Forestry Trunk Road — Highwood Pass to Kananaskis Country South

The southern stretch of Alberta Highway 940 — better known as the Forestry Trunk Road — runs from the Highwood River lowlands up through foothills ranching country toward Kananaskis Country’s southern gate. You’ll cross the Highwood River multiple times at shallow seasonal fords, pass the Cataract Creek campground complex, and push through stands of lodgepole pine before the peaks of the Livingstone Range shoulder into view. The road narrows and roughens noticeably past the Cataract Creek junction, with loose shale sections and washboard that punishes anything without a suspension tune. Keep your eyes open — grizzly bear sightings in this drainage are not rare, and elk are practically a guarantee in the mornings.

This is a solid moderate run; a stock high-clearance truck handles it in dry summer conditions, but early June snowmelt and fall rain turn those fords honest. The Highwood Pass section of Highway 40 closes to vehicles December 1 through June 15 to protect wildlife, so time your run accordingly. No permits required. Cataract Creek has designated camping with outhouses. Fuel in Longview or Nanton before you head in — there’s nothing on the road itself. Cell coverage disappears within the first few kilometers and stays gone.