Blacksmith Ridge Trail via Smith-Dorrien Creek

Blacksmith Ridge Trail via Smith-Dorrien Creek is a 4.2-mile out-and-back, climbing from a roadside access beside Smith-Dorrien Creek to an open ridge. Allow about four hours and roughly 2,100 feet of ascent. It is an informal, unmaintained route for hikers comfortable with steep climbs and navigation off signed trails.

The route begins near the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Lakes Trail. Current legal parking and access signage were not confirmed, so verify the exact roadside access before setting out. Do not use the separate Black Prince Day Use Area as the trailhead. Water and toilets at the start have not been confirmed.

The lower approach enters dense forest and follows a drainage north to a faint fork. The fork is hard to see, and taking the wrong branch can put you well off course. From there, the route climbs the ridge between the drainages, with steep, sometimes sidehill travel. Carry an offline track and be ready to turn around if the terrain stops matching it.

The forest begins to thin into open slopes, then the route climbs the exposed southeast ridge. Wind can make this part feel much tougher than the forest approach. The ridge is lower than Mount Kent to the east and the taller Mount Smith-Dorrien and Mount Black Prince ridge to the west, so the outlook is framed rather than a broad summit panorama. The nearby outlier and views toward the Opal Range and Highwood area are the payoff.

This version turns around on a small rise before steep rock; it is not a summit hike. The rocky continuation beyond that point is a separate, harder commitment. Snowshoes have been used here, but it is not a maintained winter route.