Calgary 
It is now time to take advantage of a provincial effort that was 25 years in the works! This effort revolves around adding recreational opportunities to central Alberta while also adding better trail access to David Thompson Country, or the Bighorn Backcountry.
Credit: Clearwater County
Now, a significant portion of the project is complete, allowing trail users of all types to enjoy it. This new mountain-access trail is the Rocky-Nordegg Rail Trail that aims to connect Rocky Mountain House in the east with Nordegg in the west.
What is the Rail Trail?
The Rocky to Nordegg Rail Trail covers ~100km of abandoned rail lines, including river and stream crossings. With this, the rail line’s various bridges required renovations for safety and function.
In 2025, the Rocky to Nordegg Rail Trail is halfway complete to provide 50km of historic trails from Nordegg to Jackfish Creek. This stretch of the route includes one of those bridge upgrades with the new guardrails, boardwalk, and benches on the Taunton Trestle.
In the early 1900s, these were busy tracks as the coal mining industry boomed around Nordegg and hit a peak around the 1920s. However, a combination of forces led to the lessened need for rail lines to the mountains. This includes the overall decline of the coal mining industry over the mid-20th century, and the construction of the David Thompson Highway in the 1980s.
The new western portion of the Rail Trail is now open for all sorts of trail activities: hiking or jogging, cycling, e-biking, horseback riding, and OHV riding.
Scenic Highlights between Nordegg & Jackfish Creek
The Rail Trail runs parallel to the David Thompson Highway and the North Saskatchewan River. For much of the trail, there are incredible views of this mightier section of the river, especially near Jackfish and Saunders. There will also be many creeks to cross as the trail follows the North Saskatchewan, with the Taunton Creek crossing a second major highlight on the Rail Trail.
- The improved Taunton Trestle Bridge is original to the rail line and crosses a deep valley. This is a perfect pit stop along the trail with benches and picnic tables lining the new boardwalk (enclosed by guardrails). The boardwalk is wide enough to fit two lanes of OHV traffic (snowmobiles, quads, for example) and offers some of the most incredible views along this 50km completed section of trail.
- The Trestle is close enough to the Saunders Staging Area for anyone to create a shorter day hike out to Taunton Creek.
- The next staging area (east to west) is the Harlech PRA on the David Thompson Highway. The heavily wooded park sits on the edge of Shunda Creek , which the Rail Trail follows for part of the way.
Accommodations Off the Rail Trail
Pack up the camping gear for your adventures and get a site along the Rail Trail with numerous Provincial Recreation Areas, including (east to west) Jackfish Lake, Harlech, Beaverdam, and Fish Lake. These are, for the most part, sites without services within smaller campgrounds. There are, however, sites with electricity at the Fish Lake PRA.
- Find more places to stay right in Nordegg, or across Highway AB-11 from the townsite. These include cabins, cottages, hotels, and a private campground.
- The area closest to the east end of the trail to offer hotel, motel, and camping options is Rocky Mountain House, 52km east of the Jackfish Lake PRA.
Exploring Nordegg
Those starting or ending their trail adventures in Nordegg will be surrounded by additional trail and hiking routes, wildlife viewing opportunities, will be close to Abraham Lake, and will have a few dining options. Also in town is the Nordegg Discovery Centre with more historical background on the town, the coal mining industry, and the Brazeau Collieries Historic Mine Site.
- From spring to fall, the Discovery Centre offer guided tours of the Bazeau Mine every Wednesday to Monday!
- Enjoy a bit more of that mining history with Nordegg’s Miner’s Café, who serve coffee and café drinks, breakfast, lunch, and sweets.
- Fuel up at the café for more trail adventures around Nordegg, with several simple nature trails near town.
Planning Your Trip – Rocky-Nordegg Rail Trail
What: In the future, the Rocky to Nordegg Rail Trail will be a 100km multi-use trail that connects Rocky Mountain House in the east to Nordegg in the west. The trail roughly follows alongside the North Saskatchewan River and the David Thompson Highway (AB-11).
In 2025, the Rail Trail is completed halfway and now offers 50km of scenic backcountry trail across the Clearwater and David Thompson areas. The trail is on a decommissioned railroad which serviced the Canadian Northern Western Railway Brazeau Branch during the height of the coal mining industry. A trip on the Rocky to Nordegg Rail Trail will offer incredible foothill and mountain scenery, complete with the rushing North Saskatchewan and its several creeks, as well as historical education.
Location and how to get there: staging areas at Saunders PRA and Jackfish Creek, south of Jackfish Lake PRA, in Nordegg, and near town at the Beaverdam PRA
Best time to go: year-round
How much: trail access is free, PRA campsites $20-$30 per night
For more information:
