When riding the Great Divide Canada it can be a nice option for many people to ride over the Continental Divide into Waterton National Park and then enjoy Waterton and Glacier National Parks before returning to the route north of Whitefish, MT.
Southbound:
- From intersection of Flathead Road and Border roads at mile 84.2 (very near Butts Cabin), continue south (cross over the Flathead River on the bridge straight ahead)
- Follow this road, which becomes Kishemena road, as it runs south exactly to touch to US border (you can go visit the official clearcut at the border when you get to the southernmost point.
- The road then continues northeast again. Follow it until the last bridge, a fairly large one. (If you get to where the road is blocked by a dike, or the cabins on the right just before that you've gone too far.)
- Immediately after the last bridge, there is a road that comes in from the left, and immediately there's one on the right. It's marked "no motor vehicles". Take this road/track/trail/stream to the right up to Akamina-Kishemena Provincial Park, which is adjacent to Waterton Lakes National Park's Cameron Lake area. Akamina-Kishemena Provincial Park has a nice campground just 3 km before you exit the park and come out at Cameron Lake.
- Enjoy Cameron Lake and then ride down to Waterton Town and enjoy the park.
- Ride the Chief Mountain road and cross US customs to get to St. Mary, Montana, then ride over the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Logan Pass.
- On the west side of Logan Pass, at Apgar, head to Fish Creek and take the Inside North Fork road (low or no vehicular traffic, may be closed to vehicles) north to Polebridge.
- Ride north from Polebridge to rejoin the route and ride over Red Meadow Pass.
Northbound:
- Take the off-route visit to Polebridge.
- From Polebridge cross the river and ride south to Apgar on the Inside North Fork Road.
- Ride over Logan Pass (Going-to-the-Sun road), then head north toward the Chief Mountain Highway
- Take the Chief Mountain Highway, crossing customs, to Waterton Lakes National Park.
- Climb to the Cameron Lake area, and take the trailhead that goes to Wall Lake. Do not go to Wall Lake, just continue straight.
- When you get to a road, it's the Kishemena road to the Flathead Road. It goes south before going back north. Turn left and go down.
- Pick up the route at the intersection of Border Road and Flathead Road, a few hundred meters from Butt's Cabin.
I captured the route from Butts Cabin to the Akamina-Kishemena Provincial Park Campground at
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7jc9s7trwjlrvl4/Butts%20cabin%20to%20Akamina%20cg.gpx - you can see the search for the turnoff in blip on there. Questions? randy@randyfay.com or here.
