Highwood Pass Road

At 7,239 feet above sea level, Highwood Pass Road (Highway 40) holds the title as Canada’s highest paved road, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s just another scenic drive. The 78-mile stretch from Longview to Coleman cuts straight through Kananaskis Country, offering some of the most accessible high-alpine terrain in the Canadian Rockies. You’ll climb past the Highwood River headwaters and through Ptarmigan Cirque, where bighorn sheep congregate on the road shoulders and mountain goats pick their way across near-vertical rock faces.

This is an easy to moderate route suitable for any vehicle, though the real challenge comes from Mother Nature rather than the terrain. The pass section closes completely from December 1st to June 15th due to avalanche danger and heavy snowpack. Summer brings wildflower meadows but also afternoon thunderstorms that can turn visibility to zero in minutes. No permits required, plenty of established camping at nearby provincial parks, and cell service is surprisingly decent at higher elevations. What you get is some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in North America without needing to air down your tires.