Pine Pass, Chetwynd & Peace / Full trip pack
Mount Bickford Horse Trail
- Round trip
- 6.6 km
- Elevation gain
- 360 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- About 5 hours
- Difficulty
- Unconfirmed
return
https://hikingprincegeorge.com/hikes/mount-bickford-horse-trail
An alternative approach to Bickford’s alpine terrain branches from the fire-lookout route. It involves brush and uncertain marking, with possible ridge extensions for experienced route-finders.
1. Getting there and parking
From Chetwynd head toward Prince George on Highway 97 for roughly 53 km. About 700 m after Fisher Creek bridge, take the second right-hand turn after the bridge onto Fisher Creek Forestry Road. At the 3 km sign, turn left at the fork, then left again onto the signed powerline-access road. The older guide places the route start on the right just beyond the road’s highest point. The last 2–3 km are steep and rough, require 4WD in the guide and can be difficult when wet. The road is radio-controlled; verify access before travelling and add walking distance if you stop below the upper trailhead.
Parking: The old guide places the start on the right just beyond the highest point of the powerline-access road. A lower parking decision adds road walking.
Road and vehicle: The last 2–3 km of the access road are described as steep and rough, requiring 4WD; wet conditions can make them particularly difficult. Fisher Creek Forestry Road is radio-controlled.
2. Walking the route
Follow the shared approach across the wet clearing and cutblock to the forest route. At the fork identified on the club’s Bickford map, take the right-hand Horse Trail branch rather than continuing up the direct lookout line. The branch climbs through forest and brush to the alpine; the September 2016 description explicitly includes bushwhacking. Its basic outing is 6.6 km return with about 360 m of gain. Summit travel or a loop using the direct fire-tower route extends that outing and requires a verified connecting line. A later report from the lookout approach found poor marking and questioned the tower’s survival, so do not use a shelter or an obvious building as your essential navigation landmark.
The return
The September 2016 guide gives 6.6 km return for the Horse Trail approach into the alpine. Continuing to a summit or returning by the fire-tower line changes that outing.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Bickford Horse Trail start point of published trip track (parking unverified) | 55.609787 -122.372263 | Embedded trip-map feature 'Mt bickford horse trail': first recorded coordinate [-122.372263, 55.609787].
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. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/bickford-mountain-fire-lookout-in-the-pine-pass-bc/ |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Season and access
Summer route last reviewed September 2016.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
Your trip notes
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