huckepack

Rockwall Trail

Length

Stated
54.1 km, the stated length (Parks Canada)
Map line
52.8 km, OpenStreetMap along the official track
Used for
The charts on this page, and comparing trails in the search

54.1km

Ascent · descent

This trail
3,405 m up, 3,500 m down
Source
The stated totals (Parks Canada)

3,405m ↑3,500m ↓

Difficulty

What
How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
Scale
Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
Keep in mind
It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
  • Terrain: HardClimbing: 63 m per km
  • Climate: Moderate in Jul–AugCold: 4 °C at night (August)
  • Effort: HardAverage day: ≈ 8 h 30 (an average day over 3 days)

All measures

Terrain: Hard; Climate: Moderate in Jul–Aug; Effort: Hard

Suggested

No stages
No official stages: hikers choose their own camps
Source
Parks Canada

3–5days

Per day

How
The length and the ascent over the suggested 3–5 days: from the most days to the fewest
Source
Parks Canada

10.8–18km· 680–1,140 m ↑
Season

Landscape

Source
ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
  • Forest: 80%
  • Grassland and shrubs: 12%
  • Moss and lichen: 6%
  • Bare rock and sand: 2%
  • Farmland and villages: 0%

Landscape along the route

Mostly Forest

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons by skille and James Heilman; each photo's licence in the gallery

Location

Country
Canada
Regions
British Columbia
Start
Paint Pots trailhead
Finish
Floe Lake trailhead
Route type
Point to point
Permit
Required
Travel hubs
  • Calgary International Airport (YYC)184.6 km by road · 156 min
Protected areas
Kootenay National Park
Managed by
Parks Canada, Kootenay National ParkOfficial website
GPX
GPX trackOur tracing from OpenStreetMap
  • Trail
  • Start
  • Finish
  • Contour lines

Difficulty

Terrain

Rates
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
How
Rated over the whole main route.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Path grade
the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
  1. EasyT1
  2. ModerateT2
  3. DemandingT3
  4. HardT4 to T6
Climbing
the stated ascent over the stated length (else the terrain model's over the map line)
  1. Easyunder 15 m per km
  2. Moderate15–30 m
  3. Demanding30–50 m
  4. Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches
share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
  1. Easyunder 5 %
  2. Moderate5–15 %
  3. Demanding15–30 %
  4. Hard30 % or more
Natural ground
share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
  1. Easyunder a third
  2. Moderatea third to two thirds
  3. Demandingtwo thirds or more

Hard

  • SAC hiking scale

    This trail
    T3 (our estimate)
    Basis
    Parks Canada rates the Rockwall difficult: long, steep sections with frequent obstacles and major elevation gain and loss, over three alpine passes between 2,230 and 2,336 m, with snow possible in any month and the high sections snowbound until early to mid-July. A maintained backcountry trail, steep and rough over the passes but without scrambling (T3).
    Scale
    The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
    Why
    Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
    Keep in mind
    An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
    T1 · Hiking
    Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
    T2 · Mountain hiking
    A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
    T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
    The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
    T4 · Alpine hiking
    Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
    T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
    Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
    T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
    Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.

    The scale at the Swiss Alpine Club

    estimated T3
  • Climbing63 m per km
  • Steep stretches26 % of the way
  • Natural ground100 %

Climate

Rates
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
How
From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Heat
mean daily high at the lowest point
  1. Easyunder 22 °C
  2. Moderate22–27 °C
  3. Demanding27–32 °C
  4. Hard32 °C or more
Cold
mean nightly low at the highest point
  1. Easy8 °C or more
  2. Moderate3–8 °C
  3. Demanding−2 to 3 °C
  4. Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days
days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
  1. Easyunder 10
  2. Moderate10–14
  3. Demanding14–18
  4. Hard18 or more
Snow
days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
  1. Easyunder 1 day
  2. Moderate1–3 days
  3. Demanding3–6 days
  4. Hard6 days or more
Wind
mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points; over land: a point whose 25 km weather cell is mostly sea takes the nearest mostly-land cell's
  1. Easyunder 15 km/h
  2. Moderate15–20 km/h
  3. Demanding20–25 km/h
  4. Hard25 km/h or more

Moderate in Jul–Aug

  • Heat · July22 °C by day
  • Cold · August4 °C at night
  • Wet days · July11 days
  • Snow · July1 day
  • Wind · July10 km/h

Effort

Rates
How long are the days?
How
No official stages: rated by an average day at the fewest suggested days, the hardest plan a source suggests.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Average day
walking time of an average day at the fewest suggested days (length and climbs divided evenly), by DIN 33466
  1. Easyup to 4 h
  2. Moderate4–6 h
  3. Demanding6–8 h
  4. Hardmore than 8 h

Hard

  • Average day · an average day over 3 daysestimated 8 h 30

Climate

Days in season · lowest point
16–22°C
Nights in season · highest point
−1 to 4°C
Wet days a month
9–11
Daylight
12.5–16.1h
SeasonDay high and night low−30 °C−20 °C−10 °C0 °C10 °C20 °C30 °CWet days, at the highest point5101520Daylight8.4 h9.9 h11.7 h13.8 h15.5 h16.5 h16.1 h14.5 h12.5 h10.6 h8.8 h7.9 hJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Climate by month, 1995–2024 average
MonthLowest point, day high / night low (°C)Highest point, day high / night low (°C)Wet daysSnow daysFrost nights at the highest pointDaylight (h)
January-5.4 / -11.6-12 / -18.210.18.4318.4
February-2.9 / -10.5-9.5 / -17.17.86.328.39.9
March1.6 / -6.2-5 / -12.811.19.23111.7
April6 / -2-0.6 / -8.610.78.33013.8
May11.2 / 2.44.6 / -4.212.37.228.815.5
June16.4 / 6.59.8 / -0.117.63.916.616.5
July21.6 / 10.815 / 4.2110.72.716.1
August21.3 / 10.414.7 / 3.89.10.73.314.5
September15.8 / 69.2 / -0.610.23.616.912.5
October7.1 / -1.60.5 / -8.210.58.529.610.6
November-1.4 / -9.3-8 / -15.911.79.6308.8
December-7.1 / -13.4-13.7 / -20108.3317.9

Climate by month

Source
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
Places
The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
Bars
From the mean night low to the mean day high
Wet days
At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
Daylight
Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
Shading
The trail's season

Terrain

Highest · lowest point
2,335m high1,322m low

Gradient

Steepest climb
28 % (16°), 142 m up over 500 m
Steepest descent
−29 % (16°), 145 m down over 500 m
Gradient
Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
Keep in mind
Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
GradientAngleFeels like
10 %6°Noticeable on a road
20 %11°A steep path, slow going
30 %17°Very steep, often steps
100 %45°Scrambling

28% ↑−29% ↓

Steep stretches

This trail
6 km up, 7.6 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
Steep
15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 200 m stretches
Why it matters
Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill

13.6km

Surfaces

  • Natural ground: 100%, 51.7 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.
  • Gravel: 1%, 0.3 km. Gravel, compacted and stony surfaces: mostly forest roads and farm tracks.

100% natural1% gravel
1,600 m2,000 mTree line ≈ 2,000 m2,335 m102030400 km52 km

Terrain along the route

Heights
Copernicus terrain model, 30 m grid, every 100 m along the main route; in forests it reads the treetops
Colours
Each 200 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
Ground
The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 20% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)
Tree line
About 2,000 m (Parks Canada): above it, open ground without trees. Pasture and clearing can keep the forest lower

Landscape

Forest80%Grassland and shrubs12%Moss and lichen6%Bare rock and sand2%Farmland and villages0%102030400 km52 km

Landscape along the route

Source
ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
Points
Every 100 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
Groups
Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
Keep in mind
What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there

Sleeping

Wild camping is prohibited. Camp only in the designated backcountry campgrounds named on your permit, on the tent pads; random camping is not permitted anywhere in Kootenay National Park in summer. No campfires in the backcountry.

11.4 km without a bedCamping5Huts0Hostels0Rooms0102030400 km52 km

Places to sleep along the route

Ticks
One per place to sleep: 5 campsites, 0 huts, 0 hostels, 0 guest houses
Counted
Within 1 km of the trail; no hotels or day shelters
Shaded
The longest stretch without any, km 14–25.4
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally

Water & Supply

Clean water

This trail
11.4 km without clean water, km 14–25.4
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Within 500 m: 0 taps, fountains and drinking springs, 5 refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites
Refills
Guests come first and many close out of season: ask, and carry a little extra. Places marked without drinking water are left out
Source
OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route

11.4kmRegular

Any water

This trail
11.4 km without any water, km 14–25.4
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Clean water, plus the 1 springs within 500 m
Keep in mind
Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer

11.4kmRegular

Shops

This trail
52 km without a shop, km 0–52
Counted
0 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of the finish
Keep in mind
Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one

52km
Water · 11.4 km withoutPublic drinking water · 52 km withoutSprings (treat before drinking) · 51 km withoutRefills at places to sleep · 11.4 km withoutShops · 52 km without102030400 km52 km

Water and shops along the route

Ticks
One per place along the main route
Counted
Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of the finish
Shaded
Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally

Wildlife

Wildlife

Shows
Animals that can be dangerous to hikers on this trail: large animals, venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders, ticks, and plants that harm on touch
Level
Ours, read from the official source
High
A bite of a species it calls common can be life-threatening within hours
Moderate
It warns of attacks or serious harm, or places the trail in a risk area for tick-borne encephalitis
Low
The harm is mostly minor or treatable, or avoidable by how you behave
What to do
From the official source: Parks Canada
Pictures
Silhouettes from PhyloPic, not to scale, each maker named with its advice; the landscape is the trail's own, drawn by us

Grizzly bear and black bear Moderate

Grizzly bear and black bear

Moderate danger

Both grizzly and black bears live in Kootenay National Park and can be met anywhere, on busy trails or in the remote backcountry; the trail crosses avalanche slopes, meadows and creeks where Parks Canada asks hikers to be extra bear aware.

If you meet one

  • Carry bear spray, easily accessible, and know how to use it
  • Make noise; call out, clap hands, sing or talk loudly, especially near streams, dense vegetation and berry patches
  • Hike in a tight group of four or more and never let children wander
  • If you see a bear: stop and remain calm, speak to the bear calmly and firmly, back away slowly
  • If a defensive bear makes contact: play dead, lying on your stomach with your hands crossed behind your neck
  • If a bear stalks you or attacks at night: use your bear spray and fight back
  • Stay at least 100 m away from bears and other carnivores

Don't

  • Run away
  • Drop your pack; it may provide protection
  • Wear ear buds on the trail
  • Feed wildlife

Advice: Parks Canada. Level: ours. Silhouette: Abby Weber (Ursus americanus), PhyloPic, public domain.