Hiking to the Paint Pots in Kootenay National Park

The Paint Pots are a collection of iron-rich mineral hot springs in beautiful Kootenay National Park that have colored the surrounding earth and water with various shades of red, orange, yellow, and bright green, giving the appearance of paint pots.

This hike to the Paint Pots is easy and doable for all. At just 2.1 km out and back with minimal elevation gain, it’s one of the easiest hikes in the Canadian Rockies.

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About the Hike

The trailhead is just 3km from the Marble Canyon trailhead, so it makes for a great combo day to do both.

After you park, you’ll enter the forest for just a few minutes before emerging to a beautiful bridge that crosses over the Vermilion River. Take a minute to admire the color of the water before crossing.

After crossing the river, the trail meanders through a stunning evergreen forest before opening up to a large open meadow. Up until this point, there has been no elevation gain, which is what makes this such a great trail for everyone.

The trail opens up to a muddy path, but don’t worry, you’ll soon find an elevated boardwalk that will help you bypass the muddy mess that the creek has created.

Don’t forget to look down and enjoy all the colors beneath your feet. The ochre color is unlike anything we’ve ever seen elsewhere in the Canadian Rockies. We’ve hiked this trail on bright sunny days, and rainy days, and the color, although more vibrant in the sun, still is quite vibrant under a gloomy sky.

Crossing the boardwalk, you’ll come across old mining equipment, as the ochre beds were mined at the turn of the 20th century.

Once you get to the end of the boardwalk, you’ll find yourself back on a trail and starting to gain just the slightest bit of elevation until you reach the Paint Pots.

The Paint Pots are a series of deep pools of water, that very in color. We particularly like the deep orange pot, but there is also a stunning greenish/blue pot that just sparkles under the sun. Once done enjoying, you can return the same way you came, or take the Marble Canyon connector trail to Marble Canyon if you haven’t been there yet.

What Creates the Color?

The Paint Pots are rich in iron, which has stained the ground and the surrounding area when mixed with the creek.

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Preparing for this Walk

The trail is often muddy, unless it’s been a particularly dry summer. It’s best not to wear your favorite shoes on this trail as they are likely to get dirty.

Winter Hiking

Because the main thing attracting visitors to this hike is the color of the Paint Pots, we don’t think it’s a worthwhile winter hike. The Paint Pots typically freeze over in the winter.

First Nations Importance

The area has been used for thousands of years by the Ktunaxa people for red ochre used in ceremonies and art. They would make walnut-sized balls of clay and flatten them into cakes before baking them.

Are the Paint Pots Worth Venturing To?

Because the Paint Pots are not much of a hike and more of a walk that only takes an hour or less, we wouldn’t make a trip out just for them. Instead, we usually advise visitors to combine the Paint Pots with Marble Canyon or with a longer hike nearby, like Boom Lake.

Also near the Paint Pots are Numa Falls, just a few-minute drive away – which we highly recommend stopping at!