Vertical Gain: 600m to 800m

FOOTHILLS AND ROCKY MOUNTAINS

The lesser known neighbour to Coliseum Mountain, the Eagle Mountain Ridge hike takes you to amazing views of the Rockies and foothills.

The ridge walk gives a different perspective on the area, away from the crowds yet overlooking Nordegg and the David Thompson Highway.

I found this hike almost by accident. The Miners’ Cafe in Nordegg posted a picture of the area and it looked well worth the hike. The first attempt on a rainy and muddy day, following the directions from the David Thompson Highway Hiking Guide, wasn’t overly successful. It also turned out that the directions were for the summit, not the ridge I was looking for.

My second attempt, from the Beaverdam PRA was much more fruitful, taking me along a nice trail through the forest up to the ridge, overlooking the townsite, with views of the Rockies to the west and far onto the horizon to the east. Eagle Mountain Ridge is not as busy as it’s neighbour, Coliseum Mountain, and offers views that are at least as spectacular.

At a Glance

• Distance: 15.4 km return
• Elevation gain: ~660 m
• Challenge Level: Moderate
• Trail type: There and back
• Congestion: Minimal
• Management: Beaverdam PRA & Kiska / Wilson PLUZ
• Other Trail Uses: Mountain biking
• Trailhead: The trail starts at the Beaverdam Provincial Recreation Area, 6 km east of Nordegg on Highway 11.

THE TRAIL GUIDE

THE SERVICE ROAD | 2.2 KM

• 0.5 km | Locked gate
• 1.5 km | Old railway next to the road
• 1.8 km | Crossing the old railway and abandoned overflow campground
• 2.2 km | End of the service road

THE FOREST | 3.9 KM

• 2.2 km | Follow the trail into the woodlot
• 2.9 km | Continue on the main trail, straight ahead
• 3.0 km | The trail enters the forest
• 5.0 km | Continue on the main trail, straight ahead
• 5.4 km | Steep section
• 6.1 km | Path to the ridge

THE RIDGE | 1.6 KM

• 6.1 km | Follow the path at the wood cairn
• 6.5 km | Base of the ridge
• 7.7 km | End of the ridge

RETURN HIKE | 7.7 KM

THE SERVICE ROAD | 2.2 KM

The first section of the trail is on the service road leading to an abandoned overflow campground and woodlot. Park your vehicle at the Beaverdam Provincial Recreation Area campground and head back on the service road toward a locked gate at 0.5 km. The road heads into the forest and gradually up the hill. Walk past the various trails and paths along the way, staying on the road until you reach the abandoned overflow campground at 1.8 km.

After 1.5 km you’ll notice the old railway, now a quad trail, running along the road. The road will be crossing the trail shortly, taking you into the abandoned campground.

The abandoned overflow campground is now used for staff accommodation, firewood and equipment storage by a local campground operator. There is no camping allowed. Please stay clear of all equipment and property as you follow the road along Martin Creek to the woodlot and the next section of the trail.

THE FOREST | 3.9 KM

At the end of the campground, follow the trail heading into the woodlot. The trail is well-established and easy to find.

Keep an eye out for wildlife, flowers and berries as you walk through the logged area. The trail to the right at 2.9 km provides access to a climbing area. The Eagle Mountain Ridge trail is straight ahead.

From there the trail head into the forest for a pleasant hike with a steady uphill. While the trail is enjoyable the views are limited for most of the next 3 km.

The route is straightforward and at 5 km continues straight ahead where a narrower trail with flagging tape heads into the forest. It becomes obvious at this point that we’ve already gained significant elevation and there are glimpses of the views to come.

At last we can see through the trees the ridge we’re heading for. A quick glance at the cliff bands gives us a heads up that we have some elevation to gain ahead. The steepest section of the trail is coming up ahead. It is relatively short and with hiking poles there’s nothing to worry about, even on a rainy day.

Once you get your first glance at Coliseum Mountain and Baldy you know that the views from the ridge will be worth the hike.

The next junction is easy to miss; make sure to keep an eye for a piece of flagging tape and a cairn made of logs and stumps to your left.

RIDGEWALK | 1.6 KM

From the marker, follow the path into the trees making your way to the base of the ridge approximately 400 metres away. The summit of Eagle Mountain is directly to the south at this point. This is the destination of the hike described in the David Thompson Highway guidebook.

Once you reach the base of the ridge there is a nice quiet spot tempting you to stop for lunch. Continue on for the short walk up the ridge for even better options for a lunch and a rest.

Walk along the length on the ridge for great views of the forest area to the east toward Rocky Mountain House and views of Nordegg, the historic mine site, Abraham Lake and the front range of the Rockies.

A CLASSIC NORDEGG HIKE

Coliseum Mountain with its “cap” gives you 360-degree panorama of the foothills and Rockies, making this a classic hike in Alberta’s West Country.

Published on August 29, 2013 | Last updated on May 3, 2023

One of the most popular hikes in Nordegg to the distinctive summit overlooking the town. This trail guide is for the official trail. There are two other options to reach the summit and we’ll add these here at some point in the future.

Coliseum Mountain dominates the skyline by Nordegg at 2040 metres high. The mountain was possibly mentioned in a map sketched by Sir James Hector showing the route taken by the Palliser Expedition in 1858.

Martin Nordegg claimed to have climbed the mountain in 1913 and by 1925 a fire lookout, the first in the province, was built on the mountain. Today, only a pile of rubbles is left of it and the active fire lookout is on Sunda Mountain to the north.

At a Glance

• Distance: 12.6 km return
• Elevation gain: ~705 m
• Challenge Level: Moderate
• Trail type: There and back
• Congestion: Moderate
• Management: Kiska / Wilson PLUZ
• Other Trail Uses: None
• Trailhead: The Coliseum Mountain Trail Staging Area is located in the Nordegg North subdivision. From highway 11, follow Shunda Creek Road and keep right onto Baldy Mountain Road. Take the next right on Eagle Drive. The trailhead parking lot is at the end of the street. Dry toilets are available at the trailhead.

The Trail Guide

COLISEUM MOUNTAIN ACCESS | 6.3 KM

• 0.3 km | Stream crossing
• 1.3 km | Old access trail
• 4.3 km | Viewpoint and scree slope
• 6.3 km | Summit viewpoint and old fire lookout

RETURN TRAIL | 6.3 KM

• Retrace your steps back to the trailhead

THE JOURNEY

From the trailhead parking lot, follow the signs to the Coliseum Mountain trail. The first section of the trail is newer having been built after the new subdivision and making the hike a few kilometres shorter.

The only stream crossing on this hike is near the beginning. The rest of the trail is dry and usually in great condition.

After 1.3 km the trail reconnects with the older trail. From there it’s a steady ascent with switchbacks making it easy to gain most of the vertical on this hike. Along the way the views starts to get better with glimpses of what’s to come.

The trail eventually levels off after 4 km where there is an informal campsite and great views of Nordegg and Abraham Lake. The trail continues across the scree slope and then along the ridge toward the site of the old fire lookout, another 2 km away.

Hiking along the ridge gives the opportunity for spectacular views of the mountains to the east, the Brazeau range and the forested area to the east.

The last step is to ascent the cap where a trail takes you through the cliff band to the summit. The 360 degree views makes it obvious why this was chosen as a fire lookout in the 1920’s. Sadly little remains of the fire lookout, except for a few concrete blocks and metal pieces.

THE RETURN

To head back to the trailhead, simply retrace your footsteps.