Forestry Trunk Road — Hwy 940 Dutch Creek to Racehorse Pass Summit (Alberta)

Racehorse Pass sits above 7,000 feet in the Livingstone Range south of the Crowsnest Pass area, accessed via a branch off Highway 940 that climbs hard from the Dutch Creek drainage. The shelf section above treeline is narrow, loose-shale surfaced, and exposed on the driver’s side — there is no guardrail and the drop is real. The views across the Flathead and Castle wildlands from the summit are genuinely staggering. This is coal-country heritage too: the surrounding range was extensively prospected in the early 1900s and remnant infrastructure still dots the hillsides if you know where to look.

Expert-level terrain near the summit — loose shale on a steep shelf does not forgive understeer or overconfidence. Full skid plate protection is mandatory, and lockers make the summit push significantly less stressful. Best window is late July through September; snow closes the upper route well into June and returns early. No permits required. Fuel in Blairmore or Pincher Creek before heading in. Alberta’s Castle Provincial Park and Wildland sit adjacent to the south. This is southern Alberta’s best kept alpine drive secret, and it deserves respect — don’t let clear skies at the bottom fool you about what the top is doing.