Forestry Trunk Road — Hwy 40 Kananaskis to Highwood Junction South

Highway 40 south of Kananaskis Village toward Highwood Junction is one of Alberta’s most approachable yet genuinely rewarding overland corridors. The pavement disappears and the road transitions to packed gravel through rolling foothills, threading past Highwood Pass — the highest paved road in Canada at 2,206m — before dropping into the Highwood River valley. Elk and bighorn sheep are a constant distraction on the shoulder. The road skirts Mist Mountain and runs through the Highwood Range with no shortage of pullouts for camp scouting. Watch for muddy washout sections after heavy rain near the Cataract Creek campground junction.

This section is genuinely accessible to stock high-clearance rigs on a dry day, but wet conditions turn clay sections greasy and test even mid-travel builds. The road is closed from December 1 to June 15 to protect wildlife, so summer and early fall are your windows. No permit required. Fuel up in Longview or Bragg Creek — there’s nothing between. Dispersed camping is available through the Kananaskis Country forest reserve zones. Cell service cuts out completely past the Highwood River bridge. Bring water filters; creek sources are plentiful but not treated.