Rossland, BC : Dewdney Trail
West Kootenays, British Columbia, Canada
( hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding )

Dewdney Trail is a 720 kilometre (447 mile) historic and challenging recreation trail exploring rugged forests, navigating mountain summits and dropping down into deep river valleys. The trail follows the 49th Parallel and the Canada-US Border and, during the mid to late 1800s, was a major transportation route servicing southwestern British Columbia, Canada trappers, miners and new settlers.

Today, the entire Dewdney Trail connects the village of Hope with Fort Steele near Cranbrook, BC. However, we will be discussing the 43 kilometre section of the Dewdney Trail located between Rossland, BC and Christina Lake. This section of the trail explores two mountain summits and is also part of the TCT (Trans Canada Trail).

The Rossland-Christina Lake section of the trail is rough, and is considered a difficult route with numerous elevation changes as it climbs the Santa Rosa and Cascade Mountain Summits. The trail is, mostly, a single track trail connecting up with the Cascade Highway at various points along the route.

The historic pack trail is a popular route for mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, wilderness camping, sightseeing and horseback riding. Although, not all sections of the trail are bike and horse friendly. In these cases, mountain bikers and horseback riders are advised to take the alternate route along the Cascade Highway.

The west end of the Dewdney Trail, located near Christina Lake, BC, starts from the Santa Rosa Road. This 26 kilometre (16 mi.) section is a mixture of gravel road and single track trail leading down to the Trout Creek Recreation Site and then up to the Santa Rosa Summit and another campsite - the Santa Rosa Recreation Site. These are self maintained wilderness campsites - pack out what you pack in - leave no trace behind.

The east side of the Rossland-Christina Lake section of the Dewdney Trail is approximately 17 kilometres (10.5 mi.) long. The trail again follows a gravel road and single track trail leading to the Cascade Summit. The last section of the trail starts from the Cascade Highway and drops quickly, over 700 metres, back down to Highway #22, just north of the Canada-US Border near Paterson, BC. This section of the trail is known as the Dewdney Drop.

The 5.4 kilometre Dewdney Drop is a section of the trail that mountain bikers enjoy allot as a short day ride. The challenging downhill section is easily accessed from the Cascade Highway west of Rossland, BC. Travel 11 - 12 kilometres on the gravel highway and on your left look for the trailhead marker and access to the Dewdney Drop.

A little further along on the Cascade Highway are other access points to the Dewdney Trail. Also along the gravel highway are other mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding trails like the Seven Summit Trail and the Christina Crest Trail.

How to Get to the Dewdney Trail

Travel to the community of Rossland, BC. When in Rossland, BC travel west on Hwy 3B, past the Rossland Historical Museum, and Black Bear Road. On your right is a small sign and a gravel road going up hill. Turn here. The road hooks up to the trail at many points. Watch for trail markers.