McBride & Robson Valley / Full trip pack
Zig Zag Ridge
- Round trip
- 17.8 km
- Elevation gain
- 1,335 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- See time notes Recorded total time 8 hours 36 minutes; conditions and start point change this
- Difficulty
- Hard Out and back
reported August 2025 return outing beginning at Highway 16
Access and trail reports
Upper wet ground and invasive thistle
August 3, 2026 report describes wet upper sections, thistle after the logging road and remaining snow patches.
Reported 2026-08-03 · checked 2026-10-17 · Hiking Prince George
Zig Zag summer route observation
An August 3, 2026 trip report described limited fallen timber, thistle on the newer lower path, wet higher ground and remaining snow patches near the ridge. These are conditions from that visit.
Reported 2026-08-03 · checked 2026-10-17 · Hiking Prince George contributor
Upper road plowed during January visit
A January 24, 2026 report found the road plowed slightly beyond the 2 km marker and identified a left-side pullout by the trail ribbon. This does not establish future plowing or current road access.
Reported 2026-01-24 · checked 2026-10-17 · Hiking Prince George contributor
Reports describe the cited dates. An expected reopening date does not establish reopened access.
A demanding ridge route near Crescent Spur starts with an easier road approach before a sustained climb into the alpine. Driving farther up the resource road can shorten the walk, but access changes with logging, deactivation and winter plowing.
1. Getting there and parking
Use the illustrated source’s Highway 16 turnoff map near Crescent Spur to locate the resource-road entrance. The published text does not give a road name or a complete highway kilometre reference, so it cannot independently identify that turn. One starting point is beside the highway entrance; an upper start lies roughly 2 km up the logging road when that road and its bridges remain open and suitable. Starting below adds approximately 2 km of road walking each way. On January 24, 2026 a contributor reported plowing to just beyond the 2 km sign, with a pullout on the left opposite visible trail ribbon. That was one winter observation, not a standing plowing commitment. Confirm current road and bridge access and avoid blocking industrial vehicles.
2. Walking the route
The original snowshoe account describes about 3 km of easier travel followed by roughly 4.5 km of very steep climbing to its ridge objective. The route is intermittently flagged rather than continuously built; retain the forest exit and descent line, particularly where snow hides the ground or visibility deteriorates above treeline. Reports describe both deep soft snow and steep slippery sections. Summer conditions differ: an August 3, 2026 report found thistle on the newer trail after the road, wet higher sections and a few remaining snow patches near the ridge. Do not combine the 15 km historical snowshoe outing with the later 17.8 km August 2025 recording as though they share an identical start and endpoint. The latter begins at Highway 16 and reports 1,335 m of ascent. An upper-road start changes the distance, while a longer ridge traverse is another itinerary. Water and cell reception were reported during particular visits, but neither is a dependable service for every season or part of the route.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Zig Zag Ridge start point of published trip track (parking unverified) | 53.536173 -120.703568 | Embedded trip-map feature 'ZigZag Ridge 2025': first recorded coordinate [-120.703568, 53.536173].
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: 2025 https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/zigzag-ridge-in-northern-bc-snowshoe/ |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Season and access
Summer and winter outings are documented, but winter difficulty depends strongly on snow depth. A January 24, 2026 report of plowing to the upper start applies only to that date.
Your trip notes
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