Marble Canyon

· by · in Hikes. ·
Picture10

The new growth forest surrounding Marble Canyon

The Rockies have lots of excellent canyons which are readily accessible. Whilst at Johnston Canyon, in Banff National Park, you are right inside the canyon walls, at Marble Canyon you hike alongside the top edges of the canyon and really look down to the creek below. Marble Canyon is in Kootenay National Park, and is a great alternative if Johnston Canyon is busy during the summer.

The parking lot can get busy, especially in summer, but this time I visited at the end of September so parking wasn’t a problem.

Picture12

The Kootenay River leaving the canyon

From the parking lot you’ll start at where the Kootenay River exits the canyon and then it’s a short climb up will bring you to the edge of the canyon – don’t worry though there are handrails everywhere!

Picture7

A much narrower canyon than Johnston Canyon

Picture6

So many great photo opportunities

Picture1

Where the canyon narrows it gets a little trickier to see the water

Though most of the walk is the same as the way that you’ll return on, there are a couple of sections where you can walk a circuit around the canyon. It doesn’t take long to wander around the canyon and there are so many great places for photographs that there’s no need to rush.

Picture4

The trees would have been right up to the canyon’s edges before the forest fire

Picture5

Taken from one of the bridges crossing the canyon

Picture3

The bright green of the new-growth forest makes a nice contrast to the grey limestone of the canyon

When I was there in late September the water was a beautiful turquoise in colour. When you reach the furthest point of the marked trails you’ll be able to see the falls where the Kootenay River drops into the canyon.

Picture8

The Kootenay River entering Marble Canyon

Picture9

The falls at the top of the canyon

There’s lots of bridges criss-crossing over the canyon so you can really get a great look down into the canyon.

Picture11

Parks Canada’s ‘Red Chairs’ at the end of the canyon

© RockiesOutdoors 2015.

21 responses to “Marble Canyon”

    • Yes, there’s a couple that I know of. There’s Rat’s Nest Cave near Canmmore where there’s guided caving and then there’s Castleguard Cave but I think it’s restricted access. There’s a couple in Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park too. 🙂

      Like

  11. Pingback: Five Shortish Hikes in the Canadian Rockies | rockiesoutdoors·

  12. Pingback: Stanley Glacier | rockiesoutdoors·

Leave a comment