 | Yoho National Park Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 108 |  |
Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (108) Sitting at a picnic table when we arrived at Yoho with the rain gently falling - who should appear but this little fellow - he was a lot more timid than his Banff cousins but still kept appearing from behind the trees to let me capture him on film. Just as we were heading back to the car park after spending a lovely day here we spotted a red squirrel, he seemed unperturbed by our presence and just got on with his munchings. The red squirrel goes by two other names = the pine squirrel and my favourite the chickaree Leave a Comment Address: Yo Ho National ParkPhone: 20 345 6783Directions: Off Trans Canadian Highway one mile from Field take the Yoho Valley Road to the parking lot - all well sign postedWebsite: www.pc.gc.ca
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At Emerald Lake there is a lot of information on Mount Burgess. The mountain's shale contains the worlds richest deposits of rare fossils found by Charles Doolittle Walcott in 1909. Hard to imagine sea creatures on top of a mountain side, the fossils have been resting here since dinosaurs walked the Earth. This is a protected area and must be treated with respect - it is illegal to remove any rocks from the mountains. If every visitor just took even a tiny piece it wouldn't be there and history would be lost to all of us. Leave a Comment Address: Yo Ho National ParkDirections: Just off highway 1 at Field follow the Yo ho valley road then a little further to Emerald Lake
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Whether you like hiking trails or just a bit of a meander in Summer sunshine or maybe, as in our case, sunshine and showers, Yo Ho National Park and near by Emerald lake fits the bill perfectly. Summers are sadly very short in this part of the Canadian Rockies making July and August the busiest times. We took a walk around the lovely Emerald Lake and were delighted to come across so many colourful and varied wild flowers. The plants and flowers perfume the air and make good use of the short growing season by producing their pretty flowers in abundance Leave a Comment Address: Yo Ho National ParkDirections: Just off the Trans Canadian Highway 1 turn off at Field sign posted Yoho Valley RoadWebsite: www.pc.gc.ca
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This legendary beauty takes a little work to get to. I hesitated to put this tip on my page, but part of me is torn to share this wonderous place with others. Even though coming here takes some planning, just remember one day you will stand on a cliff overlooking Lake O'Hara and thank your God that places like this exist. The layer upon layer of breathtaking scenery, turquoise water, waterfalls, and A-list hiking make this destination a top life-time experience.
There is a huge bear population here, so don' t be surprised if some trails are closed off due to bear sightings. Other wildlife you might see are picas, marmots, and snowy-white mountain goats. The other not-so-pleasant wildlife are biting deer flies. If you don't hike, plan to spend up to 4 hours here; if you do hike, you may never want to go home.
Access to the Lake O'Hara region is closely regulated by the Park Service for many reasons, including keeping this area as pristine as possible and letting wildlife live with as little disturbance as possible. Only 42 day users are allowed per day, so it does take a little planning to get here. Please carefully read the website below for details on reserving for your trip here; access is only by the Parks bus system. Leave a Comment Phone: (250)343-6433Directions: On the left side of the Trans Canada, about 10 minutes past Lake Louise, there is a parking lot for Lake O'Hara, it is well-signed. There will be a shelter-like "bus stop". Be 15-20 minutes early for loading.Website: http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/Yoho/activ/activ15a_E.asp Other Contact: see website for all details
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It was cloudy with rain when we decided to take the twenty five mile drive from Lake Louise to Alberta's neighbouring province of British Columbia. The drive from Lake Louise to Golden is a very scenic one indeed passing through the wonderful mountain scenery of the massive Continental Divide. We stopped in a layby to view Cathedral Mountain as she towered with her snow covered peaks into the skies. The rain stopping for a while to let the summer sun peak through the clouds - a nice welcome for us to BC Leave a Comment Address: Kicking Horse Pass British ColumbiaDirections: On the Transcanadian Highway 1
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Emerald Lake is the "jewel" of Yoho National Park. it's incredible green color is created by glacial rock flour, which positively glows in the right light. The lake can look pretty ordinary or blow you away, depending on what time of day you are there. Unfortunately, this lake is a huge tourist draw; the best time to come is in late May, when the ice is off the water, and the summer tourist crowds haven't come yet. September/October is a great time to visit as well.
There is a 5 km scenic, flat trail that goes right around the lake, and takes about an hour to hike at a fairly brisk walk. A fair part of the trail is wheelchair accessible. Many other more difficult hiking trails start off from Emerald Lake as well. On a hot summer day, the water just gets warm enough to take a quick dip.
The rustic upscale Emerald Lake Lodge is located along it's shores, and it is worth it to stop by and spend some time by the lake, then have lunch at the lodge and envy those people who get to stay and wake up to it's beauty on a daily basis. Leave a Comment Directions: Look to your right for the turn-off heading west on the Trans Canada Highway; Emerald Lake is about 20 minutes west of the Lake Louise turn-off.
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If you have the time and chance to visit Lake O'Hara, make sure you take some time to do some of the spectacular hikes there. Lake O'Hara has a choice of several trails from shorter once to day hikes and longer.
One of the most popular and easiest trails in the Lake O'Hara area is the Lake Oesa Trail. You can find the trailhead on the Lake O'Hara Shoreline Trail close to the eastern end of the lake. The trail is 3.2 km (2 miles)one way and about 240m elevation gain.
Lake Oesa is a beautiful lake and this hike is definitely worth a visit! Leave a Comment
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One of the highest waterfalls in Canada, Takkakaw Falls is a highly-visited area, but very much worth the trip. You can visit late June to early October, and be forewarned that the road is very steep with lots of switchbacks.
Some very scenic hikes also start from Takkakaw Falls (more on the difficult side), but there is some foot paths that do go around and near the falls. I do recommend you bring hand sanitizer if you wish to use the facilities, as more often than not, the water for the sinks is not working. Leave a Comment Address: Yoho Valley RoadDirections: It's best to get a Parks Map when you enter at the gate to show you where it is exactly off the Trans Canada. The Yoho Valley Road turn-off is well-signed.
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The Natural Bridge is located not too far from Emerald Lake. It was formed by the natural force of the Kicking Horse River for thousands of years on the limestone rock. This isn't a picture of Natural Bridge at it's best, as spring melt wasn't in full force yet, but can give you an idea of how forceful the water can be.
It's tempting to try and get a picture of onseself on the bridge, as I have found many tourists trying to attempt, but it's very dangerous to go past the fenced areas. The rock can be quite slippery due to water mist or spray, and a fall can be fatal here.
There is a small hiking trail around the area. Leave a Comment Directions: 3 km or 5 min. west of Field, BC; for the best idea of how to get there, refer to your Park map, that is in The Mountain Guide (obtained at the park gate)
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The Iceline Trail is a premier hiking trail that starts near Takkakaw Falls. If you can do one hike in this area, this is it. This hike I would classify as high moderate, so something not to attempt if you are only used to strolling around the block. The trail covers a 22 km loop, but most people are satisfied with hiking up to Emerald Glacier, and wandering around the moraines.
If you do make it here, the vistas are fabulous; you get to snuggle up close to a glacier, and you feel like you're in Mother Nature's living room. The seating under Emerald Glacier is naturally formed step-like sofas out of rock along glacial moraines, and your "tv" is watching mini avalanches coming off from the glacier. It's great fun to explore the moraines and discover little waterfalls here and there, coming off the melting glacier. Leave a Comment Directions: Take the Yoho Valley Road oand follow it in almost to Takkakaw falls. Park by the Whiskey Jack HI hostel (on the road, hikers are not allowed in their lot). Follow the access road past the hostel on foot, and the trailhead is clearly marked.
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on January 27, 2007
on February 18, 2006
on February 11, 2005
