From the Cardinal Divide parking lot, cross the road and hike a short distance up the hill to the east.
After 1.3 km, you’ll reach the ridge where you can look north over the Cheviot mine site and down the McLeod River valley. To the east, McKenzie Gap opens out onto the plains. To the west, Tripoli Ridge and Cheviot and Prospect mountains form the western barrier to the mine in the south and west. Rocky (Cardinal) Pass leads to Jasper National Park. The Cardinal River headwaters lie between Tripoli Ridge and Jasper.
The small rocks on the ridge provide essential shelter for tiny and fragile alpine flowers. Please don’t use them to build personal cairns.
Continue another 2.5 km along the ridge for to its highest point (2,220 metres), then return the same way.