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Shared itinerary · Kootenay National Park, British Columbia

Rockwall Trail in 4 days

The Rockwall Trail in four days through Kootenay National Park, under a limestone wall up to 900 m high: Floe Lake and its ice floes, Numa and Tumbling passes, a side trip to Wolverine Pass and the meadows of Rockwall Pass, then Helmet Falls and the ochre beds of the Paint Pots. 11 stops with times and notes. It ends at a different trailhead on Highway 93, so leave a car at the Paint Pots, and book the campgrounds early.

Updated

Distance

56.2 km

Floe Lake Trailhead → Marble Canyon

Days

4

Stops

11

Each day of Rockwall Trail in 4 days: route, stops and distance
DayRouteStopsDistance
Day 1Floe Lake Trailhead to Floe Lake28.4 km
Day 2Numa Pass to Tumbling Creek315.6 km
Day 3Wolverine Pass to Helmet Falls Campground311.0 km
Day 4Helmet Falls to Marble Canyon321.2 km

Day 1: Floe Lake Trailhead to Floe Lake

8.4 km

Floe Lake trailhead to Floe Lake: 10.5 km and 700 m of climbing through the burn of 2003.

  1. 09:00

    Floe Lake Trailhead

    Sight

    A bridge over the Vermilion River, then the long climb begins. There is little shade until the lake.

    8.4 km · 4h 30m walk to next

  2. 14:00

    Floe Lake

    Stay

    The campground on a lake under the Rockwall, with ice floes off the glacier into summer. Watch the wall light up at sunset.

Day 2: Numa Pass to Tumbling Creek

15.6 km

Over Numa Pass, the high point, down to Numa Creek, then up over Tumbling Pass and down to Tumbling Creek, about 16 km.

  1. 09:30

    Numa Pass

    Park & nature

    The trail’s high point at 2,355 m, looking back over Floe Lake.

    6.4 km · 2h walk to next

  2. 12:15

    Numa Creek

    Park & nature

    The campground where the trail crosses Numa Creek, low in the trees. Lunch before the climb to Tumbling Pass.

    6.4 km · 3h 30m walk to next

  3. 16:30

    Tumbling Creek

    Stay

    A campground by the creek below Tumbling Glacier, after the meadows of Tumbling Pass.

Day 3: Wolverine Pass to Helmet Falls Campground

11.0 km

The best day: a side trip to Wolverine Pass, the long meadows of Rockwall Pass under the wall, then down to Helmet Falls.

  1. 10:00

    Wolverine Pass

    Park & nature

    A short side trip to a gap in the Rockwall that looks west out of the park.

    962 m · 30m walk to next

  2. 11:30

    Rockwall Pass

    Park & nature

    The longest meadow walk on the trail, right under the wall.

    7.7 km · 4h walk to next

  3. 16:15

    Helmet Falls Campground

    Stay

    The campground below Helmet Falls, the last night on the trail.

Day 4: Helmet Falls to Marble Canyon

21.2 km

The falls first, then downhill along Helmet and Ochre creeks to the Paint Pots, about 15 km.

  1. 08:30

    Helmet Falls

    Park & nature

    A short walk up from the camp to the foot of the falls, at 352 m one of the highest in the Rockies.

    15.1 km · 5h walk to next

  2. 14:15

    Paint Pots

    Park & nature

    The ochre beds at the trail’s end, where the Ktunaxa gathered red earth for paint.

    3.9 km · 5m drive to next

  3. 15:15

    Marble Canyon

    Park & nature

    Five minutes north by car: a short trail over a narrow limestone canyon to finish on.