Last visited in 1988, Floe Lake attracted me back in 2025 to complete the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia, Canada. An Airbnb apartment in the town of Radium Hot Springs made a perfect base for 8 nights. Carol joined my nephew Ian and I for a panoramic training hike on nearby Stanley Glacier Trail (5.6 miles round trip, 1100 feet up and down) — then she accomplished several quilting projects while Ian and I backpacked. This great escape was just 9 days round trip from Seattle (August 14-22).
Photo gallery “2025 Aug: CANADA: Rockwall, Kootenay NP”
Click “i” to read descriptive Captions. Click the dotted square to scroll a set of thumbnail images. Add any of the above images to your Cart for purchase using my Portfolio site. Photographed on my lightweight, pocketable camera — the 11-ounce Sony RX100 version VI (24–200mm f/2.8-4.5 equivalent lens) — read Tom’s “RX100M6 review.”
Planning in advance on January 27, 2025, I obtained Backcountry Campground slots for summer using Parks Canada’s online lottery. Sadly, popular Floe Lake Campground was fully booked within minutes, forcing alternative routing.
Ian and I backpacked for 28.1 miles over 3 days covering half of the Rockwall Trail, starting from Paint Pots Trailhead to Tumbling Creek Campground, to spectacular Tumbling Pass side trip, to scenic Rockwall Pass, to impressive Helmet Falls, to Helmet Falls Campground, and then out, followed by a full rest day.
We covered the remaining Rockwall Trail as an athletic day-hiking traverse of 17.4 miles (ascending 3750 feet, descending 4000 feet). Starting from Numa Creek Trailhead, we walked up to scenic Numa Pass (7,900 feets elevation), then dropped to dramatic Floe Lake (3,202 feet elevation), then finished at Floe Lake Trailhead. My longest ever hike in a single day was completed with no ill affects on my 68-year-old body, thanks to gradual training over two months using hiking poles and highly-cushioned, well-ventilated Altra Olympus Trail Running Shoes.
Starting from either Helmet Creek Trail (Paint Pots Trailhead) or Floe Lake Trail, the Rockwall Trail traverses 34 miles (54 kilometers) over three alpine passes under glaciers hanging from massive limestone cliffs of the Vermilion Range, towering up to 3,000 feet above. Tumbling Creek and Numa Creek Trails access middle thirds of the Rockwall Trail, creating alternative routes. Hiking season starts about July 10 and is usually snow-free between late July and mid-September. Expect to hike across some snow in mid-July or late September and early October. Expansive larch tree forests turn golden around mid-September. Be aware that portions of the Rockwall Trail have closed frequently — such as for a month in May 2025 due to bear activity; after recent flooding and bridge washouts; during the 2020 rebuilding of Numa Creek Bridge; in August 2017 due to Verdant Creek wildfire; in July 2013 due to Numa Creek fire; and in 2012-14 for the Tumbling Creek bridge washout. By 2024, its trails had all reopened, including the improved Paint Pots Bridge, which we appreciated in 2025.
References
- Good blog: https://happiestoutdoors.ca/rockwall-trail-guide/
- Mountain-Forecast.com for Mount Goodsir — select the forecast for “6562 ft” because Rockwall campgrounds are around 6000 feet elevation and passes 7300-7900 feet.
Our itinerary round trip from Seattle Aug 14-23, 2025
- Thursday, Aug 14, 2025: Carol and Tom depart in late morning via I-90, overnight in Coeur D’Alene or Sandpoint, Idaho.
- Friday, Aug 15: Ian drives from Bellingham via BC’s Coquihalla Highway 5 and Kamloops. Carol, Tom & Ian arrive in Radium Hot Springs.
- Saturday, Aug 16: We walked to the Radium Mountainside Market, a nicely provisioned grocery including fresh baked breads. A short drive reaches the developed pools of Radium Hot Springs, where the entry fee includes locker tokens and hot showers — arrive near opening time for fewer crowds.
- Sunday, Aug 17: Carol, Ian & Tom hike Stanley Glacier Trail 5.6 miles round trip, 1100 feet up and down. Tom originally booked 4 nights for the backpack (first two nights at Tumbling Creek), but 2 nights total were sufficient.
- Monday, Aug 18: Ian & Tom hike from Paint Pots Trailhead for 7.3 mi, 1740′ up, 310′ down to Tumbling Creek Backcountry Campground. The unnumbered sites each had well-defined squares. Food lockers and picnic tables were grouped separately for bear safety. Then we hiked 3.6 miles, 1160 ft up and down from Tumbling Creek Campground to Tumbling Pass 2,233 meters / 7,326 feet elevation. Sleep 1 night at Tumbling Creek Backcountry Campground.
- Tuesday, Aug 19: hike over Rockwall Pass (2230 m / 7316 ft elevation) to Helmet Falls Backcountry Campground (8.0 mi, 1880′ up, 2280′ down). Then Ian enjoyed hiking the Goodsir Pass side trip (5.3 miles round trip, 1600 ft up and down) while Tom rested.
- Wednesday, Aug 20: Hike out from Helmet Falls to Paint Pots TH (9.2 mi, 600 up, 1600 down). En route, we lunched at Helmet Ochre Creek Backcountry Campground (which had been booked for overnight stay but was skipped).
- Thursday, Aug 21: rest day
- Friday, Aug 22: set up a car shuttle with Carol’s help for Ian & Tom to hike the following: traverse 17.4 miles with 3750 feet up, 4000 feet down, from Numa Creek Trailhead > Numa Pass (7,900 feet / 2,408 meters elevation) > Floe Lake (6,634 feet elevation) > Floe Creek > Floe Lake Trailhead. (This traverse beats the round trip from Floe Lake Trailhead to Numa Pass, with 5460′ gain and loss over 15.9 miles.) An easier alternative would have been to hike 12.6 miles round trip to Floe Lake via Floe Creek, 2400 ft up and down (but that skips Numa Pass, a highlight of the Rockwall).
- Saturday Aug 23: T&C drive I-90 back to Seattle. Ian drives via Kamloops to Bellingham.