Is Yoho National Park worth visiting?

Yes, and it is the easiest win in the Rockies. Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls and the Natural Bridge are all close to the highway and far less crowded than the equivalents in Banff.

How do you get to Lake O Hara?

By lottery-allocated bus, booked months ahead on the Parks Canada reservation service, or by walking the 11 kilometre access road. Private vehicles are not permitted.

How long do you need in Yoho?

A day covers the three roadside highlights comfortably. Two days lets you add a real hike, and Lake O Hara deserves a day entirely to itself.

Is Yoho on the way from Banff to Vancouver?

Yes. The Trans-Canada Highway runs straight through it just west of Lake Louise, so it costs almost no detour.

National parks

Yoho National Park: the best value hour of the Rockies

Where: Eastern British Columbia, next to Banff
Best months: Late June to September
Time needed: One to two days
Nearest airports: Calgary

Emerald green lake water beneath steep forested mountains in Yoho National Park — Yoho is a Cree expression of awe, which is a high bar for a park to set itself. Photo: Jack Borno / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Yoho sits directly across the continental divide from Banff and takes a fraction of its visitors, mostly because people drive the Trans-Canada straight through it on the way to Lake Louise. That is a mistake. Everything here is within 30 minutes of the highway.

The three things

Emerald Lake: a five kilometre flat loop around water that genuinely is that colour, with canoe rental and a lodge for lunch. Do it early or late.
Takakkaw Falls: one of the tallest waterfalls in Canada, a short walk from the car park. The access road has switchbacks that require large vehicles to reverse around them, and it is closed in winter.
Natural Bridge: the Kicking Horse River carving straight through a slab of rock, five minutes off the highway.

Lake O Hara, and its lottery

Lake O Hara is widely considered the finest alpine area in the Canadian Rockies, and access is deliberately restricted to protect it. There is no public driving. You either win a seat on the bus through a lottery held months in advance, or you walk the 11 kilometre access road in. The lottery is on the Parks Canada reservation service and it is competitive. If you win, take the day off work for it.

Yoho National Park Open the full map

Burgess Shale

Yoho holds one of the world's most important fossil beds, recording soft-bodied animals from over 500 million years ago. The sites are protected and can only be visited on a guided hike, which is a long and strenuous day and books up well ahead. For fossil-minded travellers it is unmissable.

Book it and check it

Common questions

Is Yoho National Park worth visiting?: Yes, and it is the easiest win in the Rockies. Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls and the Natural Bridge are all close to the highway and far less crowded than the equivalents in Banff.
How do you get to Lake O Hara?: By lottery-allocated bus, booked months ahead on the Parks Canada reservation service, or by walking the 11 kilometre access road. Private vehicles are not permitted.
How long do you need in Yoho?: A day covers the three roadside highlights comfortably. Two days lets you add a real hike, and Lake O Hara deserves a day entirely to itself.
Is Yoho on the way from Banff to Vancouver?: Yes. The Trans-Canada Highway runs straight through it just west of Lake Louise, so it costs almost no detour.

Tip

Yoho, Kootenay and Banff are contiguous, and one Discovery Pass covers all three. If you are already in Banff, these are day trips rather than separate trips.