Yoho National Park. Established in 1886, it’s the smallest of the four contiguous Rocky Mountain parks, but arguably the most geologically and historically dense. The park lies west of Lake Louise across the Continental Divide, in the traditional territories of the Ktunaxa, Secwépemc, and Stoney Nakoda Nations.

Geological significance: the Burgess Shale. Yoho’s crown jewel is microscopic. High on the slopes of Mount Field and Mount Wapta lies the Burgess Shale, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most important fossil beds on Earth. It’s a Lagerstätte; a sedimentary deposit with exceptional preservation. While most fossils only show hard parts like bone or shell, the Burgess Shale captures soft tissues (gills, eyes, guts) from the Cambrian Explosion (approx. 505 million years ago). Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould famously described these creatures as “weird wonders.” Anomalocaris was a metre-long apex predator; Hallucigenia so bizarre that scientists originally reconstructed it upside down and backward. Mosura fentoni, described in 2025, is a finger-sized radiodont with three eyes. Preservation occurred because animals were swept off the Cathedral Mountain submarine cliff by mudslides into an oxygen-poor basin. See Waptia fieldensis for another iconic Burgess arthropod.

Topographical highlights. Yoho’s landscape is defined by water, liquid and frozen. Takakkaw Falls drops 384 m (1,260 ft) total, with a main vertical drop of 254 m; “Takakkaw” is Cree for “it is magnificent.” Fed by the Daly Glacier (Waputik Icefield), its flow peaks in summer when spray creates a microclimate at the base; in winter the falls freeze into dramatic ice formations. Emerald Lake is the park’s largest lake; its turquoise hue comes from glacial rock flour, same mechanism as Lake Louise. The Spiral Tunnels at Kicking Horse Pass solved the “Big Hill” problem. The original Canadian Pacific Railway grade was 4.5%, the steepest in North America. The CPR built two tunnels that spiral inside the mountains, reducing the grade to 2.2%.

Hiking and winter access. Emerald Lake Loop is 5.2 km, flat and forested; excellent for birdwatching in summer. The west side shows avalanche paths that cleared the trees. Wapta Falls is 4.8 km round trip; relatively flat until the final descent to the Kicking Horse River. The Yoho Valley Road to Takakkaw Falls closes to vehicles in winter, adding a 2 km walk-in for those who snowshoe or ski; the ice formations at the falls are world-class. Check Parks Canada for seasonal road status and trail conditions.

Cultural history. The name “Yoho” is a Cree expression of awe and wonder. The park exists because of the railway. In 1886, when the CPR pushed through Kicking Horse Pass, they realized the tourism potential. Prime Minister John A. Macdonald established the Mount Stephen Dominion Reserve (later Yoho) to protect the land while providing a luxury mountain destination for train travelers. The park’s history is linked to Field, the Spiral Tunnels, and the Emerald Lake Lodge. Banff National Park lies immediately east across the Divide.