Guidebook

The Very Best Hikes in Yoho National Park

For fans of waterfalls and mountain lakes, it's hard to beat Yoho National Park.

Jesse Weber

Description

Yoho is one of the quartet of national parks in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, on the border with British Columbia and Alberta. Four national parks, each with their own host of activities, makes for a lifetime’s worth of adventures. How can you decide what to do in just one trip?

It is, of course, impossible to see the best of it all, but you can try to narrow it down. Yoho is the park with the most impressive waterfalls, the most rewarding circuits around alpine lakes, and some particularly scenic treks in the alpine. The following trails can deliver you to all that and more in Yoho National Park.

Emerald Basin

Emerald Basin

Yoho National Park
2 - 3 hrs
8.9 km
285 m
285 m
This five and a half mile hike skirts the banks of Emerald Lake before ascending into the valley where the water flows from the melting snowfields above.
Moderate
Private
Emerald Triangle Loop
The best Routes on FATMAP, hand-picked by FATMAP’s Editorial team.

Emerald Triangle Loop

Yoho National Park
5 - 6 hrs
18.4 km
1,079 m
1,080 m
Hands-down one of Yoho’s best all-day hikes, this loop combines the scenic shore of Emerald Lake with high-elevation vantage on the Wapta Highline.
Difficult
Private
Laughing Falls and Twin Falls via Whaleback
The best Routes on FATMAP, hand-picked by FATMAP’s Editorial team.

Laughing Falls and Twin Falls via Whaleback

Yoho National Park
6 - 7 hrs
20.2 km
1,025 m
1,025 m
Yoho’s best trek for waterfall viewing, making a challenging one-day or overnight circuit.
Difficult
Private
Iceline Circuit

Iceline Circuit

Yoho National Park
4 - 5 hrs
19.2 km
880 m
881 m
Walk along small glaciers and alpine lakes on the banks of the President Range before descending into Yoho Valley.
Extreme
Private
Lake O'Hara Alpine Circuit
The best Routes on FATMAP, hand-picked by FATMAP’s Editorial team.

Lake O'Hara Alpine Circuit

Yoho National Park
5 - 6 hrs
12.4 km
984 m
983 m
An epic day hike almost entirely above treeline, connecting proud overlooks and smaller lakes above Lake O'Hara.
Severe
Private
Paget Peak Lookout
The best Routes on FATMAP, hand-picked by FATMAP’s Editorial team.

Paget Peak Lookout

Yoho National Park
2 - 3 hrs
6.9 km
489 m
489 m
A mountainside view of surrounding peaks and two expansive river valleys.
Difficult
Private