About Yoho National Park of Canada
Yoho National Park is perhaps lesser known than its neighbors Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, but it is certainly no less stunning, with its turquoise lakes, snowy mountain peaks, cascading waterfalls, and some of the world’s rarest fossils. The Park hosts 58 animal species, including elk, moose, and bears, all of which you may catch sight of while exploring this magnificent park.
Yoho is located in the Rocky Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, and at 507 square miles is the smallest of a group of contiguous national parks that include Banff, Jasper, and Kootenay. The park is located in the traditional territories of the Secwepemc and Ktunaxa First Nations. The name Yoho comes from the Cree word for “awe and wonder” – you will certainly realize why when you visit.
Yoho National Park is full of hiking trails. You can hike to the base of the third-highest waterfall in Canada, Takakkaw Falls. On a sunny day, you may even get lucky and see a rainbow at its base! At Emerald Lake you can walk the loop around the lake, or rent a canoe for a leisurely paddle on these beautiful waters. At the picnic area of Emerald Lake, you can check out the Burgess Shale Fossil Display via the on-site telescope. This is the oldest evidence of complex life on Earth, with fine details so well preserved, they show a diverse marine ecosystem that existed long before the dinosaurs.
Experience the biggest whitewater rafting trip in the Canadian Rockies with huge waves and non-stop rafting action! If that’s a little too much, a gentler rafting trip is also available, with some stunningly scenic float sections. Your rafting trip will start within Yoho National Park boundaries, with its pine, spruce, and fir forests lining the river, treating you to Rocky Mountain scenery beyond compare.
In the nearby town of Golden, you can visit restaurants, stock up at the grocery store, visit the Grizzly Bear Refuge, and walk across Canada’s longest freestanding timber frame bridge.
Interesting Facts About Yoho National Park of Canada
- Yoho National Park is the second oldest national park in Canada, following Banff (along with Canada’s Glacier National Park, established the same day).
- The back of the Canadian $10 note features Yoho’s Emerald Lake and Mount Burgess.
- During the British North American Exploring Expedition,1857 to 1860, James Hector, a geologist on the expedition, was kicked in the chest by his horse. He later named the nearby mountain pass Kicking Horse Pass.