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northward.NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Hikes · Upper Fraser & Sugarbowl · East / Ancient Forest

Driscoll Ridge

Ridge loop south of park.

Sources reviewed . This is a research date, not a trail inspection.

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Distance
15.5 kmLoop
Elevation gain
Not establishedCumulative ascent for this outing has not been established.
Walking time
Not published
Difficulty
Hard

Map & elevation

Opening the map…

Partial elevation profile

Mapped portion · walking direction unconfirmed · 13.94 km

This chart covers only part of the route. It does not establish the full hike or a return journey.

Elevation along one mapped source section; direction is not an established walking itinerary700 m1250 m1800 m0 km3.5 km7.0 km10.5 km13.9 km
Explore the elevation with the chart or slider.
Coverage and elevation sources

13.94 km along source section 1 of 1, in its mapped direction. Approximate 90 m terrain model along this mapped section. Separate sections are not joined. This chart does not measure total trail ascent or establish current access; use the guide’s published outing measurements.

Copernicus GLO-90 terrain elevations via Open-Meteo (CC BY4.0); linework: Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 · checked 2026-10-18 · CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 linework. Copernicus DEM 2021 GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Linework source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197544134. Sampled and rounded for display.

Mapped named trail. The published western trailhead is about 2.1 km from this mapped alignment. This source does not establish the connection from that current access point; do not bridge the gap or assume the line is the current complete crossover. Line source (opens original source).

Original map 1 (opens original source)

Getting there & parking

Use the signed western Driscoll trail access off the south side of Highway 16, about 110 km east of Prince George. It is separate from the Ancient Forest visitor parking farther east. The older local guide describes limited parking near the highway and an initial old-road approach; confirm the present signed trail start rather than driving farther up a deteriorated track.

Estimated drive from Prince George: 1 hr 25 min · 106.1 km. Modeled one-way driving time from Prince George City Hall, using mapped road speeds. Forest-road sections can take substantially longer: surface, clearance, radio procedures, gates, washouts, plowing, and legal access are not verified by the router. No live traffic or invented forest-road multiplier is included. Allow extra time and check the dated access notes. Seasonal access notes apply; this estimate does not establish plowing or winter road access.

Open driving directions →

Map position: 53.80281, -121.31373 · trailhead. Official KMZ waypoint named Driscoll West Trailhead: -121.3137254971201,53.80280860627549. Western access point. Replaces inconsistent 2010 tourism-guide point. Crossover needs transport planning at both ends.

On the trail

The lower ascent passes from cedar forest into spruce and subalpine fir before reaching a ridge with open glades and mountain views. BC Parks describes a strenuous 15.5 km loop linking the ridge system with the Ancient Forest side. The club describes a roughly 16 km trailhead-to-trailhead crossover, so check whether your chosen plan includes the highway connection or vehicle shuttle. The upper ridge is less maintained than the forest approach and requires navigation when tread or markers are obscure. This is a full mountain day rather than an extension to the short cedar boardwalk.

Conditions & seasons

The high ridge has a different snow season from the low forest boardwalks. BC Parks provides avalanche-terrain information for Driscoll; a summer loop description should not be treated as a verified winter route.

These are dated research notes. Open the trip planner for current available weather and advisory feeds; no alert found does not establish that a trail or road is open.

Check weather & available updates →

Camping & overnight plans

Neither the western Driscoll parking area nor Ancient Forest parking allows overnight camping. Purden Lake is the nearby established campground identified by BC Parks. No serviced tent site was verified on the ridge itself.

Photos of Driscoll Ridge

A photograph with confirmed reuse permission has not yet been added to this guide.

Original photo galleries

These galleries stay on their photographers’ original websites.

Take this guide with you

Choose a trip pack or an available individual sheet for your map case.

Full trip packDirections, planning notes & available mapsTopographic mapSource lines and published locationsPartial elevation sheetMapped portion only; not a complete outingSave offline guideDownload a copy to your device
Sources, dates & research notes

Descriptions are written for this guide from the linked evidence. Source review dates, published reports and field observations can differ. Photographs and route lines retain their own attribution and reuse terms.

  1. https://bcparks.ca/ancient-forest-chun-toh-whudujut-park/ (opens original source)
  2. https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/kuwyyf/driscoll_trail_d2260c3fd0.kmz (opens original source)
  3. https://routing.openstreetmap.de/about.html (opens original source)
  4. https://caledoniaramblers.ca/trails/west-driscoll-ridge (opens original source)
  5. https://caledoniaramblers.ca/trails/east-driscoll-trail (opens original source)
  6. https://caledoniaramblers.ca/trails?page=1 (opens original source)
  7. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/hiking-prince-george-east/ (opens original source)
  8. https://caledoniaramblers.ca/gallery/driscoll-ridge-1 (opens original source)
OpenStreetMap line references (4)

These contributor-mapped features support the map geometry. They are separate from the written access and route sources.

  1. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197544134 (opens original source)
  2. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1229075744 (opens original source)
  3. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1560066369 (opens original source)
  4. https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1560066370 (opens original source)
Other route names still being researched (1)

These names appear in source inventories, but an individual walking guide has not been established yet.

  • Driscoll ridge crossover
Details still being researched
  • The park page gives no cumulative gain for this entire loop; 1,065 m on the Ramblers west-summit route must not be silently assigned to it.

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