Cadomin Areas to Dry Camp

[Mad Outy Max]

hey troops, we are looking to make our first trip to Cadomin and i keep hearing camp here, no its closed, camp here, no not there cant go over the divide the road is washed out, where is the best place to camp??? We will be coming down the Robb Highway then turning onto Pembina River Road ( i keep hearing its the best route ) then on to grave flats area, but its a large area. Where will be a premium spot to camp? any markers or signs on a map to look for, any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[1901306708]

Its a pretty popular area. some camping spots around grave flats. from there take a right and it brings you down along the river. lots of places down there. some low spots that can be real fun to get out of if it starts raining though.

lots of douches. pick your spot wisely.

 

[MADKAWI]

hey troops, we are looking to make our first trip to Cadomin and i keep hearing camp here, no its closed, camp here, no not there cant go over the divide the road is washed out, where is the best place to camp??? We will be coming down the Robb Highway then turning onto Pembina River Road ( i keep hearing its the best route ) then on to grave flats area, but its a large area. Where will be a premium spot to camp? any markers or signs on a map to look for, any help would be appreciated. Thanks

grave flats is nice and just past there heading twards ruby falls trail there are more spots on right and left. Some along river at trail head. Mountain road so take that into consideration if hauler huge camper.
road over divide is washed out however there r two campsites along the way just over the divide. One is by the trailhead to box canyon ( cardinal headwaters trail) the other is further past just before wash out n is a bit muddy going in.

Hope that helps.

 

[Mad Outy Max]

Thanks Kawai, I have a 34 foot trailer what's probably the safest spot to camp in, will be coming in from the east? safe being easy to get in and out.

Sent from my Venue 8 Pro 5830 using Tapatalk

 

[Mad Outy Max]

We are looking to come down highway 40 to Cadomin, recommendations??? We want to be able to get that beast out.

 

[MADKAWI]

Thanks Kawai, I have a 34 foot trailer what's probably the safest spot to camp in, will be coming in from the east? safe being easy to get in and out.

Sent from my Venue 8 Pro 5830 using Tapatalk

Sorry i just noticed your post.

Did you end up going to Cadomin?

 

[Lem Lamb]

I'm not sure if he went out there yet, but the Pembina Rd is very wash board-y as I traveled it from end to end last week.
It will take you about an hour + of travel time if you like your RV, 14 to 20 rough sections and rumble-pounds, Ha.

If your packing heavy, then you will float over it like nothing.

I'm not sure if the MD or County/ Oil-Company is planning on a road-grader clean-up or not. One would think it will happen at some point.

Pal Lem

 

[MADKAWI]

I'm not sure if he went out there yet, but the Pembina Rd is very wash board-y as I traveled it from end to end last week.
It will take you about an hour + of travel time if you like your RV, 14 to 20 rough sections and rumble-pounds, Ha.

If your packing heavy, then you will float over it like nothing.

I'm not sure if the MD or County/ Oil-Company is planning on a road-grader clean-up or not. One would think it will happen at some point.

Pal Lem

Yes it can be rough! And they do grade it from time to time. I know the section from grave Flats to about the third bridge on the pr road... I walked from Ruby Falls one time to that third Bridge...
Let that sink in... It's 56km to that point... My feet were raw...took me 15 hrs of straight walking.
Anyway thats another story lol.

 

[Mad Outy Max]

Gents did not make it to Cadomin last year, we are re-schedulled for this year August Long, really looking forward to it, have been looking at maps for camping, any recommendations on current conditions and best spot to camp? Could use the help for a newb to the area.

 

[MADKAWI]

Gents did not make it to Cadomin last year, we are re-schedulled for this year August Long, really looking forward to it, have been looking at maps for camping, any recommendations on current conditions and best spot to camp? Could use the help for a newb to the area.

you could camp right close to the Cadomin townsite and then just quad up through Cadomin along the mine Haul road. Or you could travel up the same road with your truck and trailer and go up to the cardinal divide and over, down the switchbacks and that will take you out to the box Canyon ( Cardinal headwaters Trail). There's a few spots the camp in there although it's not really huge. You can continue on down the road and there's one other spot to camp that right beside to the river. You could probably fit three or four campers in there but there is one little muddy hole to get through. Pretty sure it has a hard bottom and it's only 50 yards off the main road. The problem with camping at those two spots is if you show up and somebody else is there that means you're turning around and heading all the way back to Gaddam because there's nowhere else to really camp.
Actually there is one other place to camp on the left side just past the coal mine and before you get to the cardinal divide. I used to camp there for four days at a time when I worked at the mine because it was only a five minute drive away. I actually almost never see anybody camped there but it's a nice spot and there's a quad trail about a two minute drive away right beside the mine. "Powerhouse Creek Trail".

The other alternative is to take the PR road and go towards gray flats which is beautiful camping and close to the Ruby Falls Trail. There's lots of camping places there that gray flats and if for some reason it is full you can just travel down the road towards Ruby Falls Trail and there's another huge field on the right-hand side in there and if it's for some reason full you can Camp raid at Ruby Falls Trail. The chances of all those areas being completely full is slim to none and you'll be able to find a spot somewhere. There's random camping all along that road all the way to box canyon but the road washed out years ago she can't drive the camper all the way however there are many many spots to camp but you were really out there especially coming from as far away as you are. I know a way to get from the cardinal divide all the way to Ruby Falls without doing hardly any road riding just trails. But you really have to know where you're going so I'll have to ride it and GPS it.
Anyway I hope I didn't make this too complicated and if you have any questions just ask I know that area very very well.

 

[Mad Outy Max]

Very nice Madkawi, I appreciate the help and we really want to ride it August long weather pending lol. Thanks I will PM you with some more questions soon.

 

[MADKAWI]

Very nice Madkawi, I appreciate the help and we really want to ride it August long weather pending lol. Thanks I will PM you with some more questions soon.

A year old post but did you go camping there? I was just there a few nights ago. Did a big loop and crossed the washout with my truck lol. I'd say I was the first guy to do it in a full size truck since I had to pry the barricade over a few inches to get buy.

I smoothed out the washout with a shovel and pic Spring of 2016 in hopes people would start using it to keep them ftom crossing the river. Looks like it worked. It was 1:00AM and I had a choice to turn back and drive ALL the way back the way I came. ( I just hate turning back) So I walked the washout and could hear rocks trickling down the bank. Cleared a few big rocks out and crossed my fingers. Prepared to roll my truck but 4 low and went slow and it climbed the bank no problem.

Headed up over the divide n back to town.

I put on over 200km's from Hinton to Grave Flats and back to town. Picked up any garbage I saw on my travels. Was BLOWN AWAY to see that litterally EVERY random campsite was spotless. NOT just in that area but the ones near Hinton. All the garbage I found was just one camper tire that blew on pr road and a few old drums from the 50's probably.

Glad to see people are getting it and cleaning up their campsites.

P.S PR road is like HWY 16 right now.

 

[WCVanHorne]

So is the washout now passable with an average, high clearance 4x4? E.G. stock suspension 4runner? Some photos from a few years back made it look pretty dodgy and/or entail crossing the water.

 

[WCVanHorne]

Ok maybe it was only last year. This is the last photo I saw:

 

[gerrit]

Has anyone ever camped in the old campground on the grave flats road we have always wanted to .my dad camped in there in the 70s . I've herd the natives have Givin some trouble if ur in there.

 

[gerrit]

I've got a pic like that from last year lol

 

[f150truck]

Has anyone ever camped in the old campground on the grave flats road we have always wanted to .my dad camped in there in the 70s . I've herd the natives have Givin some trouble if ur in there.

That old campground is now Alexis Cardinal River Reserve land.

Here is a link to a map

http://aep.alberta.ca/recreation-public-use/recreation-on-public-land/public-land-use-zones/documents/CoalBranchPLUZ-SouthMap-Mar2017.pdf

Also AB

 

[MADKAWI]

Has anyone ever camped in the old campground on the grave flats road we have always wanted to .my dad camped in there in the 70s . I've herd the natives have Givin some trouble if ur in there.

I've seen people camp in there lots. Not sure how the Natives feel about it? Call Alexis Reserve and see what they say.

 

[MADKAWI]

So is the washout now passable with an average, high clearance 4x4? E.G. stock suspension 4runner? Some photos from a few years back made it look pretty dodgy and/or entail crossing the water.

just crossed it with a full size truck. I smoothed the edges out last spring so that people could pass there rather than drive through the creek.
The quads n sxs's were using it bit last summer and now it's smoothed out dome more but still a bit sketchy. If you're a good off roader and know your roll over limits it may be doable. We did it in a jeep and I just did it in the truck.
At the Teck trails meeting that wash out was brought up and Many concerned residents of Cadomin want it fix incase there is a forrest fire. With out it they are stuck in Cadomin with no way out.
Hopefully the mine will step up and send some big rock thereto fill in the wash out. The gov claims it would cost millions of dollers ( rolling eyes now)....

 

[Apocalypse]

I was just down in this area for a few nights last summer. I've been going down here for about 6 years now. I'll try and give a few tips for new people coming out.

1) Camping around the Ruby Creek kiosk can be VERY busy. With this comes the stereotypical douche bags. You can usually spot them from a mile away in their RZR's. I refuse to go down there with my trailer.

2) Yes the road is still washed out after the Cardinal divide. I think it's about 7km passed it. You can easily get through on an off-road vehicle.

3) Getting to a good, free, camping spot at a trail head. After Robb on hwy 47 you will come to a Y in the road. To the RIGHT you head towards Cadomin down the gravel road. Now this road sucks, it's never been good in all the time I've been down there. I haul my trailer ~22km down the gravel road and camp. It's the MacKenzie Creek trail head. You can't miss it. Look on your right hand side, you'll see a big cross close to the side of the road. The train tracks are next to the road on the left hand side. This trail will take you allllll the way down to the PR road, ~5km North of the Ruby Creek kiosk. Plan your trip for a 6hr ride, and bring a spare gallon of gas just in case! You will need to ride the PR road North back to camp ~70km.

4) Riding to Ruby Falls. This is a VERY rough and rocky trip through a riverbed. If you want to ride it, truck your ATV to the kiosk and offload. On your way back try out the Western leg back. It's very challenging. You might get a bit lost and notice the trail is gone. Keep looking and you just might see it down a hill towards a creek. I don't know why we seem to lose the trail whenever we come down that way.

5) There's a trail head south of Cadomin, through the mining area just South of the graveyard. After you go through the 2nd tunnel you will see a chain link fence that has an area blocked off to your left. There's room for a few vehicles to offload ATV's and head out. I've never been on this trail, but I believe it does head into the MacKenzie Creek trail.

6) There are lots of random trails around the ~11km mark from the Y in the road around the McLeod river bridge. Forestry cut lines, power line cut lines, etc.

If you have any other questions, I'll try to answer them!