How long is the Smith Dorrien Trail?

How long is the Smith Dorrien Trail?

Canada, north-america

Length

70.2 km

Elevation

1,909 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Craving an off-the-beaten-path adventure? Head to Kananaskis in Alberta and discover the Smith Dorrien Trail (Highway 742)! This beauty stretches for about 70 km from south of Canmore to the Kananaskis Trail (Highway 40), carving its way through the stunning Smith-Dorrien Valley.

Fair warning: ditch the sports car. It’s a gravel road, so expect some dust and washboards. Most cars can handle it, though. This high-altitude route peaks at around 1,909 meters, so even in summer, be ready for some snow!

Plan on about 1.5 to 2 hours of driving time if you don’t stop (but you *will* want to stop!). The scenery is incredible. Speaking of stopping, keep your eyes peeled for moose!

The biggest thing to watch out for is dust, so keep a good distance between vehicles. The road gets pretty rough in spots, and near Canmore, there’s a narrow, steep, winding section. And remember, there's no cell service out there, so be prepared!

Share this road

Road Details

Country
Canada
Continent
north-america
Length
70.2 km
Max Elevation
1,909 m
Difficulty
hard

Related Roads in north-america

Carlsbad Cavern Highway: A Comprehensive Travel Guideeasy

Carlsbad Cavern Highway: A Comprehensive Travel Guide

🇺🇸 Usa

Okay, road trip fans, buckle up for a stunning drive on New Mexico State Route 7, aka the Carlsbad Cavern Highway! You'll find this gem in Eddy County, southeastern New Mexico, winding right into the Guadalupe Mountains. This baby's paved the whole way, a smooth 7 miles (that's about 11 km) from Whites City right to the entrance of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Get ready to be amazed, because this place is a mind-blowing labyrinth of over 300 limestone caves – sculpted over, get this, 250 MILLION years! Seriously, the scenery is unreal. You're cruising through the Chihuahuan Desert landscape, and the road is generally open year-round. Just keep an eye out for the occasional (and rare) New Mexico blizzard! Get your camera ready!

Via Beaver Basinhard

Via Beaver Basin

🇺🇸 Usa

Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Wanna bag a peak in Utah? Head to Mount Waas, nestled in the Northern La Sal Mountains in Grand County. You've got two ways to get near the summit, both unpaved and requiring a 4WD high-clearance beast. First up is the east side route – an old mining road that's seen better days. It's narrow, eroded, and might make you clench the steering wheel a bit. This bad boy tops out near the summit at a cool 10,767 feet, making it one of the highest drives in Utah! Or, take the west side route: the oh-so-charming Miner's Basin Road. This 3-mile bumpy, rocky, loose-soil track also demands a 4WD high-clearance vehicle. Pray you don't meet anyone coming the other way! You’ll find a pond, parking, and even an outhouse in Miner's Basin. This route takes you to 9,960 feet. Remember, these routes are best tackled in the summer. And keep an eye out for bears – they love this area as much as we do! Happy trails!

Arta Lakeextreme

Arta Lake

🇺🇸 Usa

Okay, adventure-seekers, listen up! I've got a gem for you: Arta Lake in Utah's Wasatch County. This isn't your average Sunday drive, though. We're talking a high-mountain lake sitting pretty at 10,298 feet! Getting there? Buckle up. Forest Road 143 is a beast. Think rough, rocky, and seriously steep. This baby's off-limits in the winter, so plan accordingly. Not a fan of unpaved mountain roads? Maybe skip this one. But if you're game, a 4x4 is your best friend. Oh, and if heights make you queasy, be warned: it's a pretty intense climb. But trust me, the views are worth every white-knuckle moment.

What’s Gum Alley?hard

What’s Gum Alley?

🇺🇸 Usa

Okay, so, there's this seriously weird and kinda gross but totally fascinating tourist spot in California called Gum Alley. Picture this: a narrow alley, tucked away between Garden Street and Broad Street in San Luis Obispo, that’s about 70 feet long and has walls coated in layers upon layers of chewed gum – we're talking 15-feet high! No one really knows how it started. Legend says it was a competition between students back in the day, or maybe just a random trend that took off. Whatever the origin, people have been sticking their gum there forever, creating this crazy colorful (and yeah, kinda gross) mosaic. You'll even see people have made words, pictures, the whole shebang. Featured on TV and in travel blogs, it’s known as one of the germiest tourist spots in the U.S. The city's even tried to clean it, but it's become an embraced tourist destination. It’s a must-snap photo spot, if you can handle the, um, aroma. Access is easy with a fully paved road.