If you are planning to visit Canada, Yoho National Park should be on the top of your list. Park Yoho is often missed when people are planning a trip to the Canadian Rockies even with its proximity to the major tourist attractions. To give you an idea, the distance from Yoho National Park to Banff is a mere 1 hour and 10 minutes. Lake Louise to Yoho National Park is only a 30 minutes’ drive. I hope you know now why I emphasize to keep at least 2 days for this park.
When we planned our itinerary to Banff and Jasper, I made sure to include two days in the Yoho National Park, Canada. This was the perfect finale for our amazing trip. The sights in this park were unique and very different from what we had already seen in Banff and Jasper. We even saw our first bear here! In this article, I am going to share all the things to do in Yoho National Park if you have just 2 days to spend here (or even 1).
Although we live in the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario and we live right on the lake, the lakes in the Canadian Rockies are out of this world. Each lake is different and has something unique. There are so many beautiful lakes to explore. We had a chance to go to most of the lakes and I have to say, no matter how many lakes you visit, it is just never enough.
So, where is Yoho National Park?
When you search Yoho National Park maps, you will find that although this park is close to Alberta, it is not IN Alberta. This is one of the biggest reasons a lot of people do not consider visiting this park. So, let me introduce this park to you again. Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Yup! This park is IN BC. While this might sound very far, it is not. The park is right at the border of BC and Alberta and as I mentioned earlier, it is ONLY 30 minutes away from Lake Louise.
Best time to visit Yoho National Park?
Typically, June to August is the best time to visit! The summer months are the perfect time to go if you want to see the Emerald Lakes, Takkakaw waterfalls and so many of the park’s biggest attractions. I have to say that the weather in Yoho National Park is quite unpredictable as anywhere else in Canada. Even if you are planning to visit during summer, I would recommend keeping a sweater on hand. The mornings and evenings are quite chilly.
Yoho National Park? Is it even worth it?
This park is home to the famous Takkakaw falls – one of the best and tallest waterfalls in Yoho National Park. Emerald Lake Lodge is one of the best lodges in Yoho National Park. The park is close to a town in BC called Golden which is famous for the longest suspension bridges in Canada. Natural Bridge, Yoho National Park is a must stop on the way. With so many beautiful sites, this park is always less crowded when compared to Banff National Park or Jasper National Park. Visiting all three places, I can vouch that this park is a MUST VISIT.
Things to do in Yoho National Park
Are you wondering what to do in Yoho National Park? Overwhelmed with all the beautiful sites you are finding as a must-visit in this park? Planning to make the drive from Lake Louise to Takkakaw Falls but confused on where to go next? I am here to help you plan the perfect two days and share what we did! Here is my list:
1. Takkakaw Falls, Yoho National Park
I am not sure when or how I came across these waterfalls, but I knew even before I planned our trip that I had to visit this Yoho National Park waterfalls. It is very famous and for a reason. Even though I can try to explain our experience to the best of my ability, when you go there, you will know exactly why you couldn’t miss visiting here. As you are making your way to the falls, you will see them from a distance and what you see is nearly not as glorious as what you see up close.
The falls are beyond magnificent. The closer you get to the waterfalls, the stronger its presence. Words can’t describe the feeling of seeing Takkakaw Falls. They are so strong, and they are so powerful. The water is soothing beyond belief, and you can even climb the rocks on the side of the falls to go closer up to it. Walking towards the falls, you will be greeted by the most refreshing mist. Tip: be prepared to be drenched and even get a bit muddy. We had to wash off the girls in the river close by because they got so dirty in the mud closer to the falls.
The walk from the parking lot to the waterfalls is around 15 minutes (we went with our two girls and took our time!). There are ample amounts of parking spots, but it is always full. If you are planning to visit, make sure you get there earlier in the day or be prepared to wait around a bit. We went mid-day and were able to find a spot after waiting for maybe 10 minutes. There are picnic tables and washrooms there and there are some beautiful hiking trails as well for all those that love hikes.
Takkakaw Falls was definitely one of my favourite things to do in Yoho National Park. It was worth the drive and it was worth the time. If we return to this area, you will definitely find me at these waterfalls.
2. The Natural Bridge
This bridge is located on the Kicking Horse River and is situated just outside of Emerald Lake. If you are on the Emerald Lake road, you can’t miss the sign for Natural Bridge. I had no idea what this was but saw some cars turn onto the short road to the parking area and so we did too! It was worth the stop. Again, you can view the bridge right from the parking lot, and it was extremely convenient for us as the girls were napping in the car.
So, what is so impressive about the Natural Bridge? The natural rock formation that spans the flow of the Kicking Horse River west of Field, where the slower moving waters from the Field valley flats begin their descent through a canyon to be joined by the Amiskwi River. The stones have been eroded and sculpted by the force of water and it is so remarkable to see this. There are different viewing points that give you a chance to see this phenomenon from different angles.
TIP: When we were there, there were two boys jumping on the rocks where the water flows into the canyon. Be smart and careful before attempting something so dangerous.
3. Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park
This lake is like no other lake you will see in Banff or Jasper National Park’s. Jasper National Park had more of a dark brown hue to all its lakes, Banff National Park had a blue hue to all its lakes. Emerald Lake, as the name suggests has an emerald hue. What I loved about this lake is that it was less crowded than Moraine Lake or Lake Louise and we were able to canoe here for less than half the price. We even saw our first bear at this lake!
While planning this trip, I knew that one of the areas where I wanted to splurge on was staying at least one night on one of these lakes. Keeping our price point, crowds, etc. in mind we picked emerald lake and were so glad we did! It was a great experience, and our chalet was perfect. More on Yoho National Park Emerald Lake Lodge later!
What we did:
We drove from Jasper on the Icefields Parkway and made some stops along the way to get to Emerald Lake. If you are planning this road trip, make sure you read our Jasper to Banff: The Ultimate Road Trip Guide. We also stopped at the Natural Bridge which was around 2 kms outside of Emerald Lake.
We were planning to spend a night at the Emerald Lake Lodge and wanted to get there in time for check in and made the most of staying on this lake. Once we checked in, we did not leave the lodge till check out the next morning.
On the day we checked out from the Lodge, we drove to Takkakaw Falls and then drove to the suspension bridge in Golden. After spending some time in Golden, we drove directly from there back to Calgary to catch our flight back to Toronto the next day. It was early evening when we reached Calgary and although there was a lot of driving that day, it was not as bad as we may have thought. Sharing this so you know that visiting the suspension bridge is also possible in these two days!
Yoho National Park accommodations – our top pick!
The Emerald Lake Lodge in Yoho National Park was our top pick of places to stay. There were a few reasons why we picked this lodge
- We knew this lake is less crowded compared to Moraine Lake or Lake Louise
- We had planned to canoe on this lake
- The chalets looked nicer and right on or close to the lake
- The sunrise and sunset photos I had seen looked amazing
- This was the only lodge located on a lake that had some availability
We were so glad to have picked this lodge as our base for a night. In Yoho National Park, Emerald Lake Lodge is one of the famous spots to stay at. We saw our first and only black bear in this area next to the restaurant and right under our chalet. Prices in August were not as high as some of the other places we had found on one of the lakes. August is an expensive month to visit so if you are planning a trip during the core summer months, read our article on Visiting Banff and Jasper on a budget.
Parking for this lodge is some distance away. You are not allowed to park in the main parking near the lodge. Once you park, a shuttle bus will pick you up so make sure you take all your belongings that you will need during your stay with you to avoid taking the shuttle bus back and forth. The bus took us right to the reservation area and we quickly checked into our room. The chalet was a bit dated, but it was beautiful. We were right along the lake and next to the restaurant, so everything was a short walk for us.
We spend the evening on the lake and then ate dinner at the restaurant there. You are not allowed to bring any food or drinks from outside but with kids, we made sure to take their snacks and water with us. Once the sun set, the few crowds left, and it was nice to have the lake to ourselves.
The next morning, we got to the canoe booking area right when they opened at 9am and we got a canoe without any wait. It was one of the most beautiful moments of our life. We were in the middle of the Emerald waters with the sun reflecting the surrounding mountains right into the water. It was the first time we had taken the girls on a canoe, and I am not going to lie, we were extremely nervous, but it went well. The girls had a blast and so did we!
After checking out, we headed to Takkakaw Falls and that ended our stay in the beautiful Emerald Lake Lodge.
Final thoughts
If you are planning to visit Banff and Jasper and are planning to visit with kids, make sure you read our article on Things to do in Jasper and Banff with kids. We spend 7 days in Banff, Jasper and Yoho National Park and did not feel rushed at all. If you are planning 7 days to visit the Canadian Rockies, make sure you think about including Yoho National Park in your itinerary. We were traveling with kids and they had so much downtime throughout our trip.
The driving distances were not bad at all and they never felt cramped in the car. I will share our 7 day itinerary soon to give you an idea of what you can cover in this time frame.
In the meantime, if you have any questions on things to do in Yoho National Park, please feel free to reach out to us! We would love to help you plan your perfect vacation to see the Canadian Rockies.
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