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Highwood / Cataract Areas

Highwood/Cataract ranges from stark, high alpine beauty, to lush spruce and lodgepole pine forests, to the rich grazing lands of the Rockies' front ranges. The area has over 200 auto-accessible campsites, with equestrian facilities at Etherington Creek and Indian Graves.

There are hiking, horseback-riding, and mountain-biking opportunities on Mist Creek Trail and the Cataract Creek Forest Land Use Zone Trails, which also offer groomed snowmobile trails in the winter. For the more adventurous, there are also many established routes which are not signed or maintained.

Fishing is popular in the river, creeks, and high alpine lakes. As part of a wildlife management strategy, hunting is also permitted in the area under a draw system. The Highwood River is renowned for its white-water canoeing and kayaking during the spring runoff, but is recommended for experienced boaters only.

Minimize your impact by staying on the trails and packing out all your garbage. When camping, remember that you are in bear country and take the proper precautions.

Snowmobile Notice: Snowmobile trails on public lands in the Cataract Creek Forest Land Use Zone in Kananaskis Country will not be groomed or maintained this winter season. More info...

 

 

To download a FREE map, you'll need the Adobe®'s free Acrobat® Reader® (PDF) software to open, view, and print the file.
Download here the Highwood & Cataract Creek Areas Map (117KB)
Directions to print the high resolution map below:
1. Use the zoom slider to magnify the map
2. Use the hand on the map to view the area you want to get printed
3. Right click on the map itself and choose print.

(Tip: Rolling over the words “Snowmobiling”, or “Riding/Hiking/Biking” or “Interpretive Hiking ” on the map below will highlight the corresponding trails)

A visit to this section of Kananaskis Country usually includes a road trip through some of Alberta's most scenic landscape. Highway #40 through the Highwood area offers fabulous mountain vistas and numerous picnic sites and trails to explore.
At the junction of Highways 40 and 541, you must make the decision to head east to the interesting town of Longview or continue south on gravel road 940 into the Cataract Creek area.

Cataract Creek offers great fishing, camping, and trails for equestrian and hiking experiences. In the winter this area has some of the best snowmobiling in Alberta.
Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park borders the entire western portion of the area and adventurous hikers will be rewarded with mountain lakes, streams, and wide scenic vistas. Don't forget to obtain a backcountry permit for overnight stays.


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