Parking
Use the small lot at Numa Falls Day-use Area, just off Banff–Windermere Parkway (Highway 93).
Overview
About Numa Falls Trail
Why go
- A striking, close waterfall view for very little walking.
- Picnic tables and washrooms are beside the trailhead.
Heads up
- The small lot can fill.
- It is a brief viewpoint stop, not a longer hike.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Kootenay map
Full mapElevation1,386–1,391 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 Numa Falls 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
Numa Falls: The Sculpted Gorge0:00 / 0:29
“You're approaching Numa Falls, where a few minutes on foot bring you to the Vermilion River squeezing through a narrow limestone gorge.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Kootenay Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Hare’s Seasonal Coat
- Flowers Climbing a Stem
- Follow a Fold in the Rock
- Paint Pots: Colour in the Earth
- 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 Numa Falls Trail
The quick falls walkNuma Falls Trail is an easy out-and-back of about 0.
Numa Falls Trail is an easy out-and-back of about 0.32 miles round trip from Numa Falls Day-use Area to the near side of Numa Falls Bridge. The walk gains almost nothing; allow 15–30 minutes to reach the Vermilion River, take in the falls and return. It is a brief highway stop, not the much longer Numa Creek backcountry route.
The approach and the viewFrom the small lot, follow the parking aisle into a short footway toward the falls bridge.
From the small lot, follow the parking aisle into a short footway toward the falls bridge. The route ends at the bridge approach and returns on the same line. At the end, the river forces through a tight rock channel; the close, churning water is the reason to stop. Keep to the path instead of scrambling down to the river edge.
Rock shaped by waterLook for rounded potholes and curved grooves in the limestone around the falls.
Look for rounded potholes and curved grooves in the limestone around the falls. Eddying water wore those shapes into the rock, and its pale, swirled bands can look like marble. The sculpted channel is a better reason to linger than the short walk itself.
Parking and accessThe day-use area sits just off Banff–Windermere Parkway (Highway 93) and has a small lot,…
The day-use area sits just off Banff–Windermere Parkway (Highway 93) and has a small lot, picnic tables and washrooms. Visitors report that parking can fill. Food and drinking water were not confirmed here. Dogs are allowed on this walk but must stay leashed and under control. Wet, broken rock beside the fast water can be slick and crumbly, so stay on the designated path.
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.
