Anne-Charlotte PasseraThe Yoho National Park is located in British Columbia and borders with Alberta in the Canadian Rockies.
Not a whole lot of people know of this park as it is overshadowed by Banff National Park and Jasper National Park.
We were lucky enough to visit this park during our 8 day road-trip through the Canadian Rockies.
How to get there
You’ll need a car to get to Yoho National Park. It is located about 20 minutes away from Lake Louise, right off the Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W.
Otherwise, it’s 2h30 away from Calgary. You can check Rome 2 Rio, for more options on how to get to Yoho.
Where to sleep
There are campgrounds available there. So if everything is full in Banff National Park, maybe try this park instead.
If you can swing it, you can sleep at the Emerald Lake Lodge. It is not budget-friendly but one of the benefits is to have the Emerald Lake to yourself at the end of the day and early morning. It also makes for a great wedding location.
What to see in Yoho National Park
The main point of interest in Yoho is Emerald Lake but you should also make a stop on your way there in the following places.
Spiral Tunnel
Spiral Tunnel which is such an impressive engineering feat. You can see it at a rest stop on the Trans-Canada Hwy/AB-1 W that takes you to Yoho National Park from Lake Louise.
When we stopped, a train was going through and we waited for it to come out from the other end while part of it was still on the other side.
You have to read about it to understand what the hell I am talking about!
Takakkaw Falls
We ventured out to the Takakkaw falls. I thought it would be just a short stop but it wasn’t.
It is about 11km of just uphill by car off the highway with spiral roads where you actually need to stop to let other cars pass. Therefore, drive slowly and plan extra time.
These falls are among the highest in Canada and are very strong, hence the sound the name makes. They are easy to access, and are just a short distance from the parking lot. You can’t however get too close to them as the water is too strong.
We didn’t have a whole lot of time in Yoho National Park so we didn’t venture away from the Falls.
Emerald Lake
Our final stop in Yoho National Park was at Emerald Lake. It is quite beautiful and I think the main reason people go there is to canoe. Of course, it is as pricy to do so as anywhere else around there so that is up to you. If you are courageous, you can also go and take a dip in it.
You can walk around it which is about a 5.2km loop around the lake. The first part of it is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
There are other hiking trails in Yoho National Park including one which takes you to the Abbot Pass Hut which you get to see from the Plain of Six Glaciers (see our Lake Louise’s Teahouses article).
It was unfortunate that we couldn’t spend more time at the Yoho National Park as we were on a tight schedule. If Lake Louise or Moraine Lake are full, try Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park instead.
[…] Stay in Kananaskis Country for an off the beaten path experience, away from the herd of tourists. It’s a great place to have a base camp at if you are only exploring Banff and its surrounding area. Otherwise, you might have to consider setting up camp in another area. Why not try around Yoho National Park? […]
[…] you only do one teahouse, try your luck next at Moraine Lake or head out to Emerald Lake, about 20 minutes […]
[…] The Yoho National Park is located in British Colombia, only 20 minutes away from Lake Louise. It’s often overlooked which is great if you don’t want to be bothered by busloads of tourists. The Emerald Lake and the Sunwapta Falls are worth a look, right HERE. […]