Parent category of all content that could be considered as news (as opposed to blog)
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
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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
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
Dust off your camping gear because the dates and locations for our 2025 trail building and maintenance trips have been set and we invite you to join us!
This year, we have an array of volunteer opportunities, with 6 trail building trips on the High Rock Trail (HRT), including our third annual women’s trip, a bridge building trip over North Racehorse Creek, and two “weekend trips”. We are introducing a new “weekend trip” model this year to appeal to volunteers who can’t afford an entire week in the mountains, to help us continue building new single-track trail on the slopes below Mt. Erris.
In addition to the HRT projects, we have planned a trip to the upper Blaeberry to restore sections of the Ensign Creek Trail that were destroyed in wildfire last summer; a campground-building trip to Cache Creek; a maintenance trip on the Maligne Pass Trail in Jasper National Park; two backcountry walking trips in remote Section G south of Kakwa Lake; and a backcountry maintenance trip up to Palliser Pass in Height of the Rockies Provincial Park.
Last year’s endeavors were made possible by the support of the Government of Alberta, Columbia Basin Trust, the Alberta Equestrian Federation, BC Parks, Athletic Brewing, and the generous individual and corporate donors from our Trail Supporter Campaign. A sincere thank you to all who make our initiatives possible! We look forward to another productive year.
Please bear in mind that unforeseen circumstances may sometimes lead to changes in trip dates and locations. Rest assured; we will promptly notify volunteers of any such adjustments.
Check out the map below for the 2025 Trail Building & Maintenance Trip Schedule:
Signature Trip July 11-15 – High Rock Trail Signature Trip (maximum 15 volunteers): Since 2004, the Signature Trip has been a tradition of the GDTA. It combines hard work on the trail with the luxury of having home-cooked meals provided, and camp activities to participate in together.
Trip #1 June 22-27 – Blaeberry Burn Self-Supported Trip (maximum 8 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #2 June 22-27 – West Castle River Self-Supported Trip (maximum 8 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #3 July 4-6 – HRT Erris A Weekend Base Camp Trip (maximum 10 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #4 July 4-10 – HRT Erris B Base Camp Trip (maximum 20 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear. We require at least one volunteer with chainsaw training certification. If you’re interested in getting trained and certified to use a chainsaw, let us know!
Trip #5 July 9-13 – HRT North Racehorse Creek Self-Supported Bridge Building Trip (maximum 6 volunteers): Volunteers must be comfortable backcountry camping and capable of hiking 5 km per day. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #6 July 18-20 – HRT Erris C Weekend Base Camp Trip (maximum 10 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #7 July 16-22 – HRT Erris D Base Camp Trip (maximum 20 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #8 July 22-27 – Palliser River Backcountry Walking Trip (maximum 8 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 20 km carrying their own food and camping gear, and up to 10 km carrying power and hand tools, and be comfortable with backcountry camping. We require at least three volunteers with brush saw or chainsaw experience. If you’re interested in getting trained and certified to use a chainsaw or brush saw, let us know!
Trip #9 July 29-30 – Cache Creek Campground Self-Supported Trip (maximum 4 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike 5 km per day with packs, carrying tools, fuel and personal protective equipment (PPE). Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear. We require at least one volunteer with chainsaw training certification. If you’re interested in getting trained and certified to use a chainsaw, let us know!
Trip #10 August 1-5 – Maligne Pass Trail, Jasper Backcountry Walking Trip (maximum 10 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike 20 km in a day carrying their own camping gear and hand tools. The Maligne River must be forded, normally knee-deep but it may be more than 3’ deep if the water is high. Volunteers must supply their own food and camping gear.
Trip #11 August 8-13 – HRT Erris E Trip Self-Supported Trip (maximum 10 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike 10 km to base camp and up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #12 August 17-24 – Sheep Creek to Casket Creek Backcountry Walking Trip (maximum 6 volunteers): Access to this remote section of trail will be via helicopter. Volunteers must be able to hike 10 km per day clearing shrubs and downed trees, while carrying a heavy pack with their own food, gear plus power tools, fuel and PPE, as they move along the trail. Volunteers must bring all their own camping gear, food and supplies, be familiar with how to set up and maintain a clean/safe unsupported campsite and help with group camp duties. All volunteers must have brush saw experience.
Trip #13 August 23-30 – Kakwa to Cecilia Backcountry Walking Trip (maximum 8 volunteers): Access to this remote section of trail will be via helicopter. Volunteers must be able to hike 10 km per day carrying backpacks with personal gear plus tools (hand tools, power tools, safety gear, etc.). Volunteers must bring all their own camping gear, food and supplies, be familiar with how to set up and maintain a clean/safe unsupported campsite and help with group camp duties. We require at least three volunteers with brusher experience, and one with chainsaw certification. If you’re interested in getting trained and certified to use a chainsaw or brush saw, let us know!
Additional Information:
How to Join:
To register online, please click on the links provided in the Trip Schedule above. You can sign into your members account and register for the trip directly through the website.
Alternatively, you can email us at trailbuilding@greatdividetrail.com, indicating the trail building and maintenance trip (or trips) you are interested in. If you have experience, certifications, or skills such as operating chainsaws, brush saws, OHVs, or first aid certification, please include that information in your email
We look forward to your enthusiastic participation and another successful year on the trails!
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 Great Divide Trail Association is this year’s Green Bib Charity for the Servus Calgary Marathon.
The 2025 marathon dedicates time, energy, and resources to reduce environmental impact. If a registrant chooses the Green Bib option, a $10 donation will be made to the Great Divide Trail Association in lieu of a race shirt and medal.
Enter the race, join our team, and fundraise to support the Great Divide Trail. Together, we can make a difference—one step at a time!
Lace-up, join the race, and help us protect the trail we all love.
