Forestry Trunk Road — Hwy 940 Cataract Creek to Upper Livingstone River (Alberta)

South of Longview, Highway 940 threads into the Livingstone Range and drops toward the upper Livingstone River — a corridor that sees far fewer rigs than Kananaskis but rewards those who make the effort. Starting near Cataract Creek campground, you follow the river north through open meadows hemmed by spruce-covered ridges, crossing Livingstone Creek and navigating several low-water dips that can swell fast after upstream storms. The road surface alternates between packed gravel and raw clay — the kind that turns greasy with a single overnight shower and will swallow an all-season tire whole.

Stock high-clearance 4WD is the realistic minimum here; a locker helps when conditions go sideways. There are no services between Longview and Pincher Creek — fuel both ends, carry two days of water, and don’t count on cell service past the pavement. Best conditions run late June through early September before fall snowfall turns the clay lethal. Dispersed camping is legal along most of the corridor under Alberta Public Lands rules. What you get is elk, raptors, and a legitimate sense of isolation less than two hours from Calgary — that’s the whole point.