Helmet Creek Trail

Helmet Creek Trail is a difficult 17.6-mile out-and-back from Paint Pots Day-use Area to the Helmet Falls backcountry campground. The route passes the iron-rich springs, follows a forested creek valley, climbs above Ochre Creek, and ends in a meadow facing the falls. That is 14.2 km one way, or 28.4 km for the return; plan 10 hours round trip. It is a proper full-day hike and the northern approach to the Rockwall Trail. The payoff is a huge waterfall in a dramatic mountain basin, but the last view comes after about 8.8 miles of walking, so do not choose it for a quick waterfall stop.

Start at the Paint Pots Day-use Area lot and follow the path past three iron-rich springs that stain the earth orange. This opening shares access with the shorter Paint Pots and Tumbling Creek walks. Beyond the springs, Helmet Creek settles into shade; about 5.8 km brings you to Helmet/Ochre Junction. This stretch is a relatively easy forest walk with occasional flower meadows and a distant glimpse of the Rockwall. Enjoy the gentler start, but save your energy: it is not the hard part. If the falls hike is too much, turning at the 5.8 km junction makes an 11.6 km return through forest and along the creek, without the long climb or waterfall payoff.

Helmet/Ochre Junction is beside the first backcountry campground. From here, continue toward Helmet Falls; this is where the walk stops feeling easy. A steeper switchback climb follows above Ochre Creek for about 1 km. The valley opens afterward, with more mountain views as the route continues through forest and meadows and the creek becomes Helmet Creek. A suspension bridge crosses Helmet Creek a few kilometres before the campground. After it, the trail returns through trees, then opens into a meadow at the Helmet Creek Patrol Cabin with the falls ahead. The one-way route gains 795 m and loses 465 m, so expect plenty of up and down even though the falls-side campground ends higher than Paint Pots.

The trail reaches the Helmet Falls campground in a meadow below the waterfall, with Limestone Peak rising over the cirque. Helmet Falls is about 300 m high. A separate optional spur from camp climbs steeply to a ledge near the top of the lower drop; it adds about 4 km return and 300 m of climbing. That spur is outside the listed 14.2 km one-way route, so allow extra time and effort if you add it.

The return is about a 10-hour day hike; you can also make this the first night of a multi-day Rockwall trip. Overnight stays require a reservation for a designated campground, and random camping is prohibited from May through October. The campgrounds have tent pads, dry toilets, shared tables, and food storage. Bring a full day of food; these are backcountry campgrounds with basic facilities. Dogs are allowed on the route but must stay leashed. June through October is the main hiking season; higher sections may remain snowbound until early or mid-July, and autumn snow can complicate late September and October. There is no cell service in the park, so download your route information before leaving coverage.