Perhaps one of the most recognizable peaks along the Alaska Highway, Mount St. George towers above beautiful Summit Lake in Stone Mountain Provincial Park. The peak is in view from the Summit Lake Campground, rising above the west end of the lake. At about 17 kilometers (10.75 mi) in length, the hike to its prominence is significant, but with only 1,000 feet of elevation gain is manageable for most experienced hikers. Although the option to hike Mount St. George is not on any designated map, once hikers find their way to the Summit Tower Trail, it will be easy to navigate the summit of St. George given the wide open and easy walking in the alpine above Summit Lake.
The trailhead begins at the same location as the Flower Springs Trail. It starts out by following a radio tower service road before coming to a check-in post and sign 2 kilometers from the trailhead. Hikers should continue heading up the service road to the right, and head for the tower upon coming up onto a bench above Summit Lake. Just before the last steep climb to the tower, take a left off the road and head for the base of Mount St. George.
Staying left and heading for the ridge will provide the best option for working your way up to the summit of St. George. Upon leaving the road, hikers will more or less need to follow their own path; however, the alpine terrain is relatively easy to traverse, and staying to the left will ensure one finds the way to the top most efficiently.
After a small drop in elevation from leaving the roadway, hikers will begin to scramble their way to the ridge to the left, which will lead to the first summit and the northernmost tip of Mount St. George. From this point your ultimate objective will be in view across the way, and hikers can continue along the summit ridge to the true summit of Mount St. George. Once there, hikers will be rewarded with expansive views of the MacDonald River Valley to the south, the Flower Springs Lake system to the east, and Summit Lake and the Alaska Highway to the north. Keep an eye out for stone sheep and mountain caribou that often feed in the area.
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