Silverton Falls Canyon
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| | Raps:5-6, max ↨66ft
Red Tape: Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 8 Aug 2025
"Solid flows, too strong to rappel in the torrent. Most anchors do place you slightly outside the torrent. All anchors are bolts and in good condition. |
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| Best season: | July-September
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51.2737, -115.9079
51.2689, -115.9159
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Waterflow
Introduction[edit]
Silverton Falls Canyon is a short but fairly intense Class C slot in Banff. Flows are strong all summer, but decrease somewhat by August.
All rappels are bolted, and most of the route can be scouted from the rim on the approach. However, it is fully committing once you enter.
Being so fun and so accessible, this one is not to be missed if you are in the area.
Approach[edit]
Follow the GPS track on the well-defined hikers trail until reaching the lower falls of the canyon. Observe the water level.
From here, backtrack barely 10 meters and veer off trail to climb up the steep slope for a few minutes on a less defined trail.
This trail is never too far from the canyon, and after barely 15 minutes (or less) it will lead you right to the drop of the canyon. Suit up here, with an obvious anchor on canyon right to start the descent.
Descent[edit]
R1 20m: first rappel and entry into the slot is a webbing anchor off a log on the rim of canyon right. This rappel is two stage, first dropping you in, and then down a thundering waterfall.
R2 15m: Excellent bolts on canyon left.
R3 15m: Bolts up on left. However immediately after this is a jump, which you should scout first by having the first person rappel into the frothy pool. It's best to make this rappel around 30 meters to reach the jump pool.
R4 12m: Down a fantastic waterfall into a deep pool, with a floating disconnect.
R5 5m: The bolt is at knee level on canyon left, and you'll have to rappel in a calf-deep current over a lip and avoid a sharp log in the waterfall. Though tiny, this is probably the hardest rappel of the canyon.
From here there are a few small downclimbs and then you can exit the canyon on the right when it opens up.
Exit[edit]
Exit on canyon right, bushwhack just a few minutes to the trail you came in on, and walk back to your vehicle.
Red tape[edit]
Please fill out a FREE Self-Certification Aquatic Invasive Species permit at the trailhead prior to entering. Your gear must be cleaned, dried, and not have been recently used in distant regions, in order to prevent transmissions of invasive species into Banff's streams and waterways.
Doing so is free and easy. Full info at: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/nautiques-sports/nettoyez-videz-sechez-clean-drain-dry
Beta sites[edit]
Trip reports and media[edit]
Background[edit]
Silverton Falls may be used as an ice climbing route in the winter. It may have first been used for ice climbing, and then canyoneers decided to start descending it in the summer.