Yoho National Park
Contiguous with both Kootenay and Banff National Parks, Yoho provides yet more spectacular Rocky Mountain scenery. The word ‘Yoho’ means magnificent or awesome in the Cree language. The mountains here may be a little lower than Mount Robson, but Yoho National Park has 28 peaks over 3,000 metres (9,842 feet) high, plus numerous glaciers and (weather permitting) some mirror-like mountain lakes. The National Park was established in 1896 and covers 205 hectares (507 square miles). The Trans Canada Highway and the Transcontinental Railway both struggle through this rugged country, demonstrating the extent to which the Rockies were a barrier to the creation of Canada.
Yoho River & Yoho Glacier
OK, this isn’t the clearest view of a glacier, but that white stuff in the distance is the Yoho glacier. If you are sceptical about the glacier, look at the water in the Yoho River. The muddy blue-green colour is typical of glacier melt water.
Emerald Lake
Weather was definitely permitting on the day that we visited Yoho National Park, with picture postcard favourite Emerald Lake gave us a near perfect reflection of the surrounding mountains. An easy 5 kilometre (3 mile) trail around the lake allows the scenery and reflection to be appreciated from numerous viewpoints.
Natural Bridge
The Kicking Horse River got its name in 1858 when a pack horse kicked explorer James Hector in the chest near Wapta Falls (below). Further up river, the Kicking Horse once flowed over the top of this limestone cliff, but it has has now carved through the rock leaving a natural bridge over the river.
Takakkaw Falls
Yoho National Park is home to the third highest waterfall in Canada. Plunging from the top of the cliff, Takakkaw Falls have a free fall of 254 metres (833 feet).
Wapta Falls
This shot shows the Kicking Horse River plunging over the 30 metre (100 foot) high Wapta Falls. We walked the 2.4 kilometre (1.5 mile) trail fairly early in the morning and were the only people there. Later at the Visitor Centre we discovered that a considerable amount of bear activity had been reported near the trail to the falls, but we had seen nothing. The bears must have heard us coming!
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© Mike Elsden 1981 - 2023
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