Bear Lake & northern lakes / Full trip pack
Giscome Portage
- Point to point
- 8.5 km
- Elevation gain
- 120 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- 3–4 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy point-to-point
one-way point-to-point
Access and trail reports
Mitchell Road segment cleared
Vegetation and fallen trees were cleared between Mitchell Road trailhead and the BC Hydro powerline corridor. The report does not describe the entire portage route.
Reported 2026-06-01 · checked 2026-10-17 · Caledonia Ramblers
Reports describe the cited dates. An expected reopening date does not establish reopened access.
A historic portage crosses the divide between the Pacific and Arctic watersheds near Huble Homestead. It is a linear trail with separate northern and southern access points, so the full traverse needs a transport or return plan.
1. Getting there and parking
The southern approach is about 40 km north of Prince George: leave Highway 97 for Mitchell Road and continue roughly 6 km toward Huble Homestead. The trailhead is on Mitchell Road approximately 750 m back from the homestead parking area. The northern endpoint is at Barney Creek, with a summer parking area beside the trail. Published winter parking is about 150 m up Barney Road, on the left. Confirm which endpoint your navigation destination refers to before leaving the highway.
Parking: The south trailhead is on Mitchell Road about 750 m before Huble Homestead’s parking. At the northern Barney Creek endpoint, summer parking is beside the trail; the published winter parking is about 150 m up Barney Road on the left.
2. Walking the route
Follow the signed heritage trail across the watershed divide between the two access areas. The published 8.5 km is a point-to-point route, not an 8.5 km loop; an out-and-back covering the whole trail would be substantially longer. A shorter return walk from Mitchell Road is possible by choosing your own turnaround. A June 1, 2026 maintenance report covers the section from Mitchell Road to the BC Hydro power lines only, so do not extend that report to the entire traverse. Preserve the historic corridor and avoid creating shortcuts or disturbing cultural features.
The return
The 8.5 km published distance is one way between the Mitchell Road and Barney Creek access points. Arrange a pickup or vehicle shuttle, choose a shorter turnaround, or allow about 17 km to walk the entire trail and retrace it.
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.
3.42 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/544015991. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Giscome Portage start point of published trip track (parking unverified) | 54.261989 -122.624271 | Embedded trip-map feature 'Giscome Track 1/20/24 8:59:41 AM': first recorded coordinate [-122.624271, 54.261989].
Point extracted from the original public trip map. A track start is evidence of where recording began, not certification of parking, legal access, road suitability or the complete route. Source date: 2024 https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/giscome-portage/ |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Season and access
June 1, 2026 clearance report covers Mitchell Road trailhead to the BC Hydro lines, not necessarily the entire route.
Winter route
The club describes a separate winter parking position at the northern end, about 150 m up Barney Road on the left.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
Measurement notes
8.5 km
120 m
Your trip notes
________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________