It seems that no matter where you go in Alberta or more specifically, Jasper National Park, there’s a waterfall to be discovered and photographed. The Athabasca Falls are arguably the most spectacular in the national park however the Sunwapta Falls certainly shouldn’t be overlooked from your holiday itinerary.
Located just off the Icefields Parkway between Banff National Park and Jasper National Park the Sunwapta Falls is easily accessible as part of any trip to the area. Once at the site there is the familiar information board that you’ll discover at all of the tourist spots, a good sized car park and a path with just a short 30 second walk to the falls itself.
Fed by the Athabasca Glacier the Sunwapta Falls is a very fast flowing waterfall on the Sunwapta River. It cascades over 2 drops (upper and lower falls) through a canyon with a total height of around 18m. The falls which are immediately accessible from the car park are the upper falls.
The upper falls has 2 different viewing platforms. You can stand on a bridge that spans the width of the canyon with the falls dropping below you (as per the photo location above) or you can walk closer to the water edge as per the people in the top left of the above photo.
If you stand nearer to the water you will get a great view of the Sunwapta River as it approaches the falls.
You’ll more than likely head to both viewpoints as both locations offer a slightly different view of this impressive waterfall. One thing that remains consistent here is the noise. With so much water power and bare rock in the canyon the falls are very loud.
It is a safe place to bring your family with plenty of metal barriers however as with any site like this there is a lot of danger around so you must make sure they stick the paths and designated viewpoints to avoid accidents.
We loved the Sunwapta Falls and have no doubt you’ll love it here too!
Are you planning to visit the Sunwapta Falls this year or have you been before? Let us know in the comments!