think “we love the GDT”, and you play the biggest part in that. Everyone who hikes the GDT is implicitly an ambassador for the trail. Your actions will be attributed to “anonymous GDT hiker”, which in turn affects the opinion of all GDT hikers passing that way after you. Practicing Leave No Trace and abiding by the regulations of the specific park you are in go a long way to helping the GDTA.
The Parks balance the protection of the park against the people using the park and therefore the number of GDTA members is a consideration when we engage with them. Remember those numbers from earlier in this article: 42,000 reservations in a single day? The GDTA currently has approximately 600 members. Membership numbers help the GDTA negotiate with partners to reduce permits for future thru-hikers. The more members the GDTA has, the more likely Parks Canada or provincial parks are to consider thru-hikers when implementing permit systems. If you are frustrated at the current permit system, one of the best things you can do to help is become a GDTA member.
And of course there are numerous other benefits of being a member, including discounts at businesses along the trail, discounts at GDTA events, and invitations to volunteer doing trail maintenance.
1 Jasper National Park: visitor numbers Canada 2024 | Statista
2 Banff National Park: visitor numbers Canada 2024 | Statista