Hike Alberta
Tower LakeRockbound Lake 2 km N
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Rockbound Lake

Near Castle Junction · Banff National Park

Moderate · Out and back · Official trail

Rockbound Lake below Helena Ridge
Rockbound Lake below Helena Ridge. Photo by Harpsz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 80 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

Tower Lake 2 km Open the map

About this trail

Rockbound Lake is a 17.5 km out and back trail near Castle Junction in Banff National Park. It runs 8.7 km each way. The route gains 813 m in total and tops out at 2,224 m. Hike Alberta rates it moderate, and Parks Canada rates it moderate. Allow about 6 hours 30 minutes of moving time. It passes three mapped trail junctions. Along the way you pass Tower Lake and Rockbound Lake and Tower lake viewpoint. Also used for trail running and horseback riding.

Length
17.5km
8.7 km each way
Elevation gain
813m
Estimated time
6h30min
Moving time
Route
Out and back
Highest point
2,224m
Lowest point
1,449m

Elevation profile

1,449 m to 2,224 m
2,2241,449 0 km8.8 km

Highest point 2,224 m, lowest 1,449 m, 813 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 38% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 100% of route

0% LTE · 100% 5G

Longest modelled gap
0.0 km
Model
2024 · Natural Resources Canada

Predicted coverage is not guaranteed. It varies by carrier, terrain, weather, device and network load, and it does not guarantee emergency service.

Along the way

  1. 0.0 kmRockbound Lake TrailheadTrailhead
  2. 7.4 kmTower LakeLake
  3. 7.9 kmTower lake viewpointViewpoint
  4. 8.3 kmRockbound LakeLake
  5. 8.6 kmTower Lake ViewpointViewpoint

Good for

  • Hiking, Trail running, Horseback riding
  • Dog friendly (on leash)
  • Lake, Views, Alpine

Trailhead

The trail starts at 51.2689° N, 115.9159° W.

Driving directions

Banff National Park admission

National park admission required

Buy day or annual pass

Pass details

Visitors spending time in a national park need valid daily admission or a Parks Canada Discovery Pass. Admission is separate from camping, reservations, parking and other service fees.

Information checked October 21, 2026.

Official details

Before you go

Carry an offline map and plan for no service in backcountry areas. Trails close for wildlife, fire, weather and construction. Check the official sources:

Nearby trails

All 588 trails in Banff National Park

Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL
Parks Canada trail data, Open Government Licence Canada
Elevation © Mapterhorn from NRCan HRDEM (Open Government Licence Canada) and Copernicus GLO 30