Yoho National Park

Yoho National Park was, by far, MY  favorite of all the parks in the Canadian Rockies. There were beautiful lakes, fossils, and historic scenery all around us.......

Yoho is located on the historic Trans-Canada highway, between Lake Louise and Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks. We spent a day in this park, enjoying the natural beauty and wishing we had more hours than the day provided.

One of the first sites we noticed and longed to visit was the famous Burgess Shale. These fossils were discovered in 1909 by Charles Walcott, an American scientist, paleontologist and Secretary to the Smithsonian Institution.Paleontologists and geologists come from all over the world to study these beds. 500 million years ago, the remains of long-extinct creatures were captured in these layers of sedimentary rock. Access is only by guided hike and entering or collecting fossils is against the law, but many are on display at the visitors' center.

We were also amazed at the Spiral Tunnels. These tunnels, which are the entry and exit portals for trains, were completed in 1909. They reduced the original railway grade of 4.5% (the steepest of any in North America) to a much safer 2.2%.

 

Another place that we really, really, really LOVED was Takakkaw Falls. Takakkaw means"magnificent" in Cree. When you stand at the base of these falls, you will see where they get their name. The highest in Canada, Takakkaw, provided a beautiful setting for photography and we even witnessed a movie set while we were there!

 

Kicking Horse River actually disappears before re-emerging through the natural span at Natural Bridge. However, the span kind of seems more like rocks being wedged together depending on the vantage point. We were able to hear the roar of the disappearing water churning and ejecting beneath the bridge. Here, the force of water has crreated an eroded rock archway over the Kicking Horse River......

This was a really fun spot and, as you can tell, we had a blast ............

Finally, Emerald Lake lives up to its name as the "Jewell of the Canadian Rockies".  This is the place where I plan to stay the next time I visit Yoho. Who wants to come with????