Valemount & Mount Robson / Full trip pack
McKirdy Meadows cabin
- Round trip
- 12 km
- Elevation gain
- 500 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- 3–4 hours return , as published
- Difficulty
- Hard Out and back with optional meadow loops
return to cabin
A forest climb to alpine meadows and a backcountry cabin.
1. Getting there and parking
Use the small trail parking area near the upper end of 5-Mile Road above Valemount. The local guide says the road is usually passable by ordinary vehicles when dry, but it has grades of roughly 15 percent and can be demanding on the descent. Confirm the road condition and use the signed hiking start; the lower bike-park trailheads on the same road are different destinations.
Road and vehicle: The local guide says a high-clearance 4WD is not usually needed; road conditions can change.
Drive from Prince George: 300.3 km · approximately 256 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.
2. Walking the route
Climb the McKirdy trail through mixed forest, passing openings toward Valemount and Kinbasket Lake. Near the subalpine, follow the signs distinguishing the meadow route from the YORA cabin. The main trail crosses the meadow to a further junction with several possible extensions. For the cabin outing, take the signed cabin branch and return to the main approach, rather than continuing to the higher ridge or dropping toward Carson’s Peak. The guide gives about 12 km return and 500 m of gain for the cabin destination. The creek beside the cabin is the only water source identified by the local guide.
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.
6.17 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/643220902. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| McKirdy Meadows cabin trailhead | 52.848831 -119.218285 | source-published; not field-verified https://hikevalemount.com/mckirdy-cabin-meadows-ridge/ |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
The YORA cabin is an overnight facility and has an outhouse nearby. Confirm booking and access arrangements with the operator before relying on it. The nearby creek is the only published water source; treat water and do not assume every meadow or ridge branch has a suitable tent site.
Water
The local guide identifies the creek beside McKirdy Cabin as the only water source on this approach. Treat collected water; the upper ridge and summit extensions do not have another source documented.
Toilets
An outhouse is listed at McKirdy Cabin; higher ridge extensions have no additional facility documented here.
Season and access
Summer and autumn are the normal hiking seasons. The cabin is also used for backcountry skiing, but winter road access and avalanche terrain require a separate plan. Mosquitoes and alpine flies can be persistent from late spring into summer.
Mobile service
The local guide reports intermittent cell reception.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
Your trip notes
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