Though the true summit of Mt Fernie isn’t visible from town, it’s southern ridge striped with verdant avalanche slopes makes up an iconic piece of Fernie’s surrounding mountainscape. Situated to the left of the Three Sisters, this high mountain ridge makes for an excellent local hike, and for an excellent viewpoint down across the Elk Valley at Castle Mountain and the Lizard Range as back towards other iconic peaks the Three Sisters and Mt Proctor.
Like most Fernie hikes, the hike up Mt Fernie Ridge is a bit of a grind. The hike gains almost 800m through the woods, only revealing spectacular views in the last 100m or so. Near the top of the Mt Fernie Ridge hike is some mild scrambling, but nothing more than most hikers should be able to handle. All in all, if you’re looking for one of the best hikes in Fernie then the trek up Mt Fernie Ridge should be high on your list.
Continue reading this blog post for everything you need to know to experience the Mt Fernie Ridge hike near Fernie for yourself, including distance, elevation gain, how to get there, the best time to visit, and lots of photos of my experience.
The true summit of Mt Fernie is visible in the distance, and is not hikeable. The end of the Mt Fernie Ridge hike is the dip along the ridge in the foreground. Also visible in this photo is the Lizard Range at left, with Mama Bear, Baby Bear, and Papa Bear visible in the distance. At the base of Papa Bear is Spineback Ridge.
When hiking it’s important to avoid harmful practices such as disturbing plants or rock-stacking, or removing any natural object from flowers to rocks, as it’s important to leave the environment as natural as possible for the animals and for fellow hikers to enjoy in perpetuity. As many flowers as there are, there are few enough that if we all took one, then there wouldn’t be any left. Take only photos, leave only footprints.
If you haven’t heard of Leave No Trace principles, they’re also really essential to read up on before heading anywhere into the outdoors in general. Following these important principles basically means doing your best to leave beautiful places like Mt Fernie Ridge as good (if not better) than you found them, both for their preservation and for the enjoyment of other visitors.
Looking across the Elk Valley and over Fernie. Behind Fernie on the left is Fernie Ridge (Yes, there is a Fernie Ridge and a Mt Fernie Ridge across the valley from each other). On the right is Morrissey Ridge, which is where the Castle Mountain hike is.
Mt Fernie Ridge Round Trip Details
Distance: 8.7 KM / 5.4 MI
Elevation Gain: 933 M / 3061 FT
Hiking Time: 4-5 HRS
Hiking & Safety Tips
- Prepare for the possibility of wildlife encounters. Bear spray is a must whenever travelling in bear country, as well as learning how to use it. Though your chance of an aggressive bear encounter is low, it is always better to be prepared with bear spray. Bear bells are proven to be an ineffective bear deterrent, and are actively discouraged by Parks Canada. The best way to let bears know you’re around is simply to use your voice. Make sure to keep a respectful distance from wildlife and never feed the animals. It may seem kind but it doesn’t just kill wildlife and put people in danger, it’s also in many cases illegal.
- Research current trail conditions and make sure you are well-informed about the route before you leave, and assess if it is within your capability. Be aware of what time it gets dark and check the weather forecast. Make sure to tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return. Every year as more and more people try hiking for the first time, the number of rescues goes up. Being prepared is the best defense.
- Pack everything you need for a successful hike, including enough water and energy-rich snacks. Remember to pack out everything you pack in though – don’t expect to find a convenient garbage can halfway up the trail. Bring appropriate layers (remember you’ll warm up once you start hiking) and sun protection. Hiking poles may be helpful but are not required. In addition to not leaving any garbage on the trail yourself, I highly recommend bringing a garbage bag and collecting any trash that you do see on the trail. You’re guaranteed to make the hike up Mt Fernie Ridge a more enjoyable experience for the next person.
How to Get to Mt Fernie Ridge Trailhead
Like many Fernie hikes, the start of the walk up Mt Fernie Ridge is only about five minutes from downtown Fernie. From downtown Fernie, drive north and cross the bridge over the Elk River. Take the first left onto Canyon Trail. After a kilometre of driving straight along the road you’ll reach its end and a yellow gate. Park on the side of the road without blocking any driveways and begin the hike up Mt Fernie Ridge.
Click here to open the exact trailhead location in Google Maps.
Hiking Mt Fernie Ridge
Parked at the end of Canyon Road and continuing past the gate. Make sure not to block any local driveways while parking. This is 300m from the official trailhead but for all intents and purposes is the start of the hike.
After a couple minutes turn right onto Fairy Creek Road. The official trailhead will be on the left a moment later.
This is taken a couple meters from the signed trailhead. All the large flat leaves along the side of the trail are thimbleberry bushes, which continue up alongside the trail almost the entire hike.
A close-up of some of the delicious thimbleberries that crowd the sides of the Mt Fernie Ridge trail. Many of them near the start of the trail were ripe and juicy in late July when I hiked.
After about 1km of fairly flat trail, it switchbacks to the right and begins gaining elevation.
Most of the Mt Fernie Ridge trail is pretty unscenic as it climbs steeply up the ridge, but the forest is still pretty and there are lots of delicious berries to snack on along the way.
After gaining almost 500m of elevation a small bench makes for a scenic place to stop and rest.
Views of the iconic Three Sisters as well as Mt Proctor, both of which are also fantastic Fernie hikes.
The trail continues to switchback up past the viewpoint but the trees quickly start to thin out revealing further views.
The trail crosses four or five grassy steep avalanche chutes before ducking into the trees. Watch your step particularly while crossing the first chute, as the trail is a little bit eroded in one very short section that can easily be stepped over.
The trail gains elevation until there are constant scenic views above the trees. This part of the Mt Fernie Ridge hike is the most fun.
The trail gets increasingly rocky near the top.
There are two short and easy scrambling sections before reaching the summit. The route to take to reach the trail above is pretty obvious on the first section. Trend to the left on the second scrambling section to reach the summit.
The trail continues to the left just above the final scrambling section. Note the signpost and the bench on the crest of the ridge just ahead of me.
A second bench just a little higher up offers incredible views on either side of Mt Fernie Ridge.
Recommended Hiking Gear
Water is a must whenever I’m hiking, especially if the sun is going to be out. My favourite water filter I’ve used is the Katadyn BeFree 0.6L, which unlike other water filters I’ve used packs up really small and lightweight. For hikes where I know there won’t be any readily available water sources along the way, I make sure to bring my own. The Hydrapak Stow 1L bottle is my go-to, for the same reason that it’s made of a soft plastic that folds up and doesn’t take up any more extra space than necessary in my pack. Finally, Aquatabs are another great option for purifying water, with one tablet being suitable for one litre of water. I previously used the Grayl water filter while travelling internationally, and though I found its hard body more convenient for day to day use and easier to drink from, it has a little too much bulk for my fast-and-light style of hiking.
The secret to all my photos of gorgeous sunset and sunrise mountaintop views? A lot of hiking in the dark. And let me speak from personal experience when I say that the last thing that you want to happen when hiking is to be caught in the dark without a headlamp. I used the Black Diamond Spot 400 for years and it worked great – until I lost it on top of a mountain somewhere. The only downside to it was having to worry about the batteries dying, though there’s also a slightly more expensive version that has a rechargeable battery. Nowadays I’m using the Petzl Actik Core, which is a bit pricier than the more budget-friendly Black Diamond, but is also brighter, more comfortable (in my opinion), and has a hybrid power system that is rechargeable but can also take AAA batteries if needed.
You won’t see me using trekking poles on shorter hikes often – but on long hikes and backpacking trips, as well as certain scrambles, they are an absolute lifesaver. I’ve invested in a high quality ultra-lightweight pair of MSR DynaLock Ascent carbon poles which, while pricey, I don’t regret one bit. If you’re not entirely sure how much use you’re going to get out of a pair of trekking poles, the best budget-friendly option would be the Trekology Trek Z 2.0. Amazon does sell a lot of cheaper Made in China-style trekking poles for cheaper, but these usually are much much heavier and not worth buying.
All the best and most long-lasting cables and power banks I’ve ever owned have been Anker. I once had a phone cable from them that lasted me over three years of daily use! That’s why I keep an Anker PowerCore Essential 20K power bank on me. Like many people I use my phone for a lot of stuff when hiking (checking in with family, using online maps, taking photos, flying my drone) so I like to be prepared for that low battery warning by having a backup power source on me just in case.
The only socks I ever buy for myself are from Darn Tough, and I almost always make sure to wear them when hiking. After years of having no problems only wearing these comfortable and rugged socks for hikes, I accidentally wore a pair of no-name socks on a hike last year and ended up with blisters on both feet. Safe to say I’m back to sticking with the Darn Tough. And the best part? They have a lifetime guarantee, meaning that if they ever wear out you can send them back for a brand new pair. For hiking footwear I go between a pair of lightweight approach shoes for quick and dirty mountain ascents or anything involving scrambling and more heavy-duty boots for longer treks. I’ve worn a couple different versions of the lightweight but super durable Arc’teryx Konseal FL 2 approach shoes for a few years now and am very impressed with the durability. I also really like the thick toecap that keeps me protected every time I stumble into a root or large rock. For longer, tougher, or muddier treks I rely on my LOWA Camino EVO GTX, which I find insanely comfortable and made of very high quality.
I wear my Ar’teryx Gamma Lightweight Pants on every single hike I go on, and on many days when I’m not hiking. After several years of abuse they are still holding together extraordinarily well, with only a few small holes from where I’ve fallen down and some slight stains from being repeatedly coated with mud. They’re lightweight, breathable, and super comfortable. For lightweight and breathable hiking tops I’m a big fan of both the Patagonia Capilene Shirt and the MEC Core Shirt. My Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody shows up in a lot of my photos. It’s super lightweight and packable, and does a great job of cutting the wind while also being pretty breathable. I also have an Arc’teryx Atom Hoody and Arc’teryx Beta LT that I pull out for cooler or wetter conditions.
I hope you enjoyed this guide to hiking Mt Fernie Ridge near Fernie! Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section below or to contact me directly via social media.