However, the park can get busy during the summer so we recommend visiting fairly early in the morning, which is also one of the best times of day to see wildlife! Yoho National Park is home to one of the most significant fossil sites in the world. ), The 5 BEST Niagara Falls Tours from Toronto, 8 BEST Stanley Park Tours in Vancouver (Advice from a Local!). Its not as well known as nearby destinations like Golden, BC, or Banff and Jasper in Alberta, but we think thats actually a good thing because its significantly less busy here, but theres still lots to do. What are the best things to see and do in Yoho National Park? Deep in the Rocky Mountains, the specimens found in this fossil bed belong to the Middle Cambrian Epoch, and it's been preserved as one of the most significant fossil beds in the world. As more and more sediment accumulated, the organisms were compressed and fossilized. Its a true bucket list stay and definitely not something you get to do every day (unless youre Scrooge McDuck, that is). What are the best campsites in Yoho National Park? If youre lucky to have Storm as your guide, hes passionate about exploring the Rockies and really brings all these amazing places to life. 8. Doesnt visiting Laughing Falls sound like a blast? 6. Yoho National Park is teeming with wildlife, so keep your eyes peeled. Its also nice to be riding in a comfy 44 that can go where tour buses cant. Although many of its highlights are accessible by road, Yoho is also a hikers dream and a railway buffs delight. And if not, youll need to wait until the following year. You can also add on activities like a canoe rental on Emerald Lake or a ride on the Banff Gondola, too! Yoho National Park - Wikipedia Sitting west of Banff, just over the British Columbia border . Basically, Lake OHara is situated along an 11-kilometer (6.3 mile) access road which is all uphill, just FYI. Waterfalls. Lake Louise and Yoho National Park from Calgary or Banff, Rockies Select 2-Day Tour (Banff/Yoho National Parks), Fairmont Experience 5-Day Tour in the Rockies Banff, Jasper, and Yoho. Here are some highlights! Read more. You can see grizzly and black bears in the park during summer, and you can spot moose all year round (although these are some of the most difficult animals to spot!). Banff, Lake Louise, and Canmore are all east of Yoho National Park, but its also pretty close to Golden, BC, an underrated small town thats 58.7 kilometers (36.4 miles) west of the park. Its within the traditional territories of the Secwepemc and Ktunaxa First Nations, who used to pass through the area to go bison hunting. It really does pay to plan ahead when visiting Yoho National Park. Just picture sipping a tea and enjoying a yummy dessert while looking at a lake with mirror-like reflections. Channel Islands National Park invites visitors to a 'different world' As for facilities, Takakkaw Falls Campground has outhouse toilets, running water, a sheltered cooking and picnic area, and bear lockers. Swollen with glacial meltwater on summer afternoons, the falls plunges 1,250 feet to the floor of the Yoho Valley. Its close to the Stanley Mitchell Hut and the Little Yoho River, so theres plenty to check out nearby. Canada.ca Parks Canada National parks Yoho National Park On the western slopes of the Great Divide, glaciers and waterfalls cling to the towering peaks of Yoho National Park. Yoho National Park is home to many alpine and subalpine plants. AAA Travel Guides - Yoho National Park, BC Discover Canada's lesser known National Parks The trail is 9.3 kilometers (5.8 miles) out-and-back, so it should take you 2-3 hours depending on your pace. Theres also not the same abundance of accommodation in Yoho National Park as there is in Banff, so if you want to stay overnight make sure that you book your campsite, hotel, or hostel well in advance to avoid missing out. Banff is an hours drive from Yoho National Park, and you probably dont need us to tell you that its one of the most famous places in the Canadian Rockies. United States By mid-July the higher trail passes are snow free, and later in the month the alpine wildflowers reach their peak. If driving to Yoho National Park isnt in the plans or youre just looking for a cool experience where someone else does all the planning, a tour is a great choice! If you decide to visit in summer, make sure to try and get there before 10 am so that you can get a parking spot because the lot does fill up pretty quickly. What are the best tours to Yoho National Park? As you may have guessed already, Yoho is home to many, many hiking trails. On the border of British Columbia and Alberta sits Yoho National Park. But what we find most exciting about this tour is that it includes a night at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, a historic castle thats basically been plucked out of a storybook! The rate does include transportation to the lodge down their access road, all your meals, afternoon tea, and taxes, so that helps! This tour costs $1,590 CAD per person (or $1,154 CAD each for a group of 4), so its definitely not cheap, but given how much accommodation and renting a car in the Rockies can cost, it might not cost you that much more than it would to organize everything yourself. The restaurants were the beginning of the Mount Stephen reserve, which was renamed Yoho Park Reserve in 1901. Along the hike, visitors will learn about the fossil bed and what has been found there, in addition to having the chance to witness this geographical history up close. I mean, the good vibes are baked right into the name! The name Yoho comes from a Cree expression of awe and wonder. The fossils in Burgess Shale capture the end of the Cambrian Explosion, when, over millions of years, most major animal groups appeared in the fossil record. Its perfect for a romantic stay and theres a great upscale restaurant on site, too. In Canada, sites featuring Burgess Shale fossils are found in Yoho and Kootenay national parks. Birdlife is varied, and includes the golden eagle, white-tailed ptarmigan and the gray jay. Its all uphill and theres not really much scenery to enjoy along the way, but when you get to Lake OHara it will all be totally worth it. Its one of our favorite places in the entire country, and there are so many pristine wilderness spots to explore plus its a great ski destination during the winter! A quick heads up, most of the tent sites arent super private, but obviously, thats not such an issue if youre in a campervan or RV. Burgess Shale Fossil Hike. Its home to the Yoho Visitor Centre, which is handy for getting information about conditions before you head out on a hike, and there are lots of excellent trails close by. gravel road. Emerald Lake makes a fine morning destination, with a stop at Natural Bridge en route. A majority of those specimens contain ancient marine life that was preserved due to mud slides from the Laurentian shelf. Youll feel like you stepped into a Hallmark Christmas movie with the scenery around here and every room (which is basically a tiny cabin) has its own cozy fireplace. The word "Yoho" comes from the Cree expression meaning "awe," which is exactly how this park should be described as! Yoho National Park lies on the western slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. There are also yearly passes available Ill outline all the options more below! Yoho National Park is amazing for spotting wildlife, but this means bears like it too. Although the smallest, Yoho is part of a contiguous collection of national parks that include Banff, Jasper, and Kootenay National Parks.The whole collection of protected areas is classified as a UNESCO World . It was established as a park on October 10, 1886. whitewater rafting on the Kicking Horse River, best stops on the way from Canmore to Lake Louise, Make sure to book this full-day tour online here, Book this tour online and you can also take advantage of the buy now, pay later option, Get ready to spot grizzly bears and other amazing creatures by booking this tour online, check availability for your travel dates and book here, If you have a few days in the Rockies, grab a spot on this 2-day tour now, hike from Takakkaw Falls to Laughing Falls, reserve your spot online via the Parks Canada website, backcountry campgrounds in Yoho National Park, HI Yoho National Park Whiskey Jack Hostel, You can check availability and book a room once they re-open on Hostelworld.com, You can check availability and book on Booking.com, You can easily book one of the Yoho Chalets online here, $21.00 CAD gets your entire vehicle entry for one full day, Group/Family (up to 7 people in one vehicle) $145.25 CAD. Theres nowhere specific that you need to go to spot wildlife, but if you spend time exploring the lakes, hiking trails, and scenic spots weve been talking about in this blog then theres a good chance youll spot some interesting creatures along the way. [1] Yoho National Park is one of the 4 contiguous National Parks in the heart of Canada's Rocky Mountains, along the boundary of British Columbia and Alberta Provinces, the other Parks are Kootenay, Jasper, and Banff. When you apply, you can choose up to 6 dates and times to ride the shuttle. 11 Top-Rated Things to Do in Yoho National Park | PlanetWare Signing up enhances your TCE experience with the ability to save items to your personal reading list, and access the interactive map. And since its a private tour, you can customize it to your liking and choose to spend more time in Yoho National Park! Its a gorgeous green lake that you can hike around, canoe across, or even swim in (although the water is pretty cold!). This quiet campground is in an open meadow, half an hour away from Emerald Lake by car. Loved Emerald Lake. Related:What To Expect When Hiking Vancouver's Iconic Grouse Grind Trail. Have a stroll at the lake, then head back to Trans-Canada 1, catch some lunch in Field, and keep going east to the Yoho Valley Road for a drive to jaw-dropping Takakkaw Falls, at its best in the late afternoon. It borders Banff National Park to the east, and its very accessible. Wildflowers, such as anemones, lilies and violets, bloom in the parks lower regions. Golden is actually surrounded by six national parks, so its an awesome base for exploring the Canadian Rockies, and were actually pretty taken with its old-world downtown area, too. UNESCO World Heritage site (the others are Jasper, Banff and Kootenay national parks, and Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber provincial parks). Are electric bikes the future of green transportation? This half-day private tourfocuses mainly on famous sites in Banff National Park, like Lake Louise and Castle Junction, but also includes a visit to Yohos Emerald Lake. Instead, the Ktunaxa likely used Kicking Horse Pass to access the plains, where they hunted bison on the territory of their allies, the Cree and the Stoney-Nakoda, and traded ochre with them. Weve pitched our tent at quite a few sites in Yoho National Park but we think that Kicking Horse is the best of the bunch in terms of facilities. 5. The park is 86.7 kilometers (53.8 miles) from Banff, so it takes about an hour to drive between the two. The turn-off for the bridge is along Emerald Lake Road, so you can stop to check it out on your way to or from the famous lake! Canmore is just a little further from Yoho National Park than the destinations weve listed above, but it still only takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to make the 109 km (67.7 miles) journey by car. For something a bit more chilled, you can also head to the Twin Falls Tea House for scenic views while you sip your tea. It is located within the Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide of the Americas in southeastern British Columbia, bordered by Kootenay National Park to the south and Banff National Park to the east in Alberta. Read our disclosure policy for more info. That first trip is what ignited a lifelong passion, and it's one that continues to be fueled through pen and paper Or, in this case, a keyboard and a computer screen. The park was originally established in 1886. During the First World War, the federal government interned 8,579 Canadians and recent immigrants as prisoners of war in camps across the country. This park definitely deserves a spot on your trip through the Rocky Mountains. Adventure travel guide to Yoho National Park - Travel with the Smile The western valley floors green up in May, and by mid-June the side roads are open. If youre anything like us and love spending time in the great outdoors, then you should definitely add Yoho National Park to your list of places to visit in the Canadian Rockies. Prices range between $545 $895 CAD per night during the summer, so a stay at this place definitely doesnt come cheap, but you cant go wrong here if youre looking for a luxury stay. 10 BEST Yoho National Park Hikes | Hike Bike Travel Make yourself known to an official member of staff and/or call the national coronavirus helpline number on 1-833-784-4397. Spanning 1,313 km,2 the park features 28 mountain peaks above 3,000 metres. Yoho National Park is a key area to stop and explore when doing a Canadian road trip too. It is ONLY the best value if you are traveling alone and only plan to visit a national park for a couple of days. You can also explore the Walk in the Past educational trail which teaches you all about the history of Canadas locomotive industry and offers more great views of the tunnels. The Natural Bridge is a beautiful rock formation over the Kicking Horse River just 3 km (1.9 miles) from Field. Bordered on the east by the well-known Banff National Park and to the south by Kootenay National Park, Yoho is just barely on the western side of the Continental Divide.. Yoho National Park, though quite small and less frequently visited than nearby Banff National Park, was actually the 2 nd National Park in Canada (after . Its a sunny, laidback city with lots of culture to explore, and some of the Rockies most beautiful destinations within easy reach! Gradually, this area began to sink below sea level and fill with sea water. Immerse yourself in history and heritage in Yoho National Park. From Calgary (the closest airport), follow Trans-Canada 1 west for 125 miles to the small community of Field, near the center of the park. The Yoho Chalets are beautiful, airy chalets just steps away from the banks of the Kicking Horse River, so youve got views galore in addition to comfy beds, a stone fireplace, and a fully-equipped kitchen. They also may visit the parks three national historic sites, Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin, Kicking Horse Pass and Twin Falls Tea House, or they can take a guided tour of the Burgess Shale. While Banff is made up of both valleys and mountains, Yoho is predominantly high peaks, making it less desirable for hunting. Where the mountains meet the sea ! As is the case with everything related to Lake OHara, bookings at this lodge arent that easy to come by. Weve put together this guide containing everything you need to know to plan your visit to this awesome and underrated national park! Burgess in 1909. Spokane to Yoho National Park - 5 ways to travel via train - Rome2rio Backcountry skiing is really popular around here and the Emerald Lake Slide Path is one of the best runs in the area with unbeatable views of the President Mountain Range. This is actually the highest restaurant in Canada, and its pretty fancy, so enjoying a meal here is a real treat! Some of the steeper treks will take hikers to summits in the Canadian Rockies, with trails becoming even tougher as the rock scrambles become the norm and flat trails slowly begin phasing out. Before finding a home with TheTravel, her focus was indie publications and she has been published with Bolde, The Arts Fuse, The Silver Tongue, LI Pulse, Tattooed Heroine Magazine, and more. People might be right next to them and dont even see them, one expert says. Its the perfect way to cool off after exploring. This includes the most popular parks like Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, Glacier, Mount Revelstoke, and so much more. Its a 16.4-km (10-mile) out-and-back hike, so you can do it in a day or stay overnight at the Twin Falls Campground. Spend some time! Theres basically no cell service in Yoho National Park, so make sure you download maps offline before you go. Okay, not really, but its definitely not easy to visit Lake OHara, as there are some pretty tight restrictions on visitor numbers. At one point, some prisoners tried to escape via a tunnel from the cafeteria to the bush, built using a shovel and cutlery. If youd love to stay overnight at this bucket list-worthy lake but arent that keen on camping (or missed out on a spot because of the insane supply and demand issue) then you can book a room at the Lake OHara Lodge instead. Plus, the staff were really helpful! Yoho National Park is located in western Canada as part of the Rocky Mountain range of southeastern British Columbia.The park boundaries cover an area of 507 square miles (1,313 sq km). Little Yoho Campgroundcan be found along the Iceline Trail hike, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Takakkaw Falls, so its a good option if you want to split the hike into two days. Its right next to Takakkaw Falls, which means that youll wake up to some seriously amazing views. Burgess Shale is an area of layered rock featuring fossils from the Cambrian period (540 485 million years ago). Its a nice, quick stop but definitely one thats worth adding to your itinerary. 3. For us, this stunning property is a real bucket-list stay. 13. The Iceline Trail is a 21.7 km (13.4 mile) loop hike with stunning views of alpine meadows, glaciers, and waterfalls. For this reason, most conflict over hunting rights likely played out in Banff as opposed to Yoho National Park. maybe not as well known or famous as some of it's local, but so much to see and do. If you believe all
The facilities arent as good, as there are no showers and only dry toilets, and its right next to the highway so it can be a bit noisy. 16 Incredible Things To Do In Yoho National Park Of Canada Over thousands of years, water eroded the soft rock beneath a hard limestone band, creating a bridge. Erosion, from forces such as rain, running water and glaciers, continued to shape the mountains into their current formations. Nearby features Specimens are on display at the park information center. The price does vary though, depending on the time of year. . Another popular option is to rent a campervan or motorhome (only for the brave in winter.) 1 and 93, Yoho National Park covers 1,310 square kilometres (507 sq. By comparison, much has been written about the removal of Indigenous people from neighbouring Banff National Park. Yoho National Park was used primarily by the Ktunaxa (Kootenay) as a seasonal route to the plains on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. Get ready to spot grizzly bears and other amazing creatures by booking this tour online! Yoho National Park - National Geographic If youre looking for more advice on putting together the ultimate trip in the Rockies, have a look around our other Canada blogs. HI Yoho National Park, Whiskey Jack Wilderness Hostel. For those wanting to witness the true magic of the falls in Yoho, a short walk to Takkakaw Falls is definitely a must-do. It takes a maximum of two hours to complete depending on how long hikers take their time once reaching the falls, and will give way to incredible views of the mountainous backdrop in the distance. . Trust us, it really does make life 10 times easier when you know where youre going! There are 30 sites that are suitable for tents, motorhomes, and trailers, and theres a maximum of six people per campsite. Other popular hikes in the area: Takakkaw Falls is a gateway for other scenic hikes in the area. Related Read: Another nearby hike to a teahouse you dont want to miss is the trail to the Lake Agnes Tea House! Not only are the views from your room some of the best in the park, but youll also avoid the headache of fighting for a parking spot. The tour costs $195 CAD per person which includes roundtrip transportation from Banff or Canmore. Other roads lead to appropriately named Emerald Lake. Yoho means admiration and astonishment in the language of the Canadian First Nations. There are a couple of hotels in Field, including the Cathedral Mountain Lodge, which is about 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) from the town center, and the Truffle Pigs Lodge. Its famed for its dramatic landscape and jaw-dropping views and also how purposely difficult it is to get to. Its also a good idea to bring snacks with you as food in the park can be a bit overpriced and there arent a ton of options. There are only eight rooms in the main lodge (starting at $860 CAD per night for two people) or one of their cabins for $1,215 CAD per night. Hot Tip: Although more expensive up front, if you plan on spending more than 7 days in different parks in Canada within a 12-month period, then the Discovery Pass is actually the better deal! The campground is open from June 15 to October 9 and costs $18.75 CAD per night, so its nice and easy on your wallet. The prisoners of war were used as cheap labour during a time when the parks system was receiving little government funding. 13 Things to KNOW Before Visiting Yoho National Park