Yoho National Park
Yoho National Park
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EkMusafir
Pune, India2,219 contributions
Aug 2019
We passed through Yoho National Park on our coach tour of the Canadian Rockies in August 2019. We were driving along the Trans Canada Highway to Banff National Park and stopped for a while at Emerald Lake which is in Yoho. The waters of the lake were a stunning turquoise colour.
The region is incredibly beautiful with more lakes, forest trails, camping sites, waterfalls and snow capped mountain peaks to be seen. There are some Alpine lodges where you can spend some time and enjoy a blissful vacation hiking, fishing and boating in the lakes. Though we did not spend the night but we enjoyed a stroll around Emerald Lake, which was located near Kicking Horse Pass.
The region is incredibly beautiful with more lakes, forest trails, camping sites, waterfalls and snow capped mountain peaks to be seen. There are some Alpine lodges where you can spend some time and enjoy a blissful vacation hiking, fishing and boating in the lakes. Though we did not spend the night but we enjoyed a stroll around Emerald Lake, which was located near Kicking Horse Pass.
Written July 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheKingEP
Franklin, TN37 contributions
Sep 2022
Really knew nothing about Yoho until I was making shuttle reservations for Lake Louise and recommended by customer service rep. One of highlights of our recent visit to Canadian Rockies. Natural Bridge ranked high in our favorites on trip. Good hike along beautiful Lake Emerald....just right for 70+ year olds looking for exercise Takkakaw Falls awesome....wished had seen in June/July when water volume significantly higher.
Plus, don't miss meal at Truffle Pig in Field. Another unexpected treat.
Plus, don't miss meal at Truffle Pig in Field. Another unexpected treat.
Written September 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1girl_1passport
Vancouver, Canada1,287 contributions
Sep 2020
This is one of the best National Parks in British Columbia. This park is close to the border between BC and Alberta.
There is so much to see in the park and so many get hikes/walks. The must-see of the park is Emerald Lake if you don't have a lot of time to explore.
If you have more time to explore I would suggest these sites :
Wapta Falls, Natural Bridge, Hamilton Falls, Takakkaw Falls, Spiral Tunnel, Upper Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint, and The Village of Field.
There is so much to see in the park and so many get hikes/walks. The must-see of the park is Emerald Lake if you don't have a lot of time to explore.
If you have more time to explore I would suggest these sites :
Wapta Falls, Natural Bridge, Hamilton Falls, Takakkaw Falls, Spiral Tunnel, Upper Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint, and The Village of Field.
Written November 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lady Traveller P
Wellington, UK196 contributions
Sep 2022 • Family
We visited this National Park as part of a tour through the Rockies with Rocky Mountaineer.
The park is huge by UK standards. Some of the things you see are impressive, some not so impressive. One not so impressive site is the so called famous Spiral Tunnels. You are taken to a car park and then when you get out of the coach to a viewing platform. All you see is a lot of forest and a bit of railway line. If a train comes it might be more interesting. But I can't say I was impressed. The water falls are much more impressive. You can walk over them via a bridge and watch them tumble over the rocks down the other side of the bridge.
The Emerald lake is pretty and very turquoise. But when you see Lake Louise it is put in its place. If you travel here yourself you may get more time to look or do things. But on a coach tour you are only given 20 minutes to take a look and have a loo break. By the time you have qued for the loos it doesn't leave much time to do much. Worth visiting though.
The park is huge by UK standards. Some of the things you see are impressive, some not so impressive. One not so impressive site is the so called famous Spiral Tunnels. You are taken to a car park and then when you get out of the coach to a viewing platform. All you see is a lot of forest and a bit of railway line. If a train comes it might be more interesting. But I can't say I was impressed. The water falls are much more impressive. You can walk over them via a bridge and watch them tumble over the rocks down the other side of the bridge.
The Emerald lake is pretty and very turquoise. But when you see Lake Louise it is put in its place. If you travel here yourself you may get more time to look or do things. But on a coach tour you are only given 20 minutes to take a look and have a loo break. By the time you have qued for the loos it doesn't leave much time to do much. Worth visiting though.
Written October 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jimbaround02
Twin Mountain, NH63 contributions
Aug 2022
The lake is really beautiful, on par with Lake Louise IMHO. Don't miss the falls! They're really spectacular and only a short/easy walk from the parking area. The Natural Bridge is interesting as well and not a large investment in time.
Written August 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Starseed Magicians
Edmonton, Canada111 contributions
May 2021 • Family
1. Nature bridge beautiful hike, gorgeous spot to see/hike/dip our toes in Kicking horse river/meditate by the water.
2. Emerald lake beautiful turquoise water.
3. Bear sightings bears with their cubs eating on the side of the road especially in Field at 3 instances.
Soooo worth it.
Next time Takakaw falls and Lake o'Hara as its closed now.
2. Emerald lake beautiful turquoise water.
3. Bear sightings bears with their cubs eating on the side of the road especially in Field at 3 instances.
Soooo worth it.
Next time Takakaw falls and Lake o'Hara as its closed now.
Written May 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharonfromwakefield
Wakefield, Canada60 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
So much to see in a short period of time. So much natural beauty! The Takakah waterfall was so impressive and totally walkakable, the spiral tunnels were incredible for train buffs, and the whole mountain range spectacular! Lunch in Field was bonus!
Written July 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
grlgrdgate
California1,590 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
We loved touring through gorgeous Yoho National Park! Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls, and the Natural Bridge are must see places in Yoho. Before we left our hotel, we downloaded the Gypsy Guide App, which navigated us through Yoho even when we lost cell and internet service. It was amazing and truly the best way to explore Yoho on our own in our rental car. We loved every minute of it!
Written July 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tigerman777
936 contributions
Sep 2017
I had read about this park almost 20 years ago and wanted to make it a point to spend a few days here when coming to visit the majestic Canadian Rockies and AM I GLAD I DID!!!! There is sooo much to see here, you need at least three days here if you can get your reservations for the bus for one day to Lake O'Hara. The Spiral Tunnels are very neat to see and I encourage you to wait until a train passes through. If you're very fortunate, you can see a train on three levels at the same time from the main pull out, one coming out of the first tunnel, you see it after exiting the second tunnel and the train passes in front of you about 50-100 yards below after apparently exiting the third one. (You can clearly see one tunnel, but not the others). There are A LOT of information signs to explain how things were made and the history of them. Quite interesting. Then you have the Natural Bridge, which is a simple pull off to a short walk. Very unique how it became a bridge. You have the gorgeous Emerald Lake, which is right down the road from the Natural Bridge. The lake is very very beautiful, with a nice hiking trail of two to three hours around it, which I didn't take due to fairly heavy rain. There are occasional grizzlies and moose to be aware of on this hike. Wapta falls is a nice hike to take, which is more than a simple pull out. It's down a gravel road with some potholes, with about a 40 minute hike to the falls from the trailhead. Very worthwhile. Another SPECTACULAR falls is Takakkaw falls, off of Yoho Valley road, which is very scenic (especially on the way down) and whoa, be aware of sharp hairpin turns on the way up. I wasn't paying that close of attention in my little Toyota and I almost drove right into the mountain on the sharpest one. Needless to say, if you have a trailer, you'll need to unhook before driving up. One thing to mention is that it may be best to go later in the day because the lighting from the sun just before it hides behind the mountains can create spectacular rainbows. When I was there, it was a great privilege to see a double rainbow emanate from the large falls. I highly highly recommend taking the Iceline Trail, which starts near the falls. You can start by walking from the parking lot for Takakkaw falls to Whiskey Jack Hostel to the trailhead which is a challenging hike upward or you can start the easy way up along the river and the hard way down, especially for those with knee problems. I took the hard hike up and it was waay easier on the knees going down by the river. This hike is the best one I've ever taken and that comes from someone who's done well over 100 in his life. (Please read my review on the Iceline trail). It can be a two day hike if you want to camp. Whaleback connector Trail has some really nice waterfalls to enjoy, but that adds a bit of distance to the hike. You can take the Burgess Shale Beds hike only with a guide, which must be reserved ahead of time. The phone number is 1-877-737-3783. You can also book it online. This is a great area to see intact fossils. Of course there is a fee to go on this hike and this one is a long day, but it's worth it. I did not try to go to Lake O'Hara, but I read on TA forums you can take the bus back to your car as long as there is space (apparently there usually is) if you did not get a ticket to ride up. It's a lot easier than having to walk over six miles back to your car from the Lake. That will be on my list of things to do next time when in the Canadian Rockies. Just feel very very fortunate if you can get the passes exactly sixty days before your planned hiking at O'Hara on their website, there will be thousands of people trying to do so at the same time. The visitor center outside of Field is worthy of going to as well. They have very nice displays of things to learn about the area. The rangers are very helpful for you to plan things out also.
In conclusion, although this park is the smallest of national parks in the area, I think it's the BEST!!!!! There are crowds in some areas, but take some longer hikes and you'll lose the people (but hopefully not yourself😀). The Iceline Trail is sooo worth it!!! The Burgess Shale Trail is too!!! There are animals to view in these areas due to fewer people.
Thanks for reading. If you feel this information has helped you, it would be appreciated if you would tap the 👍 below. Thank you.
In conclusion, although this park is the smallest of national parks in the area, I think it's the BEST!!!!! There are crowds in some areas, but take some longer hikes and you'll lose the people (but hopefully not yourself😀). The Iceline Trail is sooo worth it!!! The Burgess Shale Trail is too!!! There are animals to view in these areas due to fewer people.
Thanks for reading. If you feel this information has helped you, it would be appreciated if you would tap the 👍 below. Thank you.
Written January 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
peter b
Pittsburgh, PA66 contributions
Jul 2015
This is a must see area of the country, Canada, that is. We flew into Calgary and rented a car and drove
west to Banff, saw Lake Louise and grabbed a bite top eat. I was disappointed in the blatant commercialism
of Banff, the mass of tourists and the high prices. Don't waste much time there - there's so much more to
see and do once you hit the Icefields Parkway and destinations north. We detoured off the beaten path to
a little town called Field because of the rail attractions there. We stayed three days at the Cathedral Mountain Lodge(see my review from last summer) and had a great time in one of their cabins. Right up the road is one
of the most magnificent waterfalls I have ever witnessed! There are sooo many exciting hikes and outdoorsy
activities that are downright daunting. We also saw a collection of some of the most incredibly beautiful
lakes that we've ever seen anywhere! There was really fun whitewater rafting near Golden also.
west to Banff, saw Lake Louise and grabbed a bite top eat. I was disappointed in the blatant commercialism
of Banff, the mass of tourists and the high prices. Don't waste much time there - there's so much more to
see and do once you hit the Icefields Parkway and destinations north. We detoured off the beaten path to
a little town called Field because of the rail attractions there. We stayed three days at the Cathedral Mountain Lodge(see my review from last summer) and had a great time in one of their cabins. Right up the road is one
of the most magnificent waterfalls I have ever witnessed! There are sooo many exciting hikes and outdoorsy
activities that are downright daunting. We also saw a collection of some of the most incredibly beautiful
lakes that we've ever seen anywhere! There was really fun whitewater rafting near Golden also.
Written December 22, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Best place to buy hairspray between Calgary airport and Banff
Written August 5, 2024
Where can I get bear spray in Yoho national Park?
Written August 5, 2024
Am i able to go hiking and visit this park during Spring? Like March/April? or is it still very cold and have snow?
thanks
Written January 21, 2021
We're thinking of driving from Yoho on BC 95 south to the area of Ft. Steele or a little farther south (instead of going back thru Banff and down the way we drove up from MT). Has anyone driving that road recently or stayed (RV camping) in the area? Is the road decent? Any camping spots? Thanks.
Written August 14, 2018
The roads are fine. We were in a bus tour. Never been here prior. As a visual apprstsvrisfd good and they’re were places to stay or stop that from my vantage point which was just passing though seemed busy
Written August 15, 2018
Actually, my reference indicates that from the trailhead Yoho Valley Road it is about 6.2 km's (about 4 miles) to the Iceline Summit, or about 2 hours of walking. So double that for the return. We've done it, and It's a wonderful area, as you get nice and high above treeline, with all the interesting wildflowers, critters, and views that come along with it. Most striking will be your view of Takakaw Falls across the valley, as you'll be high above it. You will be rising almost 700 m's or 2000 feet, so a little bit of stamina will be needed. And it is the high mountains, so weather can change from nice to hazardous in a blink of the eye, so be prepared, and take lots of water to drink.
Written July 15, 2018
Cal M
Vancouver Island, Canada
Is there a charge for simply visiting the lake and walking around it ?
Written June 23, 2018
Free to walk around lake. But as others have said you'll need a park pass... you will buy one as you enter via toll booth type gates
Written June 25, 2018
I'm not sure because I usually rent there, but it's the Kicking Horse Campground that you would be looking for. Prices should be listed on the Parks Canada website.
Written March 18, 2017
Most are accessible by vehicle. Research the Canadian National Park website as it is full of great information, especially about activities. Have fun!!!
Written September 29, 2016
My friend and I are planning to visit here in July for 1-2 days. Any suggestions on the hikes we could do and where to stay? We are willing to stay in campgrounds and will have a car. It sounds like O'hara is the main attraction?
Written April 19, 2015
When camping take top notch camping gear with you, outherwise you will freeze
your heiney off.
Written April 20, 2015
Provided we can make a bus reservation, would you recommend the Lake O'Hara area hike to Lake Oesa or Iceline to summit. Looking to hike around 4-5 hours to allow time to take in Emerald Lake. Recommendations? Any insight on both spectacular hikes is welcome
Written March 29, 2015
We would have liked to do one of the hikes at Lake O'Hara, but found out far too late that you basically have to reserve the bus-trip exactly 3 months to the day to get a seat. It might end up raining or overcast on the day you booked the bus... There are several walks rated easy / medium. We based ourselves in Canmore and found that one day for example it was raining cats & dogs in the Bow Valley but it was alright heading for the day into Kootenay NP. We didn't go on the Iceline hike either but only had time that day to visit Takakkaw Falls. The Eastern side of the Yoho Valley looks spectacular, so that hike will be fanatastic I think. The trail is marked moderate / difficult - we would have not been fit enough for it I think. We were initially hoping to walk along the valley floor to Twin Falls, but ran out of time after a very early start visiting Emerald Lake and doing the Emerald Basin Hike. Hope that helps somewhat...
Written March 29, 2015
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