How Floe Lake campground books: the January backcountry launch, the July 10 start, the Rockwall's 3-night rule and when cancelled nights come back.
About
Floe Lake sits under the Rockwall in Kootenay National Park, a turquoise lake beneath a limestone cliff that Parks Canada says towers more than 900 m above the trail in places. It's the southern end of the Rockwall, one of the best-known multi-day routes in the Canadian Rockies, and Parks Canada calls the Floe Lake trail one of the most popular day hikes in the park.
The trail, from Parks Canada's Kootenay hikes page:
- 10.8 km one way, 1,120 m elevation gain
- Rated difficult; about 7 hours return as a day hike, or 2 days
- Trailhead: the Floe Lake parking lot, 72 km east of Radium Hot Springs on Highway 93 South
The full Rockwall is 54.1 km one way over three alpine passes, usually 3 to 5 days, and it needs a vehicle shuttle between trailheads. Parks Canada recommends mid-July to early October; higher sections are snowbound until early to mid-July. Long sections of trail past the campground were left poorly defined by the 2017 wildfires.
The sites
Parks Canada doesn't publish a site count for Floe Lake on its backpacking page. The rules for Kootenay's backcountry campgrounds, from the Kootenay backpacking page:
- Maximum of 4 people and 1 tent per tent pad
- Maximum stay of 3 consecutive nights
- Maximum group of 10 people and 5 tents per reservation
- Camp only where your permit says; no random camping
- No fires in any backcountry campground
- Tent pads, dry toilets, picnic tables and food storage cables or lockers
You need a backcountry permit and a national park pass. Bear warnings for the Rockwall trails, Floe Lake included, were in place in late summer 2026, so carry bear spray and check the trail conditions report before you go.
How booking works
Floe Lake is booked through the Parks Canada Reservation Service at reservation.pc.gc.ca or 1-877-737-3783, as part of the Banff, Kootenay and Yoho backcountry launch.
- 2026 launch: Monday, January 26 at 8:00am MT
- 2027: not announced yet. Expect late January, based on 2026.
- Parks Canada doesn't book Floe Lake until July 10, so the bookable season starts later than most.
A non-refundable reservation fee applies to every booking. Parks Canada says advance reservations are needed for most sites in July, August and September.
Last checked: October 2026.
When it sells out
Parks Canada says the Rockwall campgrounds "book out early in the season". Floe Lake is a natural first or last night of the trip, so summer weekends are the hardest nights to get. Because Rockwall hikers book whole itineraries on launch morning, a single free night at Floe Lake can be hard to slot into a trip.
How to get a cancellation
From the Parks Canada reservation policies for backcountry camping:
- Cancel 3 or more days before arrival: full refund, less the non-refundable reservation fee (C$11.50 online) and the cancellation fee (C$11.50 online).
- Cancel later, but before 2pm on the arrival day: the same, minus the first night's fees.
- Changes are allowed until 2pm on the arrival day.
So nights come back as people pass the 3-day mark, and again in the final days when weather or bear warnings change plans.
Watch Floe Lake on Canada Camp Alerts and we'll email you when a night you picked goes from full to bookable. A night counts as open when any tent pad on it is free, and each night is judged on its own. We don't match your party size or hold anything; you book on the Parks Canada site.
The free plan covers one watch, with email alerts 15 minutes after we spot the opening. The season pass (C$25 once, 12 months, no auto-renew) gives up to 10 watches, handy for watching several Rockwall campgrounds at once, with instant alerts by email, Telegram or web push.
Tips
- Do it as an out-and-back. If a full Rockwall itinerary won't line up, one or two nights at Floe Lake is a trip in itself.
- Watch the shoulder. Mid-July and September nights are worth watching as well as August weekends.
- Check closures. Parks Canada lists Numa Creek Trail as closed until further notice after a bridge washout.
Nearby alternatives
Not announced yet. Floe Lake books in the Banff, Kootenay and Yoho backcountry launch, which in 2026 was Monday, January 26 at 8am MT. Expect late January again, based on 2026.
Parks Canada doesn't book Floe Lake campground until July 10. Higher parts of the trail are usually snowbound until early to mid-July.
Backcountry changes and cancellations are allowed until 2pm on the arrival day. Cancelling 3 or more days out gets a full refund less fees; inside that, the first night is lost too.
This watch covers Floe Lake campground only. Alerts are per night for Floe Lake, so for a Rockwall itinerary watch each campground's nights you need, or the Banff, Kootenay and Yoho backcountry watch.