Kakwa falls July 2020 (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Jon Tomas

Jon Tomas

Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Threads
7
Messages
89
After talking about it for years, Emma and I are going to Kakwa Falls this summer.

I have taken July 2-3 off work and Emma is done school things on June 29th. So our current plan is to do the trip from July 1-3, then stay with friends Chris (keys down elevator shaft guy) and Breanne at Gregg lake July 4-5, which is 30 minutes north of Hinton to do some fishing and hammock-ing.

You are all invited to join us. We will be accessing it by driving pretty much to Grand Prarie then heading south on the two lakes road...I think. I’ve heard rumour of other ways to access the area starting from Grand Cache but that will take some exploring first.
I have no idea what is involved with getting to Kakwa. I’ve heard it was a road at one point but is now a bunch of giant pot holes and a few river crossings. I can give no suggestion as what kind of vehicle capabilities you should have, but I would not be surprised if water levels were high so maybe check your axle seals and don’t be pissed off at me if you get water in your cab.

post up if you are interested in joining or have any trail info.
 
I've always wanted to go there. I am tentatively in.
 
I am still working out some BC bike trip plans, but if the timing works would love to jump in on this as well.

Will monitor the thread with anticipation!
 
Last edited:
 
Seems wicked
 
I believe wheeling is the only activity we can schedule this summer, and have to stay in Alberta so I'm in! Finished my big reno project so I'll dive into the cruiser next. Was hoping to run Kakwa this summer anyway so this works out to do it in great company!
 
Awesome, I'm looking forward to getting all together and seeing all my freinds. Lets make this happen, got my cruiser road and offroad ready,

Ibex
 
Glad to see some interest and commitment for this trip.

Since we are coming from all over the province with some greatly varying travel times, we will meet on July 1 at the Pine Valley campground/day use which is just inside two lakes park. It is 140km south of grande Prairie. That way we can sit beside the lake and swat mosquitos while we wait for everyone to arrive.

Group decision once we get there will decide if we camp in the camp ground for the night ($20 cash) or if we move to a different location that may be better suited for our needs. So that means we will have July 2-4 to check out the area, and then we can head home on the 5th. I imagine we will find a clearing of some sort to camp in and stay there for the multiple nights instead of moving around.

I have no idea what to expect in terms of trails we can access except for getting into the falls on one of the days. It sounds like there are quite a few quad trails in the area but we all know how hit and miss those can be. If anyone else has other ideas of places to check out in the area post it up.
 
Great find Peter. Lots of good info there. Now I wonder if I can find more info on how to access that trail to the lower falls.
Perhaps a trip to the local SRD office will be in order if google can’t provide.
 
Jon Tomas said:
how to access that trail to the lower falls
Click to expand...

I pondered the same thing. Google maps satellite view did not answer the question.
Nor did it show any trail based short cuts between Grand Cashe and Twin Lakes camping.
 
This is from my post trying to do this trip last year.

I did have permission to camp a friends acreage south of Grande Prairie, which could be a good meeting point. He has a helicopter too I'll ask him if he has scouted that trail to lower falls.

phoenix60 said:
Kakwa Falls which is south of Grande Prairie. At 30M it is one of the larger falls in Alberta! A beautiful area that I've been to many times in winter on snowmobiles, but never in summer. You are permitted to drive ATV or 4wd vehicles within 1.2km of the falls viewpoint, and then walk from there. There is a day use area at that point. If we had a few hours, which would be nice, then might be able to trek to the bottom of the falls as well. Random camping is permitted, and there are 2 larger staging areas at the start of the trail. The last Sasquatch sighting was sometime in the 70's so who knows what could happen!

Some area info with link to the trail map.
Alberta Parks Kakwa WPP Recreation

Explore Kakwa Wildland Park
Click to expand...
 
Looking in my back road map book for northern Alberta, the nose mtn ohv trails connects between km 120 of the two lakes road and the nose lake Rec area (accessible from the grand cache side.

from there we follow 2 roads (Nose ridge road, and chicken run road) and we end up in the kakwa River drainage, this time below the falls. And according to the map in the link you posted above, It specified an atv trail following the river to the lower falls.

so perhaps it’s do able. But doing so legally while using ohv trails and driving down a river bed may be the next trick.
Have fun squinting to look at my pictures of a picture

image.jpg


image.jpg
 
Are those designated 'OHV' only use trails inside of a Public land Use Zone? Are they inside of a Park or Wildland Area? If "no" is the answer to all those questions, then 4x4's are legally permitted to use any trails outside of a PLUZ, Park, or Wild Land, as I understand it.
 
The falls on within a Wildland area. The nose mtn ohv trails are not.

It is on the Alberta park’s web pages that only ohv and 4x4 travel is recommended into the upper falls. According to this map the trail into both falls is designated as a “truck trail”

So, far as I can comprehend, this means that 4x4s are allowed on the trails into both falls, within the Wildland area.

This map does not speak to if we are allowed to access the nose mtn ohv trails, but as you said above, they are not in a park of any sort, so we should be able to use them.


1F00F36D-DF89-43E5-825E-5A9B59D9EF40.png
 
I just got off the phone with some lovely ladies at the Grande Prairie SRD office.

They confirmed that we are allowed to access the upper falls with no issues but that we will need a high clearance 4x4 so everyone be sure to bring one of those. She also said the road has lots of rocks and pot holes so it may be uncomfortable to drive on.

She confirmed that she has seen a trail into the lower falls On maps and that trucks are allowed to use it. But she has never heard of anyone going in that way.

She also confirmed that we are allowed to use any trail we want on crown land with trucks including the nose mtn ohv trail system.

Apparently the water level peaks mid June and then begin to drop quickly and the beginning of July is when they recommend people head out to the falls.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom