Parking
Rockbound Lake parking area on the Bow Valley Parkway, just east of Castle Junction. The lot has limited paved parking, a bike rack, and two gender-neutral outhouses; arrive early when possible and park only in designated spaces.
Overview
About Silverton Falls Trail
This short out-and-back from the Rockbound Lake parking area follows about 300 m of the Rockbound Lake Trail before branching onto the Silverton Falls Trail. The route climbs through forest to an exposed hillside at the base of a waterfall that cascades over narrow ledges.
Plan on about 1.1 miles (1.8 km) total out-and-back, with the physical line stored once from the trailhead to the falls. Parks Canada lists about 0.9 km one way, around 85 m of elevation gain and 5 m of loss, with an estimated 40-minute round trip. The connector is gentle at first; the Silverton branch has narrow sections and extensive roots and rocks, and the finish is exposed.
The falls and forest are the payoff, but this is a short route rather than a canyon walk. Wear shoes with good grip, keep children and dogs under physical control near the exposed finish, and carry bear spray. Stay on the designated trail and review Parks Canada safety information before setting out.
Why go
- Short route with a waterfall payoff and a quieter feel than Johnston Canyon
- Shaded forest approach keeps the outing cool and manageable
- About 40 minutes round trip for a quick stop near Castle Junction
Heads up
- Narrow sections with extensive roots and rocks can be rough underfoot
- The exposed finish and limited parking require extra care
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,456–1,552 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureRed Deer River valley bottom closed for ceremonial bison harvestThe Red Deer River valley bottom is closed to the public during an Indigenous ceremonial bison harvest taking place through November.Official details
- ClosureLake Minnewanka and Aylmer area closureLake Minnewanka Trail, Aylmer Pass Trail, and campgrounds Lm8, Lm9, Lm11, Lm20, Lm22 and Lm31 are closed to all users because black bears are displaying food-seeking behaviour.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Silverton Falls Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Banff National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Bringing Back Bison: Banff’s Wild ReturnListen
“After more than a century, plains bison are back in Banff. In 2017, a small herd was reintroduced to a massive, remote zone deep in the backcountry.”
Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Castle Mountain Chalets: A Central Base
- Castle Junction: Fuel, Trails, and Mountain Views
- Silverton Falls: A Quiet Waterfall Hike
- Castle Mountain Viewpoint Photo Stop
- 178 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 177 trails, 236 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…Loved the commentary as you drove thru. I’m sure the app can do more than I know but the tips were very helpful. I’m gonna use it when we go to Banff next month.”
Wildlife
Wildlife in Banff
122 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
67 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
465 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
