Turn east onto Highway 520 from Highway 22 26.9 kilometres south of the junction with Highway 533 or 44.4 kilometres north of the junction with Highway 3.  Drive 3.3 kilometres to a 4-way intersection (this intersection can also be reached by driving Highway 520 west from Claresholm for 42.9 kilometres).  Turn south onto Skyline Road and drive 11.0 kilometres to a junction with Sharples Creek Road coming from the right (this road is an alternate driving approach and can be accessed from further south along Highway 22 near Maycroft).  Continue straight for another 500 metres to reach a T-intersection with an information sign board.  The northern approach to Porcupine Lookout starts from here.  For the southern approach, turn right and drive south along Heath Creek Road for 2.2 kilometres to another junction.  Turn left and drive 150 metres to a Y-junction which is a logical place to park and start hiking.  The left-hand road continues up to the lookout, and with a 4x4 vehicle, it is possible to drive for another kilometre before reaching a locked gate.  A more direct foot trail to the lookout also begins near the Y-junction.  With the exception of the road up to the lookout, all other roads described here are suitable for 2WD vehicles under dry conditions.

Due to an abundance of snow still clinging to the north side of Porcupine Lookout, we decided to forego the northern approach as described in Mike Potter's guidebook, Fire Lookout Hikes in the Canadian Rockies, and Dave McMurray's excellent trip report.  Instead, we drove to the south side of the lookout and simply walked up the access road.  Partway along the road, an Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer drove up behind us in a truck to check if we were poachers hunting illegally in the area.  Marta and Zosia responded by doing the Chicken Dance which elicited an amused smile from the officer.  He promptly left us alone to carry on with his patrol.

The lookout site appeared deserted on this day, but respecting a "no trespassing" sign there, we decided to circumnavigate around the perimeter (I did sneak inside the perimeter briefly to grab a GPS waypoint).  We eventually stopped for a break on a rocky bluff just west of the helipad to the south of the lookout site.  Coincidentally, a helicopter came and landed while we were relaxing on the bluff.  Not wanting to disturb the people unloading the helicopter, we decided to descend the ridge below the bluff.  We soon picked up a good trail which led us without fuss back to the Y-junction where we parked.

	Zosia and Marta dance their way up the road to Porcupine Lookout.
	The group passes a locked gate near the lookout site.
	Porcupine Lookout appears deserted on this day.
	Sonny, Zosia, Marta and Shaun pose on a hoodoo not far from the high point (1818 metres) of Porcupine Lookout which also happens to be the highest point in all of Porcupine Hills.
	Caudron Peak (centre) and Centre Peak (right of centre) are visible through a break in the trees to the southwest. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	The group takes a break on a rocky bluff a little bit to the south of the lookout site. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	The group descends Porcupine Lookout via a footpath.
	Total Distance:  3.1 kilometres Round-Trip Time:  1 hour 55 minutes Net Elevation Gain:  137 metres GPX Data

After returning from Porcupine Lookout, we still had a lot of daylight and energy left and decided to go for a second hike to another high point further to the north which I dub, "Porcupine Hills North".  While it is possible to climb up Porcupine Hills North directly from Highway 22 (starting from a pullout 6.0 kilometres north of the junction with Highway 520 or 20.9 kilometres south of the junction with Highway 533), we opted to make it a longer and more interesting walk by utilizing the popular Porcupine Hills Ridge Trail.  The Rocky Mountain Ramblers also hiked to this same high point in 2015 and 2017, but they used a slightly different approach via Adair Creek.

From the aforementioned 4-way intersection (junction of Highway 520 and Skyline Road), drive north for 3.5 kilometres to a large scenic pullout on the left side of the road.  The hiking route begins on an obvious 4x4 track climbing up the hill to the north.

From the pullout, we followed the 4x4 track and passed through a barbed wire gate near the top of the first hill.  We then followed the scenic Porcupine Hills Ridge Trail until it began to turn west and descend into the valley roughly about two kilometres from the start.  We left the trail here and hopped a barbed wire fence in order to continue north along the ridge.  We soon picked up a fainter trail which runs parallel to another barbed wire fence.  This trail follows the many undulations of the ridge and is mostly in forest until the final rise to the top of Porcupine Hills North.  Upon reaching the very scenic high point, we took a short break before retracing our steps all the way back along the ridge.  Although this trip felt long at times with its many ups and downs, we had very few issues throughout, and the company of good friends made the hike that much more pleasant.

The Porcupine Hills encompass a vast area, and while Zosia and I have now visited several locations including Sand Bluff and Trout Creek Ridge, there is still much for us to explore here.  With a deep snow pack persisting in the main ranges of the Canadian Rockies this year, we may be back sooner than later.

	The group climbs up a 4x4 track at the start of the hike.
	Porcupine Hills Ridge Trail is well-maintained and very scenic.
	Zosia, Shaun and Marta hike the faint trail which follows the crest of the ridge.
	The group passes through a stand of aspen trees on the ridge.
	The forest gives way to rocky bluffs near the top of Porcupine Hills North.
	Sonny climbs onto a hoodoo amongst the rocky bluffs. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Shaun, Zosia, Sonny and Marta dance atop a bluff near the high point (1794 metres) of Porcupine Hills North.

 

	Familiar mountains to the northwest include Coffin Mountain (left), Mount Livingstone (right of centre) and Saddle Mountain (far right).
	Chain Lakes Reservoir is visible to the north.
	The ridge continues north and connects with Trout Creek Ridge at distant right.
	Marta and Zosia start the long walk back to the trailhead.  Porcupine Lookout is visible on the left horizon.
	Total Distance:  9.9 kilometres Round-Trip Time:  3 hours 50 minutes Total Elevation Gain:  ~400 metres GPX Data