Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Be especially careful on the return trip—it's extremely easy to lose your footing on the
loose rock.
Kaufmann Lake
• Length: 15 kilometers/9.3 miles (5 hours) one-way
• Elevation gain: 570 meters/1,870 feet
• Rating: moderate
• Trailhead: Highway 93, Marble Canyon parking lot
This is an overnight backpack trip to a beautiful lake in the extreme north end of the park.
The trail follows Tokumm Creek the entire distance, passing through a forest of lodgepole
pine before entering an open meadow and crossing many small waterways. Most of the
elevation gain is made in the final two kilometers (1.2 miles), as the trail switchbacks up
to the glacial cirque holding Kaufmann Lake. The exquisite lake is surrounded by peaks
jutting as high as 3,400 meters (11,150 feet). Two campgrounds lie at the end of the trail.
MM
The Rockwall
• Length: 54 kilometers/33.6 miles (3 days) round-trip
• Elevation gain: 760 meters/2,490 feet
• Rating: moderate/difficult
• Trailhead: various points along Highway 93
This is one of the classic hikes in all the Canadian Rockies. The Rockwall is a
30-kilometer-long (18.6-mile) east-facing escarpment that rises more than 1,000 meters
(3,280 feet) from an alpine environment. Four different routes provide access to the spec-
tacular feature; each begins along Highway 93 and traverses a steep valley to the Rock-
wall's base.
The most popular trail starts at the Paint Pots and follows Helmet Creek 12 kilometers
(7.5 miles) to spectacular 365-meter (1,200-foot) Helmet Falls. A further 2.4 kilometers
(1.5 miles) takes you to the beginning of the Rockwall trail and a campground, the first of
five along the route. The trail then follows the Rockwall in a southeasterly direction for 30
kilometers (18.6 miles), passing magnificent glaciers, waterfalls, and lakes before ending
at Floe Lake, 10.4 kilometers (6.5 miles) from the highway.
The Tumbling Creek and Numa Creek drainages provide alternate access routes to the
Rockwall and require similar elevation gains. The elevation gain noted here is for the ini-
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