Paint Pots to Helmet Falls, overnight and back again. The weather was close to perfect for hiking, temperature in the low teens and mixed sun and cloud. We hiked with our friends and their kids (13 and 10 years old) and this was a great itinerary for them. In the next 2km, you’ll lose about 200m of elevation as you descend through meadows to a creek crossing about 5km from Helmet Falls Campsite. The hike into helmet falls was nothing special as you hike through the forest but the first views of the falls were worth it. The next section of trail is through the forest. In next little while I will post separate sections/photos for these legs, for now couple of teaser photos: Attachment 270264 Eventually, you will break out of the trees into a high subalpine meadow. When I was researching my trip, most of the trip reports I found were from south to north (Floe Lake to Paint Pots). All … We were pretty sore by day 4 so we were grateful to have an easy day ahead. For most hikers, the basic Kootenay National Park hiking map from Parks Canada is all you’ll need. Distance: 8km | Elevation Gain: 340m | Elevation Loss: 700m | Time: 4-5 hours. I saw three young ladies at Helmet falls with snow shoes and I heard they did the best. Create your GDT itinerary with a complete list of all National Park (NP) campgrounds to be used on your trip. If you already have a Parks Canada Discovery annual pass it covers people in the same car and saves you some money if you plan to spend more time in the National Parks. Helmet Ochre Junction Camp via Helmet Falls Trail. Continue along the trail for another half kilometre to a junction at Wolverine Pass. Tumbling Creek - 26 km/29 km Numa Creek - 36 km/ 22 km Floe Lake - 47 km/10 km Ranger huts for emergency shelter at: Floe Lake Wolverine Pass (3 km north of Tumbling Creek campsite) There are two junctions to return to Hwy 93 if you need to bail early: Numa Creek 6.4 km to highway Tumbling Creek 10.5 km to highway There are lots of wildflowers in mid-August here. If you want to camp, Kootenay National Park’s Marble Canyon Campground is a few minutes from the trailheads. Floe Lake to Tumbling Creek Total Distance: 18 km. The 55.6 km trail leads one under 30 km of an almost unbroken wall of limestone cliffs towering 900m (2950 feet) above their base in places. You'll start on a flat stretch, crossing two rivers (w/ bridges) before switchbacking up through burnt stands of timber. Day 3: Helmet creek to Helmet/Orchard Junct. Below are some popular (and beautiful) options: So that’s everything you need to know to hike the Rockwall Trail in Canada’s Kootenay National Park. Rating Trail Condition Comment Links; N.A. The shorter distance today will give us some time to explore. Many people choose to hike the Rockwall Trail in four days. Favourite campsites: Floe Lake and Og Lake. Our plan that year was to complete the entire Rockwall Trail from Marble Canyon to Flow Lake. The Rockwall Trail isn’t actually one trail – it’s a series of trails strung together. So I was eager to explore more of the Rockwall so had booked this as a relatively easy three day trip good for the beginning of the backpacking season. [1-Floe Lake campground] Floe Lake to Tumbling Creek Trail – difficult – 17.4 km (11 mi) – 8 hours ... (1,860 m) at silt-laden Tumbling Creek where the hiker has to cross over a new aluminium bridge to the campground with 18 sites, pit toilet and a food storage pit. The Kootenay National Park includes, both, drive in and wilderness backcountry camping. Lessons learned: This reduces the amount of food you have to carry, but does mean you have a really big day in the middle of the trip. We really enjoyed the shorter hike as we had more time to relax at the 3rd camp, which allows fires. 93 up Floe, Numa, Tumbling or Ochre Creeks. Hikers a head of us seen bears! One of the friends I hiked with also used the Gaia GPS app on his phone instead of a paper map. Our first day starting from Paint Pots was long but not too steep and it was a much easier introduction to the trail than the Floe Lake Trail. Descending through the burned forest from Floe Lake. Amazing scenery, a little bit of everything. My home is in Vancouver but my heart is in the mountains. About 1700 metres of elevation over 2 passes to add extra challenge. [1-Floe Lake campground] Floe Lake to Tumbling Creek Trail – difficult – 17.4 km (11 mi) – 8 hours ... (1,860 m) at silt-laden Tumbling Creek where the hiker has to cross over a new aluminium bridge to the campground with 18 sites, pit toilet and a food storage pit. Have the following information ready to go when you make your Rockwall Trail reservation: If you didn’t get a reservation, all is not lost. print. There are two main trailheads for the Rockwall Trail: Paint Pots and Floe Lake. Our friends (a family of four) did the trail in a four-person tent and it just barely fit on the tent pads. Day 3: Helmet Creek to Helmet Orchard This was the Park Service’s way of indicating that one was not to enter. There are a few costs associated with hiking the Rockwall Trail: wilderness permits, National Park entry passes, and reservation fees. 5,050 feet), 5-3/4 miles. ... Numa Creek to Tumbling Creek (elev. Bridge over the Vermillion River on the Floe Lake Trail. The official trail to Floe Lake ends at Floe Lake Backcountry Campground in Kootenay National Park. I would have given the trail 5 starts but you are locked into a forest hike pretty much all the time. A few minutes later, pass the Helmet Warden Cabin. If you want to take your time and enjoy the scenery, spend 5 days hiking the Rockwall Trail. The best places to check the forecast before your trip are Environment Canada and Mountain-Forecast. 11-12-2020: Construction work in progress; Trail details: Difficult Floe Lake Trail: Winter conditions. National Park entry passes are $10/person/day or $20/day for families or groups in the same car. Numa Creek Camp via Numa Pass Track and Floe Lake Track. Day 2 – Floe Lake to Numa Falls Parking Lot, 17 km, 279 m Elevation Gain, 955 m Elevation Loss, 6 hrs 45 min. The Tumbling creek Trail entrance had been massively blocked by red tape strung between two trees. To get an early start on the trail, it’s best to book accommodation nearby. (But don’t use it on the trail since there’s no cell service and this isn’t a good map for navigation.). 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