The Rocky to Nordegg Trail has received international attention after the BBC listed it as one of the five most-anticipated hiking trails for 2026.
The project stretches about 100 kilometres from the hamlet of Nordegg to near the Rocky Mountain House townsite.
According to the latest update from Clearwater County, Phase 4 of the trail will connect Chambers Creek Provincial Recreation Area to the Rocky Mountain House area with about 20 kilometres of trail. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in fall 2026.
The BBC article says the trail “takes hikers past lakes, through dense forests and across the historic, restored Taunton Trestle bridge in the province of Alberta. The route uses a repurposed section of the Canadian Northern Western Railway, allowing visitors to explore a formerly inaccessible swath of wilderness.”
It adds that, as of last fall, roughly half of the new trail — about 50 kilometres from Nordegg at the western end to Jackfish Creek — is open to hikers, cyclists and horseback riders.
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The other four trails named to the list are the King Charles III England Coast Path in England, the Pohorje-Kozjak Trail in Slovenia, the Dongseo Trail in South Korea and the East Mallorca GR-226 in Mallorca.
You can view the full list online.
The Rocky to Nordegg Trail has been named one of five “most anticipated trails for 2026” by the BBC. (Alberta government/provided)
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