Parking
Start from the Paint Pots Day-use Area parking lot on Highway 93 South, about 84 km east of Radium Hot Springs.
Overview
About Tumbling Creek Trail
Why go
- Tumbling Falls is a named stop along the route.
- A northern access point for the Rockwall backcountry.
Heads up
- The out-and-back day hike is 20.4 km with substantial climbing and descent.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Kootenay map
Full mapElevation1,422–1,900 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Tumbling Creek 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
Paint Pots: Colour in the Earth0:00 / 0:30
“Up ahead is the Paint Pots trailhead, for a gentle walk to three springs whose iron-rich water stains the earth orange.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Kootenay Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Flowers Climbing a Stem
- Marble Canyon: Beyond the First Bridge
- Numa Falls: The Sculpted Gorge
- The Shrimp That Was a Claw
- 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 Tumbling Creek Trail
The full dayTumbling Creek Trail is a 10.
Tumbling Creek Trail is a 10.2 km one-way backcountry approach from Paint Pots Day-use Area to Tumbling Creek campground, one of the northernmost access points to the Rockwall. The opening stretch follows Ochre Creek beside fast water, and the route passes Tumbling Falls before reaching camp. The out-and-back day hike is 20.4 km (12.7 mi); allow about six hours. The approach gains about 700 m and loses 245 m on the way in, and the park marks it difficult. Plan for a full day with substantial climbing and descent.
Ochre Creek and Tumbling FallsThe first part follows Ochre Creek, where the water runs fast.
The first part follows Ochre Creek, where the water runs fast. Tumbling Falls is the route's named photo stop and its clearest landmark on the way to camp. A separate view along the route looks toward Mount Gray beyond the evergreens. Keep to the maintained trail and designated viewpoints when you stop at the falls.
The campground and the RockwallTumbling Creek campground is a northern access point for the longer Rockwall route.
Tumbling Creek campground is a northern access point for the longer Rockwall route. The full Rockwall is a 54.1 km, three-to-five-day trip over alpine passes; this trail record ends at the campground. Overnight stays require a backcountry permit, and most campgrounds require advance reservations in July, August and September.
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.
