Where is Yoho National Park?

Yoho National Park is in British Columbia, immediately west of Banff National Park and the Alberta border. The park begins approximately 2 kilometres west of Lake Louise on the Trans-Canada Highway and extends westward along the Kicking Horse River valley to the town of Golden. The main service hub inside the park is the small town of Field, BC — population approximately 200 people — which sits 27 kilometres west of Lake Louise at an elevation of 1,242 metres.

For visitors arriving from Calgary, the route is straightforward: Trans-Canada Highway west through Canmore, into Banff National Park, past Lake Louise and across the Great Divide at Kicking Horse Pass. You cross from Alberta into BC without a gate or checkpoint — the park simply begins. The total distance from Calgary is approximately 215 kilometres and the drive takes around 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes under normal conditions.

Emerald Lake — Yoho's Most Iconic Sight

Emerald Lake is located 8 kilometres off the Trans-Canada on a paved side road that branches just west of Field. At 1,302 metres elevation and covering approximately 1 square kilometre, it's not the largest lake in the Rockies — but it may be the most visually striking. The colour comes from glacial rock flour: ultra-fine particles ground from bedrock by the surrounding glaciers that flow into the lake and refract sunlight at the blue-green end of the visible spectrum. The exact shade changes through the day, deepening from pale turquoise in morning light to vivid green in midday sun and shifting toward teal in the late afternoon.

The 5.2-kilometre loop trail around the lake is one of the best easy walks in the Canadian Rockies — flat, well-maintained and consistently beautiful. The trailhead begins at the parking area near Emerald Lake Lodge, a historic property built by CP Rail in 1902 that has operated continuously since. Canoe rentals are available at the boathouse from June through September — paddling on the lake with the peaks of the President Range reflected in the water is an experience that's difficult to describe and harder to forget.

• Distance from Field: 8 km via the Emerald Lake Road
• Loop trail: 5.2 km, easy, approximately 1.5–2 hours
• Best for: photography, easy hiking, canoeing, family walks
• Emerald Lake Lodge: restaurant open for lunch and dinner — reservations recommended in summer
• Parking: fills by 8–9am in July and August — early arrival strongly recommended

Takakkaw Falls — One of Canada's Highest Waterfalls

The name Takakkaw comes from the Cree word meaning "it is magnificent" — a straightforward description of a waterfall that drops 384 metres (1,260 feet) from the Daly Glacier above. For context: Niagara Falls drops 57 metres. Takakkaw doesn't have the volume of Niagara but the height is extraordinary, and in peak flow in late June and July, the spray reaches hundreds of metres and creates its own weather system at the base.

The access road to Takakkaw Falls is one of the most dramatic short drives in the Rockies — a series of tight hairpin switchbacks that gain significant elevation quickly. Vehicles over 7.5 metres in length (including most RVs and trailers) cannot make the hairpins. The road is typically open from late June to mid-October depending on snowpack. A short flat walk from the parking area brings you to the base of the falls, where the force of the water is physically felt before it's seen.

• Height: 384 metres — one of the highest waterfalls in Canada
• Access: 16 km from the Trans-Canada via the Yoho Valley Road — hairpins mean no large vehicles
• Road season: typically late June to mid-October
• Walk from parking: 10 minutes flat — very accessible
• Peak flow: late June and July when glacial melt is highest

Emerald Lake — turquoise glacial waters

The President Range above Emerald Lake

Natural Bridge — Where a River Carved Through Rock

The Natural Bridge is one of those geological features that looks improbable until you understand the timeline. The Kicking Horse River has been flowing through this section of the valley for thousands of years, and over that time it has carved completely through a limestone outcrop — creating an arch of solid rock that the river simultaneously flows through (via the carved hole) and over (via the waterfall on top). The result is a bridge of natural rock across the river, worn smooth and undercut in ways that feel almost designed.

The Natural Bridge is an extremely easy stop — located approximately 8 kilometres west of Field on the road to Emerald Lake, with a pull-off and viewing platforms that get you close to the formation. It takes around 15 minutes and is suitable for all ages and fitness levels. In high water (spring and early summer), the force of the river coming through the arch is impressive. In late summer, lower water levels reveal more of the carved rock structure.

The Burgess Shale — 508 Million Years of History

The Burgess Shale is not a viewpoint or a waterfall. It's a fossil bed discovered in 1909 by Smithsonian palaeontologist Charles Walcott on the slopes of Mount Fielding — and it turned out to contain one of the most extraordinary windows into early life on Earth ever found. The shale preserves soft-bodied marine animals from the Cambrian Period in extraordinary detail, including creatures with no living descendants and body plans that don't fit neatly into any modern animal category. The site fundamentally changed scientists' understanding of early animal evolution.

The Burgess Shale is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and access is strictly controlled — guided tours only, booked months in advance through the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation. The hike to the main Walcott Quarry is 20 kilometres return with 760 metres of elevation gain — a full day commitment. The Marble Canyon fossil site at the top of Mount Stephen is an alternative with a slightly shorter approach. If the Burgess Shale interests you, book the tour before you plan the rest of your trip — spots fill months ahead, especially for summer.

The Iceline Trail — Yoho's Best Alpine Hike

The Iceline Trail is widely considered one of the best day hikes in the Canadian Rockies. Starting from the Takakkaw Falls parking area, it climbs steeply through forest into an open alpine landscape of moraines, glacial remnants and polished bedrock — the kind of terrain that looks like it belongs on another planet. At its highest point, the trail reaches approximately 2,255 metres with views across the entire Yoho Valley, the Waputik Icefields and multiple glaciers.

The standard Iceline Trail is 20 kilometres return with approximately 700 metres of elevation gain — a serious full-day hike requiring early starts and appropriate preparation. Snow lingers on sections of the trail until July and can appear again in September. The views at the top, on a clear day, are among the best in any national park in Canada.

• Distance: 20 km return
• Elevation gain: ~700 metres
• Difficulty: Strenuous — full day required
• Season: July to September (snow-free conditions)
• Trailhead: Takakkaw Falls parking area

Other Things to See & Do in Yoho

• Wapta Falls — the widest waterfall in Yoho, on the Kicking Horse River. 4.8 km return, easy to moderate. Often less crowded than Takakkaw
• Twin Falls — backcountry waterfall accessible via a 16 km return trail. One of the most dramatic hiking destinations in Yoho for those willing to go the distance
• Kicking Horse Pass — the Great Divide between Alberta and BC, right on the Trans-Canada. A historical and geographical landmark where water on one side flows to the Atlantic and on the other to the Pacific
• Field townsite — tiny BC mountain town with a small visitor centre, basic amenities and the Truffle Pigs Bistro, a surprisingly good restaurant beloved by hikers and photographers
• Wildlife — grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, elk, mountain goats and bighorn sheep have all been recorded in Yoho. The Kicking Horse River corridor is particularly active

How to Get from Calgary to Yoho National Park

The Trans-Canada Highway connects Calgary directly to Yoho — west through Canmore, through Banff National Park, past Lake Louise and across the BC border into the park. The full distance is approximately 215 kilometres and the drive takes around 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes.

Yoho's attractions are spread across a wide area — Takakkaw Falls, Emerald Lake and the Natural Bridge all require separate access roads off the main highway. Driving yourself gives maximum flexibility but means someone in your party is always behind the wheel rather than experiencing the scenery. A private transfer from Calgary, Banff or Lake Louise lets everyone in the vehicle enjoy the approach, stop freely and move between attractions without a designated driver.

Red Mile Limousine provides private transfers and scenic day-trip chauffeur service to Yoho National Park from Calgary Airport, downtown Calgary, Banff and Lake Louise. Custom itineraries combining Yoho with Lake Louise, the Bow Valley Parkway or Kananaskis can be arranged in advance. Please call or email for custom day-trip pricing and availability.