Parking
Start at the Red Rock Canyon lower parking lot. Walk past the kitchen shelter, cross Red Rock Creek, then cross Bauerman Creek to the left and turn right toward the Blakiston Valley route.
Overview
About South Kootenay Pass Trail
Why go
- A clear valley-to-pass destination with a defined turnaround.
Heads up
- A long 12.5-mile day with a substantial climb.
- Published elevation-gain figures conflict with terrain data.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Waterton Lakes map
Full mapElevation1,491–2,138 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active Waterton Lakes alerts
- ClosureBelly River Campground closedBelly River Campground is closed to all traffic and travel because a carcass is in the area. - Violators may be charged under the Canada National Parks Act, with a maximum penalty of $25,000.Official details
- ClosureBlakiston Fan closed to protect rutting elkThe Blakiston Fan area is closed to traffic and travel to prevent disturbance of elk rutting there.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Waterton Lakes Tour Guide
Your drive to South Kootenay Pass Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Waterton Lakes 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 Waterton Lakes audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Red Rock Canyon0:00 / 0:32
“You’re coming up on Red Rock Canyon, where a creek cuts through red and green rock. This is a good stop for a close look at the landscape without a long hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Waterton Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lost Horse Creek Day Use Area
- Older Rock on Top
- Coppermine Day Use Area
- A Squirrel's Cone Store
- 51 audio storiesacross Waterton Lakes’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bison, Black Bear, Elk, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 47 trails, 70 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 South Kootenay Pass Trail
The full outingSouth Kootenay Pass Trail is a 12.
South Kootenay Pass Trail is a 12.5-mile return hike from Red Rock Canyon’s lower lot through the Blakiston Valley to the pass on the British Columbia boundary. The official park map measures about 10.1 km each way, and the walk back follows the same corridor. Allow about seven hours; this is a full-day backcountry outing, not a quick pass lookout.
Follow the pass branchStart past the kitchen shelter, cross the Red Rock Creek bridge, then take the left crossing…
Start past the kitchen shelter, cross the Red Rock Creek bridge, then take the left crossing over Bauerman Creek and turn right into the valley. Stay on the route along Blakiston Creek to the junction, then choose the continuation to South Kootenay Pass. Other branches lead toward Lone Lake, Twin Lakes, Snowshoe, Tamarack and Rowe Lakes; those are separate hikes. Dogs are allowed on leash and under control, and horses also use this trail.
The climbThe route photo shows the upper tread crossing a rocky slope among standing burned trunks.
The route photo shows the upper tread crossing a rocky slope among standing burned trunks. Terrain data puts the pass about 610 m above the lower lot, while one published figure lists 350 m of gain. Those numbers do not agree, so plan for the larger climb. The surface and grade vary along the long approach, and the upper rocky section is uneven underfoot.
At the passThe pass is a wooded boundary crossing rather than a broad viewpoint.
The pass is a wooded boundary crossing rather than a broad viewpoint. This route turns around there; continuing into Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park in British Columbia makes for a different and longer itinerary.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Waterton Lakes
83 sightingsBisonMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
563 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
146 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
113 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
55 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
53 sightingsTrumpeter SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Waterton Lakes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
