Upper Fraser & Sugarbowl / Full trip pack
Driscoll Ridge
- Loop
- 15.5 km
- Elevation gain
- Not established Cumulative ascent for this outing has not been established.
- Walking time
- Unconfirmed
- Difficulty
- Hard
BC Parks loop itinerary
Ridge loop south of park.
1. Getting there and 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.
Drive from Prince George: 106.1 km · approximately 85 minutes. Estimate; allow for road conditions and stops.
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.
2. Walking the route
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.
3. Route map
Mapped named trail
© OpenStreetMap contributors. Route geometry is available under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0. · Line source · Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 · Source-line database: https://hikingprincegeorge.com/data/osm-route-lines.geojson
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.
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
Copernicus DEM 2021 GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Linework source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/197544134. Sampled and rounded for display.
Source: https://open-meteo.com/en/licence
Licence: CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Driscoll Ridge trailhead | 53.802809 -121.313725 | 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. https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/kuwyyf/driscoll_trail_d2260c3fd0.kmz |
| 1. Recorded viewpoint viewpoint | 53.788379 -121.301550 | Named point on source trip map; position and feature type retained as factual observations. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/west-driscoll-ridge-trail-northern-bc/ |
| 2. Trail access trail access | 53.802387 -121.313674 | Named point on source trip map; position and feature type retained as factual observations. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/west-driscoll-ridge-trail-northern-bc/ |
| 3. Recorded viewpoint viewpoint | 53.789028 -121.302731 | Named point on source trip map; position and feature type retained as factual observations. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/west-driscoll-ridge-trail-northern-bc/ |
| 4. Older trail access trail access | 53.786569 -121.297002 | Named point on source trip map; position and feature type retained as factual observations. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/west-driscoll-ridge-trail-northern-bc/ |
| 5. Recorded viewpoint viewpoint | 53.778785 -121.304727 | Named point on source trip map; position and feature type retained as factual observations. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/west-driscoll-ridge-trail-northern-bc/ |
| 6. Recorded viewpoint viewpoint | 53.799155 -121.312709 | Named point on source trip map; position and feature type retained as factual observations. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/west-driscoll-ridge-trail-northern-bc/ |
| 7. East trailhead official trailhead | 53.762816 -121.219080 | Named EastTrailhead waypoint in BC Parks DriscollTrail KMZ. https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/kuwyyf/driscoll_trail_d2260c3fd0.kmz |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
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.
Season and access
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.
Dogs
Dogs must stay leashed; BC Parks discourages pets in backcountry areas.
Additional source maps
Map 1: https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/kuwyyf/driscoll_trail_d2260c3fd0.kmz
Your trip notes
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