Wolverine Pass Trail (15 km, Challenging) – Kootenay National Park

Overview

About Wolverine Pass

Why go

Direct access to the Rockwall at Wolverine Pass
Creek forest gives way to alpine terrain
A short continuation reaches Tumbling Glacier views

Heads up

Long, remote drive on Forest Service Roads
Steep climb with repeated slide crossings
No verified water, toilets or food services

Wolverine Pass is the steep west-side approach to the Rockwall, a 15 km (9.3 mile) out-and-back from Wolverine Branch to the pass in Kootenay National Park. The 7.5 km agency figure is to the pass, so plan on the same distance back. Allow about six hours for roughly 780 m (2,550 ft) of climbing, plus time for the long drive in. This is a hard, remote day hike for people comfortable with sustained uphill, repeated slide crossings and a long gravel-road approach. The payoff is a high mountain pass, with a glacier viewpoint a short way farther along the Rockwall.

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Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation1,542–2,197 m

TrailheadWolverine Pass Trailhead51.10632, -116.32261

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Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Park at the small landing and kiosk on Wolverine Branch FSR. From Golden, drive 25.7 km east on the Trans-Canada Highway to Beaverfoot FSR. Set the odometer to zero at the Kicking Horse River bridge. At 23.5 km take the left fork; at 31.7 km take the left fork past Moose Creek Branch onto Wolverine Branch. Continue 8.7 km and take the first three left branches at Y-junctions. At the broad right-hand switchback, continue straight about 1 km to the landing, 40.3 km from odometer zero. The trail starts about 50 m farther along the road, opposite the landing. Logging roads can change and create extra junctions; the Forest Service Roads are gravel, unmaintained and shared with industrial traffic, so check current local road information.

Safety

This is prime grizzly habitat. Carry accessible bear spray and know how to use it; make noise through dense brush and keep dogs leashed and under control. The route reaches above treeline, where snow and avalanche hazard can persist seasonally. Check current trail and road advisories before leaving; cell service may be limited or unavailable.

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

See all 5 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Kootenay Tour Guide

Your drive to Wolverine Pass, narrated.

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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

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Trail guide

Hiking Wolverine Pass

The creek approachThe path drops from the road to a creek and crosses it on a single-log bridge with a rope…

The path drops from the road to a creek and crosses it on a single-log bridge with a rope handrail. It then follows the north bank through forest for about 2 km. Five avalanche or slide paths cut across this stretch, so footing and route-finding change where the trail leaves the trees and crosses open slopes. This first part is a creekside approach, not a level stroll; save energy for the climb ahead.

The upper climbAfter the fifth slide path, the grade steepens.

After the fifth slide path, the grade steepens. A built section gains about 400 m in a little over 2 km, then the route crosses one more slide path below Mount Drysdale. Wolverine Pass is still more than 1 km beyond. The effort comes late, so expect a long, steady ascent before the saddle and a substantial descent on the way back.

At Wolverine PassThe pass is the meeting point of this west-side trail and the Rockwall Trail.

The pass is the meeting point of this west-side trail and the Rockwall Trail. A few hundred metres east, the junction opens two short continuations: turn right for a view of Tumbling Glacier, Tumbling Creek and the Vermillion River valley within about 500 m, or left for Rockwall Pass and its view of the cliffs about 1 km away. Those are additions on the Rockwall, not part of the 15 km round trip stored here.

Access and preparationThe trail starts by a small landing and kiosk on Wolverine Branch Forest Service Road.

The trail starts by a small landing and kiosk on Wolverine Branch Forest Service Road. The drive is long, gravel and shared with industrial traffic; new logging roads can add junctions, so verify directions and local road information before setting out. There is no verified food, potable water or toilet at the trailhead, so carry what you need for a self-supported day. In the park, dogs must stay leashed and under control.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Kootenay

All Kootenay wildlife maps

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 map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Kootenay. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Wolverine Pass