Parking
Start at the Radium Hot Springs Pools main parking lot. The park map also lists H Loop in Redstreak Campground as access to the Hot Springs trail.
Overview
About Juniper–Hot Springs Loop
Why go
- Pairs a cool forest walk with rim and creek-level canyon views.
- The Red Chairs spur looks down over Radium Hot Springs Pools.
Heads up
- The canyon side adds a steep climb, and Highway 93 stays in earshot.
The Juniper–Hot Springs Loop is a 3.6-mile (5.7-km) circuit from Radium Hot Springs Pools, linking the Hot Springs and Sinclair Canyon trails. Give it about three hours. It’s a good half-day walk if you want both the shady campground-side forest and a close look at Sinclair Canyon, not just a stop at the pools.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Kootenay map
Full mapElevation906–1,106 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Kootenay alerts
- ClosureSinclair Canyon construction closures and delaysMentions Sinclair Canyon, referenced in this guideRepairs 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
- CautionFour-person minimum on Sinclair Creek and Kindersley Pass trailsMentions Sinclair Creek, referenced in this guideHiking parties on Sinclair Creek and Kindersley Pass trails must have at least four people because grizzly bears are in the area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kootenay Tour Guide
Your drive to Juniper–Hot Springs Loop, 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
Radium Hot Springs: A Soak in the Canyon0:00 / 0:29
“You're approaching Radium Hot Springs, where you can swap the car seat for a warm mineral pool in Sinclair Canyon.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Kootenay Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Sinclair Canyon: Through the Red Cliffs
- Redstreak Campground: A Base Above Radium
- Who Moves Into a Woodpecker Hole?
- Redstreak Road Lookout: Radium and the Valley
- 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 Juniper–Hot Springs Loop
Start through the forestFrom the pools, follow the Hot Springs trail toward Redstreak Campground, then take the mapped…
From the pools, follow the Hot Springs trail toward Redstreak Campground, then take the mapped link to the Sinclair Canyon trail and return to the pools. The Hot Springs side is an easy, cool, wet forest walk with viewpoints along the way. Save some energy for the canyon return; it’s the steeper half of the circuit.
Go down into Sinclair CanyonThe Sinclair Canyon trail follows the rim before dropping into the gorge.
The Sinclair Canyon trail follows the rim before dropping into the gorge. A short spur leads to red chairs overlooking the pools. Farther along, the route reaches Sinclair Creek and a small waterfall partly screened by trees. The creek is the place to pause: it shows how tightly the rock walls close around the water. Bighorn sheep have been seen on the canyon-side rocks, but count a sighting as a bonus. For a photo, frame the creek against the gorge walls; the small falls are partly screened.
Effort and accessThe full circuit is a moderate half-day walk.
The full circuit is a moderate half-day walk. Expect switchbacks, uneven ground and a roadside connector near Highway 93; the gorge is the payoff for that climb. Start at the pools’ main parking lot, or use H Loop in Redstreak Campground. A national park pass is required for trail access, and dogs must be leashed. No food or water stop along the route was found.
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.
