Zupok Peak is a little bit off the regular beaten path, located on Highway 5 in the Coquihalla Summit Rec Area. It’s often paired with other peaks, like Ottomite Peak, Llama Peak, and Alpaca Peak. Ottomite Peak is a great option for snowshoeing and snow camping in the winter because it’s fairly short and stays in simple terrain, but I wouldn’t recommend any of the other peaks in snowy conditions because they go into challenging avalanche terrain, so stick to summer and fall when visiting those.
Me and Brandon have a tradition of going on a big hike every Thanksgiving weekend, and we picked Zupok Peak for our 2025 Thanksgiving hike. It was still early October, so we thought we might need microspikes for a small amount of snow, but were surprised to discover that the peak had gotten a dump of snow the night before we hiked the trail. So despite gorgeous sunny conditions on the day we visited, there was quite a lot of fresh powder on the trail.
The trail starts at the Zopkios Rest Area in the Coquihalla Summit Rec Area. You can park at the end of the lot and walk over to the west side of the washroom to access the trailhead. It’s a fairly well established trail, but it’s not very popular. Needle Peak and Flatiron, which are located on the other side of the highway, draw most of the crowds in this area, with Zoa Peak being the next most popular trail after those.
It’s a nice walk through the forest as you head towards Ottomite Peak. There is one river crossing and the bridge is in pretty rough shape, so take your time. There was snow along the entire trail, but it wasn’t very deep at lower elevations. Our biggest problem was that it was extremely cold. Usually I don’t need to layer up too much while hiking, even in winter, but on this particular day it was very chilly!
After ~3km of hiking along relatively flat trail, you will reach a junction to Ottomite Mountain. If you go in the winter or during snowy conditions, I recommend just visiting Ottomite and skipping the other peaks due to potential avalanche hazards. There’s a nice view from Ottomite and the trail is wide and still very easy to follow. Since it was the first snowfall of the season, we continued on towards Zupok Peak.
From here, the trail became harder to follow in the snow. There was one group that had started ahead of us, so they were breaking the trail. Once you start the ascent to Zupok, there’s markers on the trees that you can follow, but if the other group hadn’t broken the trail to the base of Zupok, it would have involved a lot more route finding for us. Instead, we were able to just validate the track using GPS to make sure we were on the right track.
After the junction to Ottomite, it’s ~2km to the summit of Zupok. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but this part of the trail gets really steep and it’s a big slog to climb up to the summit. You climb ~500m of elevation in 2kms, so be prepared for a steep grade! Most of the trail is through the trees, but there is one nice viewpoint halfway up. Near the summit you pop out of the trees for an incredible view of the area. In the summer, I think the trail would be a lot easier to follow, but it was a bit of a struggle in the last 300 metres to the top. The snow was much deeper on the summit (knee deep) and it was very windy, so we were pretty cold.
When we started the day, we planned to continue to Llama and Alpaca Peak, which looked fun since you get to walk along the ridge after Zupok, but that plan was quickly abandoned when we got to the summit. We only had microspikes and it was evident that we would need snowshoes along the ridge. Plus, it was just too windy and cold, so we quickly amended the plan to eat lunch at the summit and then turn around.
If you visit on a nicer day, I’d definitely check out the other peaks, but be prepared for the hike to still be fairly strenuous. You have to climb down Zupok Peak, only to immediately climb up Llama Peak (and then repeat again for Alpaca Peak), so you do still expend a lot of energy on each ascent. Plus, you’re in the alpine the entire time, so on a hot day, be cognizant of the exposure and sun protection.
We stopped for a quick lunch and Simmer got herself in a bit of a pickle. She wanted to put on her snowpants, but she didn’t want to take off her boots because her feet were so cold. She accidentally put them on backwards and then got stuck in them trying to reverse them with her large boots on! So we had a good laugh at her before snapping a few photos and heading back down the mountain.
We didn’t spend much time on the summit and we hiked back down to the base of Zupok pretty quickly. It was like a different world down there. There was no wind and the sun was out, so we were able to take a proper break to warm up. Brandon decided to build a snowman to stand guard at the mountain base. Otherwise, it was a pretty quick hike back to the car and we continued back to Hope for a proper meal.
I thought the view from the top of Zupok was beautiful, but this is a pretty challenging hike. I don’t think I’d be in a rush to re-do it because the hike up is such a slog, but I would love to explore the ridgeline on a less snowy day. I have heard that Fall is a good time because the shrubs along the top change colour and it’s not too hot along the exposed ridge, but obviously we were a bit too late in the season on this occasion, so early September might be the sweet spot!
Hiking in Vancouver is definitely becoming less and less of a fair-weather activity. People want to be outside all year round, not just in the summer, and snowshoeing is a great way to do that! While going into the backcountry has inherent risks in every season, they are definitely increased in the winter. It’s colder outside, you have less daylight, trails can be harder to follow, and depending where you’re going, there’s the added risk of an avalanche. I’ve written an entire post on avalanche safety and my biggest recommendation is that, if you don’t have avalanche safety training, don’t go into avalanche terrain.
Even if you plan to stick to easy trails, without taking a course, it can be hard to know if you’re putting yourself in avalanche terrain or not, which is why I recommend for everyone to take an AST1 course. Did you know that popular winter trails like Pump Peak, Elfin Lakes, Hollyburn Mountain, St. Mark’s Summit, and Joffre Lakes all go through challenging avalanche terrain at some part of the trail? Just because a trail is popular, it doesn’t mean there is no risk.
The safest option is to take a course, but if that’s not in your budget right now, I’ve compiled a list of trails that are in simple terrain, so the risk is greatly reduced, though never removed! Always check the avalanche forecast and only go out if the avalanche rating is low or moderate.
Lower Mainland
Bowen Island Lookout – Located in Cypress Provincial Park, this is a great option for beginners. The trail is 4km round trip, with 125m of elevation gain and follows a staked trail. It leaves from the resort, you just need to pick up a free backcountry pass from the BC Parks Black Mountain Lodge (not available online, only self-registration on site). The trail hikes through the woods to a beautiful viewpoint overlooking Bowen Island.
Dam Mountain and Thunderbird Ridge – Located on Grouse Mountain, take the gondola to the top and follow a 5km there and back trail up to the top of Dam Mountain. With over 300m of elevation gain, this is a more challenging trail, but it’s easy to add a walk along Thunderbird Ridge for another 1.5km once you make it to the top of Dam Mountain. Both trails boast incredible views of the city.
Dog Mountain and Dinkey Peak – Located in Mount Seymour Provincial Park, this trail is popular in all seasons. It’s a 5km there and back trail, with 150m of elevation gain to the Dog Mountain Lookout. The trail is in the forest, except for the city viewpoint at the end. Add another 1km if you want to add Dinkey Peak, which has fantastic views of the backcountry. In the winter, you will need a free day pass to visit the park, which can be obtained from BC Parks 2 days in advance of your visit. The walk from the parking lot to the trailhead adds an extra 1km each way.
Brockton Point– Located in Mount Seymour Provincial Park, this is a more challenging hike than Dog Mountain. The overall length is 5km there and back, but there is 250m of elevation gain, making it a steeper hike. The views from the top of Brockton Peak are incredible as you’ll be able to see both the city and the backcountry. The same day pass rules apply as for Dog Mountain.
Black Mountain – Located in Cypress Provincial Park, this is a 5km there and back hike that covers 300m of elevation gain, making it one of the steeper hikes on this list. Trail access is from the resort and the trail hikes through the forest along the edge of a ski run. The same rules apply as for Bowen Island Lookout, you must obtain a free backcountry pass from Black Mountain Lodge.
North of Vancouver
Brandywine Falls or Alexander Falls – These are beginner trails that often don’t need snowshoes (just microspikes, or sometimes just boots). Brandywine Falls is located off the Sea to Sky Highway on the way to Whistler. It’s a 1km there and back trail to see the waterfall, but if the gate to the parking lot is closed or there are no parking signs along the highway, you won’t be able to visit. Alexander Falls is a good alternative, which is located in the Callaghan Valley, off Callaghan Valley Road. The trail is 500m there and back.
Red Heather – Located in Garibaldi Provincial Park, this is one of the more challenging hikes to access. Red Heather has the same trailhead as Elfin Lakes and is located at the end of Garibaldi Park Road outside of Squamish. In the winter, you must have chains to travel the last 2km along the road, so be prepared to hike an additional 2km each way without them. The trail follows an old forestry road for 5km to the Red Heather Hut, with 400m of elevation gain. It’s a steady uphill, but it’s not challenging. This is one of the longer trails on the list, a total of 10km from the main parking lot.
Edwards Hut – Located in Tetrahedron Provincial Park on the Sunshine Coast, this is the hardest trail to access. Winter tires are a must along the forestry roads and chains may also be required pending the conditions. It may be necessary to park at the lower lot, which adds 1km to the trail in each direction. It’s 5km to the Edwards Hut, but under 100m of elevation gain. You can customize this trip, ending at Edwards Lake, or to do a loop trail around Batchelor Cabin. The total trail length is 10km from the upper lot. I have only done this one in the Fall.
Coquihalla Summit Rec Area
Falls Lake – This is a great beginner trail located just off the highway at the turnoff for Falls Lake Road. Falls Lake Road is not plowed in the winter, so you can park in the pull out and it’s a flat 4km there and back trail along the road to Falls Lake.
Zoa Subpeak – Located at the same turnoff to Falls Lake Road, this is an 8km there and back trail that covers 550m of elevation gain. The first 1 km of walking along the road is flat, but be prepared for a steep climb up Pipeline Road, followed by another steep hike through the forest. This trail isn’t staked, so be on the lookout for summer markers and be prepared with GPS. Don’t hike beyond the subpeak as the trail to the true peak passes through avalanche terrain. The best view is from the subpeak!
Ottomite Peak – Located at the Zopkios Rest Stop, this is an 8km there and back trail with 300m of elevation gain. This is an easier and less busy alternative to Zoa Peak. However, this trail is not staked, so make sure you are prepared with GPS navigation. Do not continue on the trail to Iago Peak as this will take you into challenging avalanche terrain.
E.C. Manning Park
Shadow Lake – Located at the Strawberry Flats parking lot, this is a 4km there and back trail across flat terrain that is popular among beginners. It’s shown on the park snowshoe map and I’m pretty sure it’s a staked trail. Hike through the forest to the edge of Shadow Lake and take advantage of the strawberry flats warming hut on the way back. Some people continue on to the 3 Falls Trail, but I don’t recommend this as it passes through complex avalanche terrain.
Lightning Lakes – Located at the Lightning Lakes parking lot, follow the trail around the first lake and/or the second lake. If the conditions are appropriate, you can even snowshoe across the lake itself, but make sure to return to the trail before the second lake as the river between the two lakes doesn’t normally freeze. You can customize the trail length to do one or both lakes and the trail is completely flat.
Similkameen River – Located at the Windy Joe parking lot, this is a there and back trail that hikes through the forest along the river. You can customize the length, hiking as far as you want and then turning around. There is a bridge 2.5km in that you can cross, but the trail on the other side of the river is cross-country ski only in the winter, so just return the way you came without crossing the bridge.
Poland Lake – Located at the base of the ski resort, this is a more strenuous trail and not recommended for beginners. Park at the base of the resort and follow signs for uphill travel along the long green ski run for 2km. Once you reach the top, you’ll see a sign for backcountry access and you can follow the trail for another 4km to Poland Lake. If staying overnight, you have to park at Strawberry Flats and hike from there. As a day trip, it’s 12km with over 500m of elevation gain.
In the spirit of helping more people get hiking on some of western Canada’s most iconic trails, I decided to create a backpacking guide for the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park. I hiked this trail over 3 nights in 2023 and had a fantastic time. I attribute most of the fun to my phenomenal hiking partners, but the beautiful scenery on the trail also made the experience unforgettable. I’ve already published a 2-part trail report, which you can read starting here, as well as a guide to Kootenay National Park. I’ve consolidated all of my Rockwall-specific knowledge here for those planning to hike the trail. Reservations for the 2026 season release at 7am PST on January 26, 2026 (8am MST).
The Trail
The Rockwall Trail is a 54km thru-hike located in Kootenay National Park in BC. You can hike the trail in either direction and there are several exit points that connect to the highway if you want to shorten your hike. The two main trailheads are located off Highway 93 at the Floe Lake and Paint Pots Trailheads. There are 5 campgrounds on the trail, with the most popular campsite at Floe Lake. Most people hike the trail over 3-5 days, depending on fitness level.
At 54km in length, the Rockwall Trail is not the longest trail in the Rockies, but there is a significant amount of elevation gain, so don’t underestimate it. The hike starts in the forest on both ends of the trail, climbing up towards the alpine, which runs between Helmet Falls and Floe Lake with 3 steep passes along the way. While Floe Lake is very popular, the trail takes its namesake from the large rock wall that runs between Helmet Falls and Tumbling Creek, which in my opinion, is the real highlight!
If you don’t like backpacking, you can visit Floe Lake as a day hike, but it is a 22km round trip hike, with 750m of elevation, so it’s a big day. I don’t recommend day hikes from any of the other trail entrances – unless you’re a trail runner – but the alternative trail entrances from Numa Creek and Tumbling Creek Trails offer the opportunity to shorten your backpacking trip.
Time of Year
The best time of year to hike the Rockwall Trail is in the Summer or early Fall. If you go in late-June or early-July, be aware that there may still be snow on some of the trails. If you go later in the summer, it’s more likely that your trip might be impacted by wildfires. While most people prefer to backpack in the summer, late September is also popular due to the colourful larch trees near Floe Lake. However, you should be prepared for snow and cold conditions at this time of year. I hiked the trail at the very end of August and had great conditions.
Getting There
Unfortunately, this park is not accessible by public transit. Similar to other popular Canadian parks, the easiest way to access is by driving. The park is located on Highway 93, which is a 50 minute drive to the Floe Lake Trailhead from either Banff or Radium. The added challenge with the Rockwall Trail is that, because it’s a thru-hike, you will either need 2 cars, 1 at each trailhead, or plan to hitchhike between the two parking lots. I parked a car at each trailhead, which is the easiest option, but hitchhiking is not uncommon along this route and is relatively safe. I recommend making friends along the trail and looking for a ride from another hiker.
There is a large parking lot at the Paint Pots trailhead, but the Floe Lake trailhead is much smaller, so you may have to wait for a parking space to open up. I’ve also heard that break-ins are not uncommon at the Floe Lake trailhead, so make sure not to leave valuables in your vehicle.
Permits
Like most popular hikes in the Rockies, securing your camping permits will likely be the hardest part of your trip. This is a popular trail and it attracts crowds every year. If you’re doing a day hike, you don’t need a permit for the trail, just the National Park Pass (discussed below). But if you want to try and get camping permits, then it’s important to mark your calendar with the permit release date.
The permit release date for 2026 is January 26, 2026 at 7am PST. Permits are $10 per person, per night (plus a booking fee) and they will disappear fast, so you need to be ready to book right when they release. I will try and update the release dates for permits every year, but they are usually announced by Parks Canada in late November or early December for the following year – so keep an eye on their page of release dates in future years. To make your bookings, visit https://reservation.pc.gc.ca/.
Once booking opens, select “backcountry” in the tabs along the top of the booking page, and then select “backcountry zone”. Next, select “Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho Backcountry” as your park and select your start date and access point. There are 3 options for access points along the Rockwall Trail: Floe Lake, Numa Falls, and Paint Pots. Numa Falls is only used if you’re doing a shorter version of the trail. If you want to hike south, select Paint Pots; if you want to hike north, select Floe Lake. If you have trouble getting your preferred itinerary, you can always try reversing direction or using different start dates.
Once you start your search, you will be forced to build your itinerary day by day. At the top of the page, you’ll see a dropdown menu where you can select your campsite and “add to stay”. Instead of building your itinerary this way, you can scroll down to the map and click on the “calendar” tab in the left sidebar to see a list of all available campsites per night. This is an easier way to see what’s available and build your itinerary. If you don’t see what you want, try refreshing or reversing your itinerary by updating your access point. People are constantly adding and changing dates and campsites in a rush to get their preferred itinerary, so the trick is to frequently refresh. Just because you don’t see a site available right away, doesn’t mean it won’t show up later if you keep refreshing.
My recommendation is to take what you can get and make changes later. If Floe Lake is not available, book Numa Creek and move on to the next day before those dates book up too. Once you have secured a booking for each of the dates in your itinerary, go back and look for cancellations. Keep refreshing until you see one, and then make a change to your booking to add it. This does cost more as you have to pay a small change fee, but it offers more flexibility in ensuring you at least get something. I wasn’t able to book Floe Lake when I made my original booking, but I was able to get a cancellation for it afterwards. You can track cancellations on Schnerp, which will notify you when a site opens up.
Here’s a few tips for getting your camping permits:
Get on the booking website 15 minutes early using as many devices as possible (computers, phones, ipads, etc). At release time, everyone on the website is entered into a random generator that assigns you a position in the queue. All of your devices will be assigned a place in line, then proceed to book your permits on whatever device has the shortest queue.
Once you get access, be flexible with both your starting date and itinerary. Use the “calendar” option to see available dates at each campsite. Consider shortening your itinerary by exiting on the Numa Creek or Tumbling Falls Trails.
If you don’t see any availability, keep refreshing for at least 15 minutes. With so many people trying to book campsites, dates are always disappearing and then becoming available again, so if you don’t see anything, keep refreshing.
Be prepared that you might not get what you want. Book alternative sites and sign up for cancellation notifications on Schnerp.
National Park Pass
In addition to backpacking permits, which are specific to your campsite, you must also have a National Park Pass. These are much easier to obtain – there is no booking period and the number of passes are not restricted. The most common option is to purchase the discovery pass, which is available for $150 for a family, or $75 per person. It’s essentially an annual pass that covers everyone in your car. You leave it hanging in the car while you’re on the trail and it acts as a parking pass. If you have two cars, then you would need two passes. Alternatively, you can buy single adult day passes for everyone, which are $11 per person, per day. However, in 2025 and 2026, Canadians can obtain the Canada Strong Pass for free, which includes a free discovery pass and 25% off bookings! You can purchase passes online, in advance, or in person at the Kootenay and Banff park entrances.
Campsites
There are 5 backcountry campsites located along the trail, so there are multiple options for where to stay, which provides some flexibility when planning your itinerary and securing bookings. The campsites are pretty equally spaced along the trail, so it is easy to plan for a more relaxed itinerary, or you can plan your sites further apart if your itinerary is more aggressive. I’ll discuss itineraries below, but here’s an overview of the campsites running from north to south. They all include outhouses and bear lockers, and require valid permits for overnight use.
Helmet-Ochre Junction – This is the most accessible campground on the trail, located 6km from the Paint Pots trailhead. It’s located along the river at a trail junction and has 6 tent sites. It’s a nice enough campground, but it’s often overlooked in favour of the more popular/scenic campsites. If you can’t get permits for Helmet Falls, this is a good alternative. It’s also a great option if you’re starting late in the day and don’t want to hike too far.
Helmet Falls – This is a beautiful campground located at the base of Helmet Falls, which cascades down the valley from Helmet Mountain. There are 18 tent sites and you can enjoy the view from the picnic area at the back of the campground. This is a great option to camp before or after you’ve hiked along the Rockwall.
Tumbling Creek – This campground is located at the bottom of the valley between Rockwall Pass and Tumbling Pass. There’s 18 tent sites and easy access to the river with nice views. This is a great option to camp before or after you’ve hiked along the Rockwall. You can also come direct to the campground along the Tumbling Creek Trail, which starts at the Paint Pots trailhead.
Numa Creek – This is the lowest elevation campground on the trail and is located between Tumbling Pass and Numa Pass. There’s 18 tent sites and easy river access. This is a great place to camp on your way to or from Floe Lake. You can also come direct to the campgound along the Numa Creek Trail, which starts at the Numa Falls trailhead.
Floe Lake – This is the most popular campground on the trail. If you can score a permit for this campground, do not hesitate to book it. The entire trail is very scenic, but Floe Lake is definitely the most scenic campground. It has 18 tent sites and is located 11km from the Floe Lake trailhead.
Itineraries
Planning this trail is pretty straight forward because it is a linear thru-hike. Your main decisions will be what direction to hike and over how many days. Here are a few recommendations based on how many nights you plan to spend on the trail. And here’s a useful trail graphic from Parks Canada, noting the distance between each campsite.
1-Night: Your best option if you only have 1 night is to camp at Floe Lake, hiking in and out from that trailhead. Add on 2km each way to hike up to the top of the nearby pass for a fantastic birds-eye view of Floe Lake. Alternatively, if you really want to see the Rockwall, you could spend 1 night at Helmet Falls and hike out via the Rockwall and Tumbling Creek Trail. You just have to be prepared for a big 20km day on day 2.
2-Night: 2 nights is probably the most awkward itinerary, because you can hike most of the trail, but it’s ambitious to do the whole thing. If you want to do the whole trail, I’d recommend camping at Helmet Falls and Numa Creek, which requires you to hike two 20km days back to back. If you don’t want to do the whole trail, hike north, camping at Floe Lake, followed by Tumbling Creek, and exit on the Tumbling Creek Trail. Or hike south, camping at Helmet Falls, followed by Numa Creek, and exit on the Numa Creek Trail. Hiking north allows you to visit Floe Lake, while hiking south allows you to hike the Rockwall. If you want to hit both, you have to do the whole trail.
3-Night: I did the trail in 3-nights, which I thought was a good length. Plan for your first and third nights at either Floe Lake or Helmet Falls (doesn’t matter which direction you go), and then your second night at either Tumbling Creek or Numa Creek. You will have one long day with this itinerary, but you can plan it around whether you’d like to have extra time at Floe Lake or on the Rockwall. I hiked south and camped at Numa Creek, meaning I had lots of time to relax at Floe Lake on my last night.
4-Night: This is the most relaxed itinerary. Do the trail in either direction and camp at Floe Lake, Numa Creek, Tumbling Creek, and Helmet Falls. You’ll have lots of time to enjoy Floe Lake, the Rockwall, and Helmet Falls.
The Road Goes Ever On 