Blackwater & southwest / Full trip pack
Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail
- Published distance
- Variable, 3 to 16 km depending on trails taken Trip basis unconfirmed
- Elevation gain
- Not established The source gives 300 m for several 3–16 km choices, without a defined start and turnaround. Total ascent for a defined outing remains unverified.
- Walking time
- 3 - 6 hours depending on how far one goes
- Difficulty
- Moderate Point to Point
A complete outing distance has not been established.
https://hikingprincegeorge.com/hikes/alexander-mackenzie-heritage-trail
Access and trail reports
Footbridge reported complete
The Ramblers report a new footbridge over the stream at heritage-trail kilometre 54. This is a dated construction report, not a current crossing inspection.
Reported 2025-06-11 · checked 2026-10-17 · Caledonia Ramblers
Reports describe the cited dates. An expected reopening date does not establish reopened access.
Local day walks follow part of the much longer Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail through the Blackwater country. The historic route predates Alexander Mackenzie’s guided journey and must not be confused with a single maintained 347 km hiking trail.
1. Getting there and parking
For the local Blackwater section, approach Blackwater Recreation Site via Highway 16 west and Blackwater Road beyond Baldy Hughes. From Prince George’s Highway 16–97 junction, the published local access is about 9.4 km west to the Blackwater turn and another 70.8 km to the recreation site. Use the site’s trail map to choose the east canyon paths or west heritage corridor; they are different outings.
2. Walking the route
Choose a defined local section and a return plan before leaving the recreation site. The day-walk descriptions cover roughly 3–16 km choices with Blackwater valley views, while the full historic corridor extends hundreds of kilometres toward Bella Coola. Eastbound canyon and escarpment paths can form a mapped loop; westbound travel follows the heritage corridor and needs a deliberate turnaround or arranged endpoint. A new footbridge at heritage-trail kilometre 54 was reported complete on June 11, 2025, but that single improvement does not verify all intervening sections. Stay on the established route and leave cultural features intact; the trail remains connected to living Indigenous communities and land use.
3. Route map
Official recreation project linework; may contain multiple trail sections or historic alignments, not a verified complete hike
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – British Columbia. · Line source · Open Government Licence – British Columbia
Partial elevation profile
Partial elevation profile
This chart covers only part of the route. It does not establish the full hike or a return journey.
15.27 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
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.
Source: https://open-meteo.com/en/licence
Licence: CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Government Licence – British Columbia linework · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Profile source checked: 2026-10-18
Published locations
Numbered points match the map. Use the role beside each point. A summit or park reference point is not a parking location.
| Place and role | Coordinates | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail recreation project location | 53.339332 -122.875569 | Source-published recreation project point; not verified parking or trailhead. https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/mpcm/bcgwpub/MapServer/404 |
Measurement notes
Variable, 3 to 16 km depending on trails taken
300 m
More maps & trail files
Long-distance heritage corridor on AllTrails
This listing describes a roughly 297 km point-to-point journey. It is background for the wider historic corridor, not the map or distance of a local Blackwater day walk.
AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/alexander-mackenzie-heritage-trail-2
Comparison checked 2026-10-18.
These links open files and maps maintained by their publishers. They require an internet connection and are not included in this saved guide.
Your trip notes
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