Yoho National Park
National Park Of Canada (Parks Canada) / UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks · Field, British Columbia
Yoho National Park is the steep, waterfall-filled neighbour of Banff on the British Columbia side of the Continental Divide, with the small railway village of Field as its base. It is part of the UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, listed in 1984. Its three famous draws are Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls, a drop of about 373 m among the tallest in Canada, and the Burgess Shale, a fossil bed of soft-bodied sea creatures more than 500 million years old that you can reach only on a guided hike. Add the Spiral Tunnels viewpoint on Kicking Horse Pass, where trains loop inside the mountain. It suits hikers, photographers and fossil or railway fans, and it is much quieter than Lake Louise only a short drive east. Allow one day for the highlights or two to three for the hikes. A Parks Canada pass is needed, nights are cold even in summer, and bears are common, so confirm road openings and hike bookings before you plan around them.
Field Visitor Centre, Trans-Canada Highway, Field, British Columbia, V0A 1G0, Canada
The park is open all year, but most of what people come for is seasonal. The Yoho Valley Road to Takakkaw Falls is commonly open from roughly late June to October, depending on snow, and its tight switchbacks bar long trailers and some larger vehicles, so confirm the dates and limits with Parks Canada before you set out. Emerald Lake is reachable by road most of the year but is frozen and snowy in winter. Burgess Shale hikes run on a summer schedule with several guiding operators and sell out, so book well ahead. Visitor centre hours in Field are seasonal and shorter outside summer. A valid Parks Canada pass is required while you are in the park, including simply driving through on the Trans-Canada Highway if you stop.
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