It is possible to ride a mountain bike on roughly 100 miles of the Canol Heritage Trail, from Macmillan Pass to the Twitya River. Many cyclists ride the section from Godlin Lakes to Macmillan Pass, about 60 miles. Since this section still requires some river crossings and the trail is still not easy to follow, it is not recommended for those who are not comfortable with extreme wilderness cycling. For strong cyclists, it is possible to cover up to 30 miles a day. The section of the Canol Heritage Trail from the Twitya River to Norman Wells is too strewn with boulders to be attempted by bicycle.

For most of the year, the Canol Heritage Trail is covered with snow. This begins to change in late June, when the days lengthen and the snow melts. It is not recommended that you attempt the trail until mid-July, as snow runoff in late June and early July makes the rivers extremely difficult to cross. Even in July, you may experience temperatures below freezing, particularly at night. The window for hiking and biking the Canol Heritage Trail closes in early September, as new snow falls more frequently by the middle of that month.

The Canol Heritage Trail is certainly not for anyone who is not prepared to survive in remote wilderness conditions. Three difficult river crossings (and many others of lower difficulty), including one which must crossed by raft, await anyone who attempts the trail. Bears populate the area in and around the trail, so hikers and bikers must use bear-proof containers and/or bear bag their provisions. (Although it should be noted that there are few places along the trail with trees that can be used for bear bagging.) Carrying pepper-spray or other bear repellant devices is also recommended. While some hikers do carry guns protect themselves against bears, most do not. Mosquitos are thick on the lower portions of the trail within 100 miles of Norman Wells, so bring bug spray. While the trail is generally considered to be not difficult to follow, using a compass requires a large amount of correction because of the proximity of magnetic north. Above all, you must be self-sufficient. You are miles from nowhere, and attracting the attention of potential rescuers is a dubious proposition.It should also be noted that if you are rescued, you will have to pick up the tab, which will likely run into the thousands of dollars.

The two ends of the Canol Heritage Trail are Macmillan Pass (often referred to as "Mac Pass") on the border of the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory northeast of Whitehorse, and Norman Wells, Northwest Territories. The trail runs NE/SW between these two points.

Hiking is the most common way to see the Canol Heritage Trail. For experienced wilderness hikers, the trail is fairly easy to follow, particularly where the telephone poles are still intact, as they are on some parts of the trail. In the Summer, with the long hours of daylight, hikers can stay on the trail will have light good enough to follow the trail for fourteen hours a day or more. Strong hikers can cover up to fifteen miles a day on the section of the trail between Macmillan Pass and the Twitya River. From the Twitya River to Norman Wells, however, twelve miles day is about the maximum that can be accomplished. Hikers planning to cover the entire trail should budget at least twenty days for the trip.

Winter travel on the Canol Heritage Trail, either by snowmobile or dogsled, is not recommended. Since 1975, only two groups have succesfully traveled the trail in Winter. Winter travel should not be attempted by anyone not used to extreme winter conditions, and then only with extremely detailed planning and preparation. Those thinking of traveling the trail in winter are strongly urged to reconsider. See the two Trip Reports on Mushing and Snowmobiling the trail to get some idea of the extraordinary difficulties facing those who wish to travel the trail in winter.