The Friends of Kananaskis Country is excited to officially open the new and improved section of Powderface Creek Trail, a popular trail in the Kananaskis Country Public Land Use Zone. The Friends received a $240,000 grant from Alberta Forestry and Parks for this project in the spring of 2023. This past Friday, October 18, the Friends celebrated the completion of the project with a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially welcome recreationists onto the new and improved section of trail.
“It was an excellent idea to move the trail to the dry sunny side of the valley, and trail users will surely appreciate the easier grades.”
– Gillean Daffern, author of renowned five-volume series Gillean Daffern’s Kananaskis Country Trail Guide.
Powderface Creek Trail runs between Hwy 66 and Powderface Trail. It offers access to the northern section of Powderface Ridge, a popular trail for mountain bikers and hikers. This popular multi-use trail is enjoyed by hikers, bikers, and equestrians. The completion of this project saw the re-route of approximately 2.6 km of trail and includes better grades, improved drainage, and a more sustainable trail design. In addition, the project saw significant improvements to the 1.6 km approach from the west coming from Powderface Trail.
The reconstruction wouldn’t be complete without the support of our partners. McElhanney were the experts behind engineering the design of the new trail, while heavy equipment reconstruction in this backcountry location was provided by Lifetime Outdoor Inc. Of course, the Friends of Kananaskis Country volunteers spent hours working on the trail to get it ready for the public and decommissioning the old section of the trail that is no longer in use.
“Thanks to our team of volunteers and staff, the Friends of Kananaskis Country Board is so proud and excited to open this new and improved section of the popular Powerface Creek Trail. Those familiar with this trail will be delighted with the new re-routing.”
– Janice Pasieka, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for Friends of Kananaskis Country.
The official opening of the new section of trail was marked with a ribbon cutting ceremony, complete with cupcakes, attended by Friends of Kananaskis Country board members, staff, public lands staff, and volunteers.
For more information about the rerouted Powderface Creek Trail and Friends of Kananaskis Country, or to arrange an interview with Executive Director Trevor Julian, please contact info@kananaskis.org or call 403-608-8241.
