Big Foot Trail Loop

Big Foot Trail (Loop)

1. Difficulty: Easy
2. Warnings: No official warnings. Check Twitter feed for current trail status updates
3. Wheelchair accessible: yes
4. High-clearance 4×4 advised to access trailhead? no
5. Best seasons: spring, summer, fall
6. Distance: 3.64 km / 2.26 mi (full loop)
7. Approx. time: 1hr return (full loop)
8. Elevation gain: minimal
9. Steepest grade: approx. 10-15% in short sections
10. Viewpoints: good views of the Premier Range from Dogwood and Main St. Good views of McKirdy & Rockies to the east and good views of Canoe Mtn to the south.
11. Geocache points: Unknown
12. Gear to bring: For the full loop, bring a small water bottle per person
13. Closest bathroom/outhouse: 3 public washrooms located near this trail (Centennial Park, Valemount Learning Centre & Visitor Info Centre – see map for locations)
14. Cell service? Yes (note: not all cell service providers cover the Valemount area)
15. How to access/where to park: The trail is adjacent to all of 5th Ave, some of Dogwood and some of Main St/Whiskey Fill. A good place to start is the Visitor Info Centre. Park along the road where there is a shoulder (usually across the street from the trail). You can also park at the visitor info centre and walk from there.
16. Best Parts: Very accessible (alongside street with no curbs); good views in all directions. Benches and interpretive signs along the way. The trail passes the playground, downtown, Historic Main St. and the hotel district.
17. Worst Parts: train tracks (train whistle), the sidewalk nature of this trail makes it a bit monotonous due to lack of interesting features.

Trail Description:

The Big Foot Trail is a 3.6km paved trail that is mostly adjacent to local streets. It was completed in 2013. Its intent was to help funnel visitors from the highway and hotel district into downtown and across the tracks to the businesses and organizations (ex. museum, library, legion, bakery) located on Historic Main St and downtown 5th Ave. There are plenty of benches along the way and interpretive signs explaining historical facts. The trail is very popular among locals. It is excellent for wheelchairs, bikes, rollerblades and strollers and, on clear days, offers great views in all directions.

Elevation change profile (metres and km). Click to expand.

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