Kicked it again and then spit me out. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until September. The trail includes several waterfalls, numerous creeks, many glaciers, alpine lakes and of course the famous Rockwall itself. The Rockwall Trail, located in British Columbia, Canada, is nestled within the Canadian Rockies, and is a hiking wonderland full of glaciers, meadows, forests, waterfalls and alpine passes. The last descent to the lake is easy and very rewarding!! A lot of people make it seem incredibly difficult. This is one of several parts that you'll be thankful for walking from north to south as everything is magically placed right in front of you. Easy going start, shortly after starting you reach the ochre beds- beautiful colours and some good history here! I'm sure 50 folks will now say "i've done it no problem" but my point is prepare to take some time and be careful if it's raining or recently rained (2nd time i've done the Rockwall). are following in their forefathers footsteps. not much I can add that others haven't mentioned. Bug spray did not help. The trail includes several waterfalls, numerous creeks, many glaciers, alpine lakes Eventually you come across two amazing waterfalls and then cross a larger river on a fallen tree made into a bridge! This is not a climb i'd want to do in the rain. (Wowza!). Wind at Floe was harsh and as a result bugs were held kind of in check. 1-877-RESERVE (1-877-737-3783). Safe, sound and stoked! You can also hike in mid-July and late September, but there is usually a bit of snow. Just after the helmet creek/ ochre junction campground you start going up, almost all elevation is here, then flattens back out. That way, when you finish, you can get straight into your vehicle and drive off without the worry of having to find a lift when Trail Rankings #1 in Kootenay National Park #45 in British Columbia #3,461 Overall. After crossing the bridge over the Kootenay River, you'll emerge into wide open areas where ochre, a red substance, can I would recommend hiking poles and a tarp (came in handy over our picnic table while it rained). The Rockwall Trail is a 55 km trip traversing three alpine passes so we figured we would make it a five day, four night outing in order to take it easy and have some time along the trail for some side trips. It’s a 3 – 5 day tough backpacking/hiking trip covering 55 km (34 miles) one way. Nice steady climb up to the most breathtaking view imaginable. A few years ago, during one of my trips to Scotland, I bought my first DSLR and my adventure with photography began. You first reach the bear lockers/ cook site, then cross the creek to the camp! http://reservation.pc.gc.ca Many take the trail south to north as the sun is behind you for better photos, but Floe Lake makes for a great reward on your last night. Eat and drink your way through historic Victoria on a gourmet walking tour that explores the city’s key sites. The plan was to enter on the Floe Creek Trail and exit from the Helmet Creek Trail, where we would leave a vehicle at each end. You walk beside a spectacular Rockwall, going over 3 epic passes: Numa Pass, Tumbling Pass and Rockwall Pass. This was 10.75 km in 4 hours 10 mins. When I am not stuck to my computer editing photos, you can Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. I sleep cold and i was cold. A bit of snow around Wolverine Pass but otherwise the trail was fine! Make sure you have comfy boots is all I would say! Sep 22-26 (4 nights and 5 days) It got super windy and cold and we didn’t stay up there long. Not recommending, just noting. After reading the reviews, I was very concerned about my level of fitness for this trail. We did 3 nights, Paint Pots to Helmet Falls, skipping Tumbling and going to Numa and then Floe. The constant, relentless elevation change will make your knees suffer, but the reward you will get for it is worth every pain. we both stopped. Would recommend getting into the Floe Lake campsite early to secure your tent pad. 20km with 3 peaks and 3 descents which was a little killer on the knees. been at the bottom of. The trail then descends into a sparse forest adjacent alpine tarns, before the roughly 200-m climb up Rockwall Pass begins. Paint Pots to Helmet Falls is boring so is Floe Lake to the Trailhead, but the middle section between Helmet and Floe makes up for it. Windy at some portions. All the decline happens right at the beginning with steep switchbacks and lots of logs/ fallen trees to cross over. See the trail on google maps and google earth. you arrive at the most scenic campsite of the entire trail. In 2003 it was devastated in one of the most widespread forest fires in the Canadian Rockies. you're smelly, have no energy, and just want a decent meal. The Rockwall is a 36.7 mile lightly trafficked point-to-point trail located near Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada that features a lake and is rated as difficult. The distance between the trailheads is 13km (8mi) or a 10 minute drive. Take the short walk off trail up to view the pass, it’s pretty! Fishing was very slow, but scenery was amazing. I had the camp site to myself, despite one other booking in system. Around 30 km of the trail is right alongside the western The bugs (mosquitoes, horseflies, deer flies, ticks) are bad in July but are mostly gone by September. Day 3: Tumbling creek to Numa creek The other is to hitchhike. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. After spending a magical afternoon and night at Floe, headed out on day four on a steady decline 10km to the parking lot. Backpacking in Kootenay National Park. We went July 26-29 and the weather was PERFECT. After the second water fall it’s a little steeper uphill but not bad! If you have the luxury of time or that still seems too challenging then consider doing 4 nights/5 days. This 54.0 km trail is one of the most popular backpacks in the Canadian Rockies, and for good reason, it’s stunning. We were planning to stay a third night at Helmet Falls, but smoke from the US wildfires rolled in, so we decided to hightail it out. We did one night at Floe Lake, which was absolutely gorgeous, and one night at Tumbling Creek. You'll be rewarded with the usual magnificent views of backcountry hiking The multi coloured Paint Pots are quite Stay warm! Also the views from Ball Pass are great, you're looking right into a glacier, feels you can almost reach out and touch it. It's 1km away from the base of the falls which is an extra night was cold but not below freezing. Due to the elevation changes between campsites, the Rockwall Trail is one of the harder multi-day hikes in the Canadian Rockies. All in all a fantastic single track run! Ranking among the premier scenic and wildflower backpacks in the Canadian Rockies, the Rockwall Trail offers abundant opportunities for photographers and seasonal delights for wildflower and larch viewing. 4th day Numa to Floe. Elevation: 475m gain to Rockwall Pass, 350m loss to Tumbling Creek. The climb out of Numa is nicer, more gradual than Tumbling but it's a long, long grind. Once we reached the last bit of the rocky portion of the pass, we couldn’t even look back to see the views because a heavy cloud/ snow had rolled in. I met the black bear face to face in 5~6m. However not all was lost. There is some dead fall on the trail and overgrowth is common but the trail is in overall good condition, the campsites are clean and tent pads are maintained, and the views are gorgeous. Packed with wow factors this trail is also one of the harder multi-day hikes. We found the trail quite easy to follow, with the exception of leaving Tumbling Creek. If you leave early from the Numa creek, you will have the The Rockwall Trail is a 34 mile-long (55 km) thru-hiking trail which includes three stunning alpine passes, massive glaciers, sparkling alpine lakes and waterfalls to boot. View detailed trail descriptions, trail maps, reviews, photos, trail itineraries, directions and more on TrailLink. In every other guide I've come across it's been said you should go South to North , starting at the Floe lake trailhead and finishing at the Point Pots. Definitely would do again. Reservations are mandatory all summer long. Throughout 2020 there will be many ways to celebrate including events and activities for everyone to enjoy. Just came out from Paint Pots after hiking the whole trail in 3 days/2 nights. About 30 min from Helmet, coming up from Paint Pots, a wasps nest is apparently there and was stung multiple times. Definitely do this hike late August or September to get all the colours! There is an incredible cooking area on a peninsula surrounded by rock beaches and the lake. Plenty of places to get fresh glacier water for filtering. Just a short descent through meadows and sparse forest until Great trail. We are blessed with a world class playground. NOTE: I would STRONGLY recommend doing this trail travelling from Floe Lake north to the rockwall as you get easier sections of hiking and not as many difficult pass ascents in a day. I arrived around at 6pm with a permit and still couldn’t find a spot for my tent. Think i would have had condensation problems at this site no matter what. Would highly recommend! If you want to Remember to smile and look The bugs were a non-issue at Helmet and Numa but relentless at Floe! When you cross the bridge at the Vermilion River you're 0.5km from the Park at Floe Lake Trailhead (south end of trail) and walk or bike (or use a second car) to get to the Paint Pots Trailhead (about 13 km). Conditions on Hawk Creek trail on other side of highway bad as usual, seems this is one of last trails park service hits.