Not including costs for your personal hiking equipment and travel costs to and from the trail, a good estimate is $2 per kilometre of trail to cover expenses for food, fuel and campground permits. There are only a half dozen resupply points where you could spend additional money on hotels and restaurants but they can be expensive tourist areas so it comes down to your level of budget control.
FAQ Category: AboutGDT
General questions about the GDT
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Is there cell service on the GDT?
Most of the GDT is quite remote and cell phone reception is almost non-existent, with the exception of the resupply locations on major highways. Consider bringing a satellite-based communication device such as a satellite phone, SPOT or Garmin inReach in case of emergency or if personal communication is desired.
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How many people hike the GDT each year?
On average, 150-200 people per year attempt to thru‐hike the entire trail, but fewer than that actually finish the entire trail in a single season.
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Is there a guidebook?
Yes, Hiking Canada’s Great Divide Trail (4th edition – May 31, 2022) by Dustin Lynx. Outlining the seven major sections of the GDT, the guidebook breaks the trail into shorter, more attainable segments and thoroughly describes the terrain and condition of each. Not only are these trail segments invaluable for planning shorter trips along the GDT, Lynx’s pre-trip planning advice will also prove indispensable for long-distance hikers overcoming such daunting logistical challenges as resupply, navigation and access.
Fourth edition updates include new information, contemporary photos and trail details, a revised selection of alternative routes, and detailed maps to help hikers piece together the myriad of individual routes that form a continuous trail along the Great Divide.
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What should I contact Parks Canada about?
GDT hikers should contact Parks Canada staff for the following reasons:
- Obtaining Parks Canada Discovery Passes and Wilderness Passes (mandatory for any overnight stay on the GDT in a National Park);
- Making or changing campground reservations in National Parks;
- Inquiring about trail conditions or backcountry safety in National Parks;
- Reporting problem trail conditions or closures in National Parks;
- Emergencies while hiking in a National Park;
- Reporting wildlife sightings or incidents within National Parks.
All other questions about the GDT can be directed to the GDTA.
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Where do I camp?
There are many campgrounds along the GDT. Hikers must stay in designated campgrounds on most sections of the GDT in National and Provincial Parks. Random camping is authorized in some areas within National Parks (e.g. Amiskwi valley in Yoho, Howse floodplain in Banff) and is an acceptable alternative almost anywhere outside of National and Provincial Parks.
Check out our Campgrounds page for a list of campgrounds along the GDT or check out these sample GDT itineraries.
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What’s the weather like?
The best word to describe the weather in the Canadian Rockies is variable. During the typical hiking season you can have lows of -5°C (23°F) and highs up to 30°C (85°F). Days can start out with clear skies then cloud over and give you an afternoon rain shower, and clear off for a crisp night. At higher elevations, snow can fall at anytime of the year. Overall most people would describe the GDT as colder and wetter than they expected so it’s best to prepare for that.
Check out our Backcountry Safety page for more information.
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How long does it take to hike the entire trail?
A safe estimate for hiking the Great Divide Trail is eight weeks. The total time to hike the entire trail from Waterton Lakes National Park to Kakwa Provincial Park is dependent on individual hiking pace, planning and selection of routes. To assist with your trip planning, check out the GDTA sample itineraries for relaxed, average and fast paces.
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Should I hike South to North or North to South?
The trail can be hiked in both directions but most people will start at the southern end and hike northbound (NOBO) because it is warmer in the south which speeds the melting of the snowpack, freeing high passes of snow earlier in the summer. The difficulty of the trail generally increases as you travel north, allowing NOBO hikers to acclimate to trail conditions as they hike. Southbound (SOBO) hikers beginning with Section G may feel like they’ve been thrown into the deep-end immediately. The starting date of a SOBO hike will likely be delayed a week or two compared to a NOBO hike to allow more time for snowmelt and improved trail conditions.
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Does the GDT close?
Portions of the GDT within National Parks close during the winter but most of the trail remains open all year round. However, the GDT is not designed, nor intended, for snow travel. When the trail is covered in snow, finding it may be impossible. You’ll have to be an excellent navigator to follow the trail corridor when it’s covered in snow.
Wildfire and flooding can also temporarily close sections of the GDT. See our Trail Conditions and Closures page for recent information.