A steep but rewarding climb to a ridge overlooking Golden from the east. If you continue along the ridge and drop down to the bench, it is a pleasant walk through mature forest.

Trailhead
Walk or drive the first 400 metres of Dart Creek logging road to the first righthand switchback. About three quarters of the way around the corner, there is a tree with blue paint on it. The trailhead is just south of that tree.

Trail
Enter the forest and follow the trail as it wraps around the hill, then turns uphill to climb a rib. It levels off again and heads to the left to reach the edge of the cliff. Follow the trail along the edge of the cliff as it climbs steeply. [read more]

You’ll find a handy bench at one point, which means you have gained about half the vertical. At the very end, the trail eases off a bit and you walk through a grassy grove to reach what looks like a set of billboards in the wilderness. They are actually communication devices for the Canadian Pacific Railway.

An obvious trail continues along Frenchman’s Ridge and then drops down to a bench, where it meanders through a mature forest before dropping again to private property in the Lapp Road area. There is no public access at this end of the trail.

Cautions

• The trail skirts the edge of a cliff. Be careful, especially on descending. Overrunning a corner could be fatal.
• Watch for logging traffic on the Dart Creek road.

Due to the twinning of the Highway 1 (Trans Canada Highway) you cannot turn into the trailhead when driving from the east.  So, from the junction of Highway 95 and Highway 1, drive east on the Highway 1 for 11km and turn into the Kicking Horse Rest Area on the north side of the highway.  From there you will turn around and drive back west on the Highway 1 for 5.5km.   Then turn right into the turnout on the north side of Highway 1 .