Originally published in Lonely Planet’s Epic Rides of The Americas in 2019.
This is an epic journey through the vast stretches of wilderness past pyramidal peaks of the Canadian Rocky Mountains along rugged terrain including a demanding hike-a-bike and a river ford.
If you could only ride one section of the GDMBR (a legendary 2,700-mile [4,345 km] route from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico along the Continental Divide), it should be the Whitefish to Banff section. Renowned for its vast stretches through remote wilderness, commanding scenic views of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, glacial lakes, opportunities for wildlife sightings, and technical terrain, the Whitefish to Banff section guarantees to deliver all the adventure of the GDMBR in a fragment of the distance.
Crisscrossing the continental divide through Northern Montana and Southern Canada the Whitefish to Banff route stretches 350-miles (563 km) and 24,000 ft (7,315 m) along surfaces that range from pavement, good gravel, four-wheel-drive roads, and single-track. Amongst its dense woods and rugged terrain, this region is home to grizzly bear, wolverine, mountain lion, big horn sheep, elk and moose.
The route can be ridden in either direction with most of the GDMBR thru-bikers traveling from north to south. Since the route can get busy with many cyclists during the peak summer season, I prefer to ride this route from south to north in order to still encounter the inspiring thru-bikers but to maintain my own riding rhythm and to be rewarded with the grand scenery of Banff National Park at the end of the ride.
My partner and I began the route in the adventure hub and historic logging town of Whitefish, Montana, and made our way over the first major climb of Red Meadow Pass. The long 30-mile (48 km) climb rewards us with a small, pristine alpine lake at the top with idyllic mountain views. We stop and enjoy a swim before making our way down the to the North Fork Road which offers dramatic vistas of the nearby towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains within Glacier National Park as it winds us north to our final pass in the U.S. to climb. More gradual than the last, Whitefish Pass winds us back over the Whitefish Range in order to capitalize on a resupply in Eureka and the official border crossing into Canada.
The Canadian side is much more remote than the U.S. side, daunting us with the steepest and longest climb yet. We take many breaks along this climb to walk our bikes and snack on thimbleberries alongside the road. Finally, the decent delivers us to the Flathead River Valley, along a 110-mile (177 km) stretch of unbridled wilderness. This region is known as the “Serengeti of North America” by biologists for its abundant wildlife populations and for being the last valley of British Columbia to be completely undeveloped. We knew we had made it to the Flat Head River Valley when the road we were on deteriorated to trail requiring an extremely steep, yet short, downhill hike-a-bike.
It’s wild in the Flat Head River Valley and eerily quiet despite the rain while we are there. The terrain varies from double track to washed out rocky roads with rushing water and granite vistas all around. Some call this stretch of the Flat Head River Valley the “Grizzly Bear Highway” so while we made sure to be very bear aware we only encountered moose, towering alongside the roads and plowing through the dense woods as we startled them with our bikes.
We took refuge from the rain in Butt’s Cabin, a forest service patrol cabin that is first-come, first-serve. There is no one around when we arrive, so we move into sleep on sheltered bunk beds, dry our clothes next to the woodstove, and to wait out the rain. By mid-morning the sun is out and we are refreshed and revitalized to take on the final challenge that the Flathead River Valley has in store for us. A bridge along the route has been washed out from recent flooding requiring a strenuous off the bike ford of the Flat Head River.
We enter civilization again through the Canadian small towns of Sparwood then Elkford and revel in their lodging, food, and taverns where we meet locals who live in these remote regions for the rich coal mining and logging industry. Evidence of this is the industry is prominently on display in the center of Sparwood with the big green “Terex Titan”, at one point the world’s largest truck
From Elkford we make the long gradual climb along a power-lined road where dramatic views of towering craggy mountain peaks speckled with glaciers welcome us into Banff National Park and shortly after, the presence of motor vehicle traffic. To protect our lungs from the dust of the busy dirt park roads, we cover our mouths with bandannas and pedal to transport ourselves to a quieter place. Eventually, we turn off the busy road and on to a hiker-biker only trail that winds us along the West side of Spray Lake. The trail is fun and flowing, the air is crisp and clear, and the setting of rocky pyramidal peaks emerging from glacial turquoise lakes is awe-inspiring. It’s the most beautiful place to enjoy a bicycle ride. We spend the night along Spray Lake to explore nearby waterfalls and to take in the remote and quiet part of an otherwise busy National Park. The doleful, plaintive call of loons, reverberating off of the lakeside mountains peacefully wakes us in the morning for our final day of riding.
We continue the ride along an easy old railroad grade that runs just along the lakefront. We stop to sunbathe, swim, and to soak up the grand setting we have called home for the last few days. Reluctantly, we follow the fun dirt bike trails through the park to the end of the route just outside of the town of Banff. The juxtaposition of the time we spent alone in the wilderness with the busy tourist crowds of Banff, poses our final psychological challenge. We combat this sensation by assimilating amongst tourists with one final swim in the idyllic blue waters of Bow Falls.
Note
Because this route travels through bear and mountain lion country it is necessary that each rider carry a can of bear spray that is easily accessible while riding. Encounters are unlikely, but they can happen since this region acts as a large wildlife corridor. Avoid encounters by making a lot of noise while riding and by hanging your food and toiletries away from your camp.
Details
Start / Whitefish, Montana, U.S.A.
End / Banff, Alberta Canada
Distance / 350 Miles (563 km)
Getting There / Kalispell Airport or Amtrak Train
Getting Away / A bus service leaves every two-hours from Banff to Calgary Airport. There are also many shuttles available for hire through the Whitefish Bike Retreat.
Where to stay / Whitefish, Eureka, Sparwood, Elkford and Banff.
Best time of year to ride / mid June through mid October
Route GPX / https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28578501
For more information on this route visit, https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/great-divide-mountain-bike-route/
What To Bring / GPS device, camping equipment, water filter, cookware, smell proof bags, clothing layers, repair kit, spare tubes, a battery charger, swimsuit, camera, bug and bear spray!
What type of bike / A bicycle with at least 2.2 inch (56 mm) tires is best used for this route.