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northward.NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Hikes · Valemount & Mount Robson · Valemount / Mount Robson

Mica Mine and ridge

Old mining trail reaches alpine workings; ridge ascent has no trail.

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

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Distance
9.65 kmRound trip
Elevation gain
1,018 mPublished route measurement
Walking time
6–8 hours return
Difficulty
HardOut and back

Map & elevation

Opening the map…

Partial elevation profile

Mapped portion · walking direction unconfirmed · 3.78 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 itinerary1250 m1700 m2150 m0 km0.9 km1.9 km2.8 km3.8 km
Explore the elevation with the chart or slider.
Coverage and elevation sources

3.78 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 Government Licence – British Columbia · checked 2026-10-18 · CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Government Licence – British Columbia linework. Copernicus DEM 2021 GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Linework source: https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/whse/bcgw_pub_whse_forest_tenure/MapServer/9. Sampled and rounded for display.

Official recreation project linework; may contain multiple trail sections or historic alignments, not a verified complete hike. Line source (opens original source).

Getting there & parking

From the Tête Jaune Cache area, take Blackman Road and then Old Tête Jaune Road. Before the railway crossing, turn onto Sand Creek Forest Service Road and follow it for approximately 7.6 km to the Mica trail sign. The local guide recommends a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle and warns that porcupines have damaged vehicle brake components near the parking area. Confirm current road condition and practical vehicle protection before leaving the car.

Estimated drive from Prince George: 4 hr 29 min · 285.9 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.

Open driving directions →

Map position: 52.92068, -119.49701 · trailhead. source-published; not field-verified

On the trail

Climb the narrow, steep trail through forest toward the former mica workings in the alpine. The mine area is the first main objective and can be a turnaround. For the ridge extension, climb the steep slope above the workings; the local guide explicitly describes this upper section as untrailed, with loose and slippery rock rather than a maintained summit path. The ridge gives views toward Mount Robson, the Robson and Canoe valleys, and Kinbasket Lake. The true mountain summit lies farther beyond intervening peaks and is not included in the ordinary mine-and-ridge outing. Return carefully down the same steep approach.

Terrain: very steep ascent · unmarked ridge extension · historic mine.

Distance and elevation source notes

9 km

1018 m

The older Ramblers narrative suggests roughly 5 hours return to the mica workings and 6 hours including the ridge; current operator guidance separately gives a 6–8 hour return outing. These endpoints and time estimates should not be silently treated as identical.

The map line and elevation profile cover the provincial approach to the historic Mica Mine, about 3.78 km along the stored line. They do not show the complete ridge extension or a return itinerary; the 9.65 km published outing remains a separate metric.

Conditions & seasons

The local guide recommends late June to late September in clear weather. Rain can turn the lower trail into a drainage channel and makes the rocky upper slope slippery. Cloud can conceal the route above treeline; the historical mine does not provide a weatherproof shelter.

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

No designated campsite, nearby toilet or reliable overnight facility was identified at the mine or ridge. Treat this as a self-sufficient day outing unless a separate authorized overnight plan has been established.

Photos of Mica Mine and ridge

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

Surrounding area and context

These photographs provide context; they do not establish the appearance of this selected route or facility.

Mica Mountain’s northeast aspect from Mica Mountain Lodge near Tête Jaune Cache
Mica Mountain’s northeast aspect from Mica Mountain Lodge near Tête Jaune Cache, 21 May 2022. The mine trail and ridge endpoint are not pictured.Mica Mountain.jpg (opens original source) · Adam Jones · CC BY 2.0 (opens original source) · 2022-05-21 17:20:12. Wikimedia resized original for thumbnail; no edits made locally. Any display crop must be disclosed, and adaptations retain image licence where share-alike applies.
Mica Mountain’s north aspect near Tête Jaune Cache
Mica Mountain’s north aspect near Tête Jaune Cache, 21 May 2022. A view of the mountain from the valley; the mine trail is not pictured.Mica Mountain BC.jpg (opens original source) · Adam Jones · CC BY 2.0 (opens original source) · 2022-05-21 19:38:27. Wikimedia resized original for thumbnail; no edits made locally. Any display crop must be disclosed, and adaptations retain image licence where share-alike applies.
Premier Range peaks seen from the summit of Mica Mountain
Premier Range peaks seen from the summit of Mica Mountain, 15 August 2010. This is a summit view; the shorter mine route ends below this point.Cariboo Peaks.JPG (opens original source) · Rufus Hawthorne · CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens original source) · 2010-08-15. Provider resized the original for this download; no local edits. Display may crop the view. Adaptations retain the image licence.

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://hikevalemount.com/mica-mine/ (opens original source)
  2. https://routing.openstreetmap.de/about.html (opens original source)
  3. https://caledoniaramblers.ca/trails/mica-mountain (opens original source)
  4. https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/mpcm/bcgwpub/MapServer/404 (opens original source)
  5. https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/elevation-api (opens original source)
  6. https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/mpcm/bcgwpub/MapServer/404/query?where=OBJECTID%3D30635&outFields=*&outSR=4326&f=geojson (opens original source)
  7. https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/whse/bcgw_pub_whse_forest_tenure/MapServer/9/query?objectIds=45710%2C45744%2C45855&outFields=FOREST_FILE_ID%2CRMF_SKEY%2CSECTION_ID%2CPROJECT_NAME%2CRETIREMENT_DATE%2CLIFE_CYCLE_STATUS_CODE%2CFILE_STATUS_CODE%2COBJECTID&outSR=4326&returnGeometry=true&f=geojson (opens original source)
  8. https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/7fcb21f7-e51c-4342-a5e1-445a6c42128e (opens original source)
  9. https://open-meteo.com/en/licence (opens original source)
  10. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (opens original source)

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