Parking
Start at Marble Canyon Day-use Area or Paint Pots Day-use Area. The trail is point to point, so arrange a ride or a vehicle at the far end, or budget for a 5.8 km return walk.
Overview
About Vermilion River Trail
Why go
- Links Marble Canyon and the Paint Pots in one walk
- Only 65 m of climbing on the one-way route
Heads up
- Returning to the same vehicle doubles the walk to 5.8 km
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Kootenay map
Full mapElevation1,423–1,500 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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 Vermilion River 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
Marble Canyon: Beyond the First Bridge0:00 / 0:28
“Marble Canyon is coming up, and I'd stop here for dramatic canyon views without a long hike. Seven bridges cross the narrow limestone gorge carved by Tokumm Creek, with blue-green water far below.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Kootenay Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Shrimp That Was a Claw
- Paint Pots: Colour in the Earth
- Stanley Glacier Trailhead: Basin and Fossils
- Flowers Climbing a Stem
- 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 Vermilion River Trail
The connector walkVermilion River Trail is a 2.9 km (1.
Vermilion River Trail is a 2.9 km (1.8 mi) one-way walk linking Marble Canyon and the Paint Pots. It passes through mature and burned forest, with 65 m of climbing and 110 m of descent on the Marble Canyon-to-Paint Pots line. At the Paint Pots end, three iron-rich springs stain the ground orange.
Plan the returnThe route is point to point, not a loop.
The route is point to point, not a loop. The listed return time is about two hours; walking back to the same vehicle makes it 5.8 km (3.6 mi). For a one-way walk, arrange a ride or leave a vehicle at the far day-use area. Dogs are allowed on leash and under control.
Look for fire tracesThe Vermilion Pass fire burned this area in 1968.
The Vermilion Pass fire burned this area in 1968. Along the walk, look for marks left by the fire where the trail passes through burned forest.
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.
