The David Thompson Highway: A Hiking Guide

Nora D.S. Robins is the co-ordinator of internal collections at the
University of Calgary Libraries.

From the rolling foothills of the Nordegg region to the grandeur of the
Rocky Mountains, the David Thompson Highway (named after the greatest
surveyor, explorer, and mapmaker of his time) offers some of the most
diverse scenery, flora, and history in Alberta. The area is very popular
with hikers, cyclists, hunters, fishers, and campers.

This excellent hiking guide, primarily for day hikers and families,
features 69 hikes; all start from Highway 1 and range from
one-to-two-hour walks to three-day backpacks. Many of the trails follow
old mining, logging, or forestry roads that are now closed to traffic.

The book covers the Nordegg, Bighorn Country, Cline River, Kootenay
Plains, and Upper North Saskatchewan regions. The authors list the best
hikes in each region and provide the following information for each
hike: access, duration, distance, level of difficulty, maximum
elevation, elevation gain, map. They also include four categories of
sidebars (“What’s in a Name?”; “Historical Footnotes”;
“Flora Facts”; “Geofacts”) highlighting historical and nature
facts throughout the book. Black-and-white photographs illustrate each
hike. The guide concludes with a list of further readings, information
about other activities in the region (such as golfing and riding), and
suggestions for accommodations.