The adventure starts before you even reach the trailhead of this 10-kilometre hike near Cochrane, Alberta.
Hike Distance: 10.3 km roundtrip
Hike Duration: 4 – 6 hours
Elevation Gain/Loss: 920 m
Difficulty: Difficult
Black Rock Mountain sits above the Ghost River Valley, in the Waiparous area. Waiparous is designated as crown land or public land. This means that the recreation opportunities permitted are different from those of provincial or national parks. In the Ghost public land use zone, hunting, shooting, ATVing and random camping are permitted. These activities have either much greater restrictions or are prohibited within provincial and national parks.
Getting to the trailhead of Black Rock is only for those willing to undertake some serious off-roading in a 4×4 vehicle. Waiparous is made up of rough, steep gravel roads and is a hub for overlanders. Drive past Trapper’s Hill Lodge on Township Road 265A. The gravel road will take you all the way down a very steep hill that opens up into the Ghost River floodplain. From here, you can either take on the creek crossings with your vehicle or park and walk to the marker that reads 37. This will add a couple of kilometres to your hike.
The access to Black Rock trailhead presents an even greater challenge in the winter months. Keep this in mind if you decide to hike in wet or snowy conditions. If you (and your car) can successfully make it through the 4×4 adventure to the trailhead, then the hard part is now behind you.
The Hike Itself
Once you reach the gravel space that serves as a parking lot, the first couple of kilometres will have you winding your way through charred lodgepole pines burned in a wildfire that spread through the area in 2020. If you go during the spring or summer, the green foliage and wildflowers shooting up are a beautiful contrast to the otherwise singed landscape.
The trail grade gradually steepens as you leave tree coverage. Leading you into rockier terrain at about the four-kilometre mark, the trail will then take you to a headwall and up through a gully. This area has major rockfall potential, so it’s best to move quickly through this section.
You will now have reached a grassy plateau that is actually a false summit. Look ahead, and you’ll see the rocky peak where the true summit lies. This is the steepest part of the trek and requires one last push to the top on unstable shale.
The summit boasts incredible views of Devil’s Head and surrounding peaks. If you squint hard enough and on a clear day, a silhouette of downtown Calgary comes into view towards the east.
At the summit, you will also find what remains of an old fire lookout built in 1928 and decommissioned in 1950. The lookout appears in many photos of this hike online, but it has since burned down. Watch out for rusty nails and metal rebar as you wander around the top.
If you’re up for the challenge, Black Rock Mountain is certainly a rewarding day hike with views of neat rock formations and peaks to the west. The effort is well worth it in the end.
The post Discover the Hike to Black Rock Mountain in Alberta first appeared on Explore Magazine.