Parking
Park at Dog Lake Day-use Area beside the Banff-Windermere Parkway, about 28 km north of Radium Hot Springs. Toilets are available.
Overview
About East Kootenay Trail
Why go
- Two timber bridges cross the Kootenay River on the approach.
- The forested fire road has a gentle overall grade.
Heads up
- The 14.4 km return is a long walk for a modest-grade trail; no Daer Creek bridge is documented.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Kootenay map
Full mapElevation1,124–1,253 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Kootenay alerts
- ClosureWatercraft and angling prohibitedWatercraft and angling are prohibited on every waterbody in Kootenay National Park until March 31, 2027, to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS), including whirling disease.Official details
- ClosureSinclair Canyon construction closures and delaysRepairs to the Sinclair Creek Rock Tunnel and rehabilitation of the retaining wall at Sinclair Canyon require construction closures; expect alternating single-lane traffic on Highway 93S and…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kootenay Tour Guide
Your drive to East Kootenay Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Kootenay 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.
See the Kootenay audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Dog Lake Trailhead: Bridges and a Forest Walk0:00 / 0:22
“You're nearing the Dog Lake trailhead at McLeod Meadows, for a forest walk across two suspension bridges over the Kootenay River.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Kootenay Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- McLeod Meadows Campground: Camping by the River
- A Squirrel’s Cone Pile
- A Conifer That Drops Its Needles
- Kootenay River Day-use Area: A Riverside Break
- 49 audio storiesacross Kootenay’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Gray Wolf, Moose, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 38 trails, 29 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking East Kootenay Trail
A long out-and-back to Daer CreekEast Kootenay Trail is a forest out-and-back from Dog Lake Day-use Area to Daer Creek,…
East Kootenay Trail is a forest out-and-back from Dog Lake Day-use Area to Daer Creek, following Dog Lake Trail and then the former East Kootenay fire road. The mapped leg is about 7.2 km each way, or 14.4 km (9 mi) round trip. Allow 4 to 5 hours. The grade is generally easy, but the mileage makes this a half-day walk.
Older park materials list 12 km one way for the full Pitts Creek–Daer Creek corridor. This route follows the northern McLeod Meadows–Daer Creek leg and returns to the day-use area; it leaves out the southern continuation toward Pitts Creek.
Two river bridges on the approachStart at Dog Lake Day-use Area near McLeod Meadows, about 28 km north of Radium Hot Springs.
Start at Dog Lake Day-use Area near McLeod Meadows, about 28 km north of Radium Hot Springs. Dog Lake Trail crosses two bridges over the Kootenay River and passes through old-growth forest before joining the former fire road. The path climbs to its high point, then drops toward Daer Creek. The bridges are the walk’s best photo stop: frame the water through the timber rails with the forest beyond.
Turn around at Daer CreekThe older park guide says there is no bridge over Daer Creek.
The older park guide says there is no bridge over Daer Creek. Treat the creek as the turnaround unless current Parks Canada information confirms a safe crossing. Dogs are allowed on leash.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Kootenay
41 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
31 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
22 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
84 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
522 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
65 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Kootenay. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
