Description

This is not really a hike, just a short walk on a paved path to see the waterfall.

Athabasca Falls is a classic stop along the Icefields Parkway, though, and you'd be missing out if you didn't see it.

Here, the huge river squeezes through a few slots and tumbles briefly through a tight gorge.

You'll cross a bridge over the cleft and find several fantastic photo spots. There is more to the hike than just seeing the waterfall, though.

A side trail, which is also paved but has several stairs, leads down through a narrow hallway of rock, and ends at a viewpoint where the river emerges and widens again.

If you are interested in the geology and ecology, you'll also enjoy the numerous interpretive signs all along the trail.