Marble Canyon, Kootenay National Park
Marble Canyon
A narrow limestone canyon in Kootenay National Park. Cross seven small bridges to look down at emerald rapids, and visit the ochre paint pots nearby.
Marble Canyon lies beside Highway 93 in Kootenay National Park, about 40 minutes' drive from Banff town. Tokumm Creek has cut a narrow gorge about 40 metres deep and only a few metres wide through white dolomitic limestone. The loop trail is about 1.6 km long and crosses seven small bridges, offering views of the emerald rapids and a waterfall at the end of the canyon. Along the way is young forest that has regrown since the 2003 wildfire. About 3 km south are the Paint Pots, where Indigenous peoples once gathered red ochre clay to make pigment. A Parks Canada pass is required. The full visit takes about 1 hour.
Opening hours
Open all day (winter trails may be icy)
Nearby sights
- Moraine Lake
- Larch Valley & Sentinel Pass
- Morant's Curve
- Lake Louise
- Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House
- Lake Louise Gondola & Ski Resort
- Lake Agnes Tea House
- Lake O'Hara