This is a fun little 1.2 mile hike right off the main highway in Kootenay National Park in British Columbia, Canada. As beautiful as the Banff-Windermere Highway is, Josh and I wanted to check out a hiking trail.
The Paint Pots Trail starts by winding through some trees. Shortly you come to a bridge crossing over the sparkling clear Vermillion River.
The trail then crosses an open area of scrub, oddly colored mud, and trickling water. The strange color of the mud is actually ochre beds which have been mined in this area for a very long time. Artifacts from local native tribes and more recent industrial mining are littered along the trail. There is a good bit of signage making this an educational hike as well.
Finally the trail ends at several ponds formed by natural springs which feed the trickling water below. The trail returns by the same path.
This is a fun hike that you can breeze through or take your time and enjoy. We spent a good bit of time trying to get the perfect camera shots on Josh’s camera. Not sure if those ever came out? Thanks for reading. rk
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