Yoho Valley Hikes

The valley for which Yoho National Park [1] is named lies north of the TransCanada Highway. As well as the sights already discussed, it provides many fine opportunities for serious day-hikers to get off the beaten track. The following day hikes begin from different trailheads near the end of the road up Yoho Valley [2]. In each case, leave your vehicle in the Takakkaw Falls parking lot.

The trail to Twin Falls (8 km/5 mi, 2.5 hours one-way) takes over where the road through the Yoho Valley ends, continuing in a northerly direction up the Yoho River to Twin Falls, passing many other waterfalls along the way. At spectacular Twin Falls, water from the Wapta Icefield divides in two before plunging off an 80-meter-high (260-feet-high) cliff.

One of the finest day hikes in all of the Canadian Rockies [3] is the Iceline Trail (6.4 km/4 mi, 2.5 hours one-way), which gains a heart-thumping 690 meters (2,260 feet) in elevation. The highlight is a four-kilometer (2.5-mile) traverse of a moraine below Emerald Glacier. Views across the valley improve as the trail climbs to its 2,220-meter (7,283-foot) crest.

Many options present themselves along this trail, including continuing on to Twin Falls or backtracking and branching off west to Yoho Lake.