Farther destinations / Full trip pack
Harvey–McCabe Crossover
- Published distance
- 17 km Trip basis unconfirmed
- Elevation gain
- 800 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- 7 - 9 hours
- Difficulty
- Hard Crossover; return arrangement unconfirmed
published 17 km crossover outing; return or shuttle arrangement unresolved
An alpine crossover in the Babine Mountains near Smithers links the Harvey Mountain side with the McCabe trail system. The Harvey ascent is documented in detail, while completing the crossover requires a separate verified connection and return plan.
1. Getting there and parking
From Highway 16 just east of Smithers, turn onto Old Babine Lake Road and begin measuring distance at that junction. In the 2018 approach account, turn left onto McCabe Road at 4.7 km, left onto Telkwa High Road at 8.3 km and right onto Driftwood Road at 8.5 km. Continue past Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park. At the Babine Mountains entrance, reached around the 15.2 km odometer mark, the sign indicated another 3.7 km to the Harvey Mountain trailhead. Parking beside Harvey’s information stand was limited during that visit. The main park parking area serving McCabe and other trails was about 600 m farther up the access road. These are historical road references and parking observations; check current park access before arranging a shuttle or deciding how to connect the two starts.
2. Walking the route
The Harvey Mountain approach climbs steadily through forest, with the illustrated 2018 report reaching the subalpine a little over 4 km from the trailhead. It places the formed trail’s upper cairn at approximately 5 km, with about 800 m of vertical rise from that start. The surrounding alpine permits further travel, but a side trip from the cairn is not automatically the Harvey–McCabe crossover. The crossover description continues across open ridge country toward McCabe. An illustrated Harvey-only trip identifies a lake basin below its alpine wandering and a mapped Blix connection between the McCabe and Lyons Creek systems, but it does not provide a turn-by-turn account of completing the crossover. Establish that connection on a current park map and verify your descent before committing to it. The club lists 17 km and seven to nine hours but labels the trip a loop while also describing point-to-point and out-and-back possibilities. Confirm whether your plan uses the road connection, a vehicle shuttle or a return along Harvey; those choices change the distance and effort.
3. Route map
Published locations only. A complete route line is still needed.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey–McCabe Crossover published Harvey trailhead; one crossover endpoint | 54.869333 -126.970333 | 2018trip report explicitly gives HarveyMountaintrailheadN54°52.160 W126°58.220. Ramblers crossover access uses the same DriftwoodRoad Harvey trailhead.
Historic published trailhead at one end; crossover exit and current road conditions must also be planned. https://ihikebc.com/trips/2018/trip142HarveyMountainTrailHike.htm |
How the elevation gain was established
Outing: Named 17 km Harvey–McCabe crossover in the club’s August 2026 trip description; the return or shuttle arrangement is not specified.
This total is published for the named outing. Other starting points or turnarounds can produce different climbing totals.
The club event explicitly associates both distance and elevation gain with the complete named crossover.
The trail page labels a loop but also discusses point-to-point and out-and-back possibilities. This published ascent is not proof of a complete mapped itinerary or of an additional road return.
Sources checked 2026-10-19.
Measurement notes
17 km
800 m
The club lists a 17 km loop while its narrative also discusses a point-to-point crossover and out-and-back possibilities. The road connection or shuttle plan is not consistently defined.
The illustrated 2018 report measures the Harvey approach at 5 km one way to its upper cairn and about 800 m of vertical rise. That is not a measured total for the full Harvey–McCabe crossover.
The club’s August 2026 Smithers event explicitly gives 17 km and 800 m elevation gain for the Harvey–McCabe crossover. This is a separate complete-outing claim from the Harvey-only approach report. It does not resolve the trail page’s conflicting loop, crossover and return arrangements.
Your trip notes
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