Parking
Use Lower Juniper Trail Parking just west of Sinclair Canyon or the access above the Radium Hot Springs Pools main parking lot. They are opposite ends of the route; arrange a pickup or plan to walk the trail back.
Overview
About Sinclair Canyon
Why go
- Close views into Sinclair Canyon and a Red Chairs overlook above the pools
Heads up
- The point-to-point layout needs a pickup or a walk back
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Kootenay map
Full mapElevation899–1,120 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Kootenay alerts
- ClosureSinclair Canyon construction closures and delaysMentions this trailRepairs 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
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kootenay Tour Guide
Your drive to Sinclair Canyon, 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
Sinclair Canyon: Through the Red Cliffs0:00 / 0:29
“You're nearing Sinclair Canyon, where Highway ninety-three threads between steep reddish cliffs at the park's southern gateway.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Kootenay Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Redstreak Campground: A Base Above Radium
- Radium Hot Springs: A Soak in the Canyon
- Redstreak Road Lookout: Radium and the Valley
- Kootenay Visitor Centre: Local Advice and Displays
- 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 Sinclair Canyon
What this hike isSinclair Canyon is a moderate, one-way 2.8 km (1.
Sinclair Canyon is a moderate, one-way 2.8 km (1.7 mi) walk along the canyon rim and down into the gorge. It links Lower Juniper Trail Parking, west of the canyon, with an access above the Radium Hot Springs Pools main parking lot. The payoff is getting a close look at the narrow canyon on foot, plus a short detour to the Red Chairs overlooking the pools.
Take the Red Chairs detourThe short spur to the Red Chairs is the route’s clearest viewpoint, looking down over Radium…
The short spur to the Red Chairs is the route’s clearest viewpoint, looking down over Radium Hot Springs Pools. Keep it in your plan before continuing through the canyon. This is a compact canyon walk, not a long backcountry outing.
Plan the endpointsThe route is point-to-point, not a loop. Allow about two hours for the return outing.
The route is point-to-point, not a loop. Allow about two hours for the return outing. If you leave your car at the west start, arrange a pickup at the pools end or walk the same trail back for about 5.6 km (3.5 mi) total. The one-way route gains about 350 m and loses 260 m, so it takes more effort than the short distance suggests. Stay on designated trails and viewpoints; 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.
