Best trails in Kootenay National Park

this was a last minute stop the day i did this hike. since i had downloaded the entire kootenay national park the night before, i figured i’d just stop places that sounded interesting, and figure it out from there. i parked at paint pots and headed toward marble canyon. not long after i started the hike, i didn’t pass or see another person until i got all the way to marble canyon. marble canyon was cool but i didn’t see a point in spending a bunch of time there as it was getting later in the day. the trail from paint pots to marble canyon was virtually flat. i would definitely rate that as easy. since i was there in mid-august there was a number of wildflowers but not an abundance. it’s worth noting that i did see quite a bit of fireweed which makes sense bc there were many signs that this area was affected by a wildfire in the past few years. the benefit i guess is that you get more wildflowers since there is no longer shade from the forest. even though this area had burnt tree debris, it was still enjoyable as it had numerous mountain view’s and much of the trail was in close proximity to the beautiful kootenay river. as i walked back to the paint pots trail i looked at the all trails map of the area and tried to make my own loop to hit the paint pots. as soon as i turned off of the marble canyon portion of the trail, things got weird. kid you not the. sun disappeared and i paused when i walked through a spiderweb. i began to turn back but convinced myself to follow my plan. 30 seconds later i saw a very fresh bear print and we looked to be walking in the same direction. i stopped immediately and walked back to the junction i turned off on! i’m sure it’s evident by looking at my hike details. not sure why i felt relief getting back on the other trail as it wasn’t bear proof but i’d eventually run into people! i made my way to the paint pots and it was interesting but nothing i’d go out of my way to see. i have to believe on a sunnier day you could take pretty awesome photos there. the mix of blue skies w the deep greens and vibrant browns would be cool! overall easy hike that was just a walk in the woods :)

I mean, you're in Kootenay National Park, this isn't the coolest hike you'll go on, but it is pretty cool to see the top of Sinclair's Canyon, and seeing the falls down below was also nice. Pretty easy hike, buggy though. As others have mentioned start at the canyon end, it makes the waterfall more interesting. I wouldn't bother walking up to the other parking lot after the waterfall. Cool down in the shade before you ascend.

Reading the reviews beforehand was incredibly helpful in deciding to tackle this hike. Following the advice we found, we started off through the forest and opted to take the trail in an anti-clockwise direction—a choice that turned out to be excellent. Along the way, we passed stunning waterfalls and even stumbled upon a cave, which was an unexpected delight. Later, we decided to push ourselves and climb all the way up to the glacier. It was a demanding ascent, but we made it! After reaching the top, we descended and completed the second half of the loop. That portion was much trickier, with lots of loose rocks—I slipped several times. If I were to do this hike again, I’d stick with the anti-clockwise route and retrace my steps rather than completing the full loop. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Near the glacier, we heard a loud cracking sound—it only happened once, but it was intense and unforgettable. We also ventured off the main trail to climb the glacier itself, which added an extra 5 km to our journey. It was tough going, but totally worth it. Hopefully, this info helps others planning their hike. We arrived around 1 PM and found the parking lot completely full, though we eventually managed to snag a spot. There was a sign warning that parking on the shoulder in Kootenay, BC could result in your vehicle being impounded. I’m not sure how strictly that’s enforced, but I didn’t want to risk it and waited until I found a proper space.

This trail is easy in terms of length but does feature uphill hiking and stairs. The canyon was super cool and the interpretive signs were very informative. The area wasn't too busy later in the afternoon. Easy enough to tack onto other activities or hikes in this part of Kootenay - highly recommend a stop here if you're in the area!

Beautiful trail in Kootenay and a perfect fall hike. Took us around 7hrs

Always a beautiful hike along the Kootenay river in spring ice melt season! Stopped to dip feet in the water and have a trail side lunch. Highly recommend this trail to everyone.