Parking
Park at Sawmill Day Use Area on Highway 742 (Smith-Dorrien/Spray Lakes Trail). Start behind the washroom; the path at the far end of the lot leads toward a different lower loop, not James Walker Creek.
Overview
About James Walker Creek Trail
Why go
- Tarn, creek waterfalls, and an open alpine basin in one hike.
Heads up
- The turn is easy to miss, and the upper climb is steep.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Peter Lougheed map
Full mapElevation1,825–2,171 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Peter Lougheed alerts
- ClosureTrail closures and Three Isle detourThree trail sections remain closed; stay out of closed areas and follow the signed Three Isle detour to reach the open backcountry campgrounds.Official details
- CautionBear activity near Elpoca and ValleyviewFrequent bear activity has been noted along Valleyview Road from Elpoca Day Use Area south to Highway 40, near Little Highwood Pass and Valleyview Day Use Areas; use bear precautions.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Peter Lougheed Tour Guide
Your drive to James Walker Creek Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Peter Lougheed audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Sawmill: Picnic Views and Ski Roots0:00 / 0:19
“Sawmill Day Use Area is coming up, with picnic tables and benches looking toward Mount Murray and Kent Ridge. I'd stop for a short break and the view; you don't need to take on a hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Peter Lougheed Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Jay That Glues Its Groceries
- The Pine That Waits for Fire
- A Pika's Winter Pantry
- The Woodpecker That Peels Bark
- 41 audio storiesacross Peter Lougheed’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Canada Lynx, Black Bear, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 66 trails, 41 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking James Walker Creek Trail
The routeJames Walker Creek Trail is a 7-mile (11.
James Walker Creek Trail is a 7-mile (11.3 km) out-and-back from Sawmill Day Use Area, following a forest approach and creek valley to an open alpine basin. Allow about four to five hours. This route turns around at the end of the mapped creek trail; continuing farther across the pathless basin adds distance and climbing. The Mount James Walker summit scramble is a separate outing.
Finding the creekStart behind the Sawmill washroom.
Start behind the Sawmill washroom. The path from the far end of the parking lot heads toward the lower loop and Chester routes, not James Walker Creek. The first part follows old logging roads through forest, and the turn into the creek valley can be easy to miss, so keep a map handy and pay attention at junctions.
Tarn and headwallThe forest approach is gradual for much of the way. A small tarn appears about 4.
The forest approach is gradual for much of the way. A small tarn appears about 4.5 km from the start; beyond it the route climbs steeply beside the creek, with waterfalls near a rock outcrop to the left. The trees open into a broad alpine basin between Mount Inflexible and Mount James Walker. If the tarn is still, look for a reflection of the pale peak across the water.
An informal routeSawmill is an official public day-use area, but Alberta Parks does not list James Walker Creek…
Sawmill is an official public day-use area, but Alberta Parks does not list James Walker Creek among its named Sawmill trails. Current access to this informal route is unconfirmed, so check with Alberta Parks before setting out. The upper valley beyond the mapped creek path has no defined tread; turn around there unless you are comfortable navigating off-trail. Keep dogs leashed under park rules.
A name in the skylineThe mountain above the valley is named for Colonel James Walker, a North-West Mounted Police…
The mountain above the valley is named for Colonel James Walker, a North-West Mounted Police officer and Calgary-area civic leader.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Peter Lougheed
132 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
17 sightingsCanada LynxMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
30 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
176 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
19 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Peter Lougheed. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
