Parking
Use the unpaved Blackshale Creek Suspension Bridge Trailhead lot off Highway 742. Follow the High Rockies Trail to the bridge and start on its north (left) side. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required to park.
Overview
About Kent Ridge South Trail
Why go
- Two south-ridge summits with views over Black Prince Lake toward Kananaskis Lake.
Heads up
- Faint human and animal tracks vanish in the forest.
- The upper climb is steep and loose underfoot.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Peter Lougheed map
Full mapElevation1,787–2,483 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 Kent Ridge South 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
Blackshale Bridge: The Forest Crossing0:00 / 0:30
“You're approaching the roadside access for Blackshale Creek Suspension Bridge, a seventy-three-metre span over a forested gorge.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Peter Lougheed Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Black Prince Day Use: A Picnic Break
- Peninsula Day Use: The Short Viewpoint Walk
- South Lawson Peak: The Ridge Above the Lakes
- Canyon Day Use: The Lake and the Lost Trail
- 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 Kent Ridge South Trail
A steep south-ridge climbKent Ridge South Trail is an informal 7 km (4.
Kent Ridge South Trail is an informal 7 km (4.35 mi) out-and-back from Blackshale Creek Suspension Bridge to the first two south-ridge summits. Allow about four hours and roughly 780 m of total climbing. This is a hard route, not a marked trail; choose it only if you’re comfortable finding a faint line over steep, loose ground.
Finding the routeStart on the bridge’s north (left) side and climb with Blackshale Creek on your right.
Start on the bridge’s north (left) side and climb with Blackshale Creek on your right. Human and animal tracks come and go through the trees. Above treeline, the route climbs loose shale to the first summit. From there, drop about 60 m, then follow flagging through the trees to the rounded second peak. Turn back there: Mount Kent is another 1.5 km along the ridge and a different, longer objective.
What you see from the topThe two summits open onto Black Prince Lake below and Kananaskis Lake in the distance, with…
The two summits open onto Black Prince Lake below and Kananaskis Lake in the distance, with long ridges filling the valley. From the second summit, look back to frame the first peak against the distant lake; that view makes the climb’s shape clear.
Access and limitsThis informal south route isn’t listed among Alberta Parks’ Peter Lougheed trails, and its…
This informal south route isn’t listed among Alberta Parks’ Peter Lougheed trails, and its current public-access status isn’t confirmed in the available park information. Confirm access before setting out. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for vehicle parking, and dogs must be leashed no longer than 2 m. There’s no water source along the route.
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.
