Yoho National Park Itinerary: 5 Best Things To Do in Yoho National Park

It is time to talk about Yoho National Park.

Now, I know some of you are like, “Uhh, what is this Yoho you speak of?” Well, my friends, Yoho National Park is the neighbor of Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. Most of Yoho National Park is actually in British Columbia! It is right on the Alberta-British Columbia border. And in my opinion, it is the hidden gem of the area. It surprises me how many people don’t know of Yoho National Park because it is B-E-A-Utiful.

Banff and Jasper are absolutely beautiful but can be very touristy. Yoho National Park, on the other hand, is much less crowded. There aren’t many easily accessible things to do in Yoho National Park, so it is usually a day trip for most people. And I think the lack of accessibility deters people from visiting. But hey, that’s okay with me! I love being able to experience the beauty of nature in peace, and that is why we make a Yoho National Park itinerary!

This guide will review everything you need to know to plan an incredible Yoho National Park itinerary, including travel tips, where to stay, Yoho National Park hikes, and the best things to do in Yoho National Park.

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Travel Tips for Creating a Yoho National Park Itinerary

Time needed to explore

If you are looking to do some Yoho National Park hikes, I recommend allocating 2-3 days in Yoho National Park. If you are looking to drive around and see everything that is easily accessible, you will need 1 day for your Yoho National Park itinerary. If you have time, I highly recommend spending 4 days in Banff to explore Yoho National Park and Banff National Park!

Things to know before you go

Yoho National Park does not have many food or accommodation options, so I recommend packing food for your trip before you enter the park and staying in Banff.

Tips and Tricks

When you arrive at a park entrance, buy passes for the total number of days you will be staying in the park. This allows you to easily go in and out of the park without spending time waiting in line to buy passes each day.

If you are looking to visit Yoho National Park or the surrounding parks a couple of times a year, you can buy the Discovery Pass. For about $70 a person or $140 for a family (up to 7 people in one car), the Discovery Pass allows you to have unlimited access to over 80 Parks Canada places.

Always remember to leave no trace.

It’s crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some of these spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they don’t have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.

Note: We visited when there were wildfires on the west coast, so you may see smoke in pictures. I highly recommend avoiding traveling here during the wildfire season.

How to Get to Yoho National Park

Yoho National Park is located in the Canadian Rockies on the border of Alberta, Canada, and British Columbia, Canada. The easiest way to get to Yoho National Park is to fly into Calgary International Airport. From the airport, it is a 2.5-hour drive to Yoho National Park.

I highly recommend renting a car for your trip to Yoho National Park. The park does not offer shuttles, and having the flexibility to do and see what you want when you want is necessary for the Canadian Rockies!

The Best Yoho National Park Accommodations

If you decide to spend the night near Yoho National Park, you can stay in Field, but I recommend staying in Banff. It is about 45 minutes away from Yoho National Park and has everything you need. It has plenty of hotels, an endless amount of restaurants, and a great grocery store with decent prices.

If you have or can rent camping gear or a campervan, I highly recommend it because there are campgrounds close to Yoho National Park. If you are interested in renting a campervan, I highly recommend renting from Escape Campervans!

Best Yoho National Park Hotels:

Best Yoho National Park Campgrounds:

Tunnel Mountain Village I Campground(Banff)
Two Jack Lakeside Campground (Banff)
Kicking Horse Campground (Field)
Takakkaw Falls Campground (Field)

Yoho National Park Itinerary: The 5 Best Things To Do in Yoho National Park

Takakkaw Falls

One of the best things to do in Yoho National Park is to see Takakkaw Falls. At over 1,200 feet tall, it is the second tallest waterfall in Canada! “Takakkaw” means magnificent and boy was this waterfall magnificent and should be on everyone’s Yoho National Park itinerary!

The drive to the falls is an easy one and pretty self-explanatory as long as you follow the signs. It is about a 30-minute drive from the Trans-Canada Hwy. The road to Takakkaw Falls can get very steep at times and has a few switchbacks, so make sure you take your time driving on it! Once you get to the parking lot, it is a short and easy hike to the base of the waterfall.

From afar, Takakkaw Falls looks thin, but as you get closer, you can see and feel the intensity of it. The cool thing is you can walk right up to the waterfall via a 1.6-mile hike! And you can rock climb here. We saw a few people rock climbing right next to Takakkaw Falls which was fun to watch. We arrived here early in the day, so we were one of the only people here which was a nice change of pace from Banff! Takakkaw Falls should be on everyone’s Yoho National Park itinerary.

If you want to do some Yoho National Park hikes, this is a great area for it! A park ranger told us there are MANY Yoho National Park hikes to mountains, lakes, and other beautiful areas. There are a few trails leading to lakes high up in the mountains. We saw pictures, and dang, the views are absolutely beautiful!

A great hike to a beautiful lake is the hike to Yoho Lake! It is about a 7-mile round trip hike with around 1,000 feet of elevation gain. There is a point on the trail where you are higher than Takakkaw Falls! This allows for a beautiful view of the falls and the Daly Glacier toe of the Waputik Icefield. It is one of the best things to do in Yoho National Park!

Unfortunately, the air quality was poor due to the smoke from the fires, so we didn’t do too much exploring here. When we come back, I would love to do some hiking here!

best hikes in yoho national park

Natural Bridge

The Natural Bridge is an easily accessible and incredible feature in Yoho National Park. It was gradually created from the powerful waters of the Kicking Horse River over the years. The Natural Bridge spans over the Kicking Horse River and allows you to view the incredible rock formation from various viewpoints. I’m surprised it isn’t titled as a waterfall because you can see the river raging through the Natural Bridge, and it looks like a waterfall.

Because the Natural Bridge is easily accessible, it is usually busy, so I recommend exploring it in the early morning or late afternoon. It is on the road leading to Emerald Lake, so it is an easy addition to your Yoho National Park itinerary! The Natural Bridge is one of the best things to do in Yoho National Park!

Emerald Lake

Only a short distance away from Takakkaw Falls on the Trans-Canada Hwy is the road to Emerald Lake! I am sure you have heard of this beautiful lake because it is another iconic blue/green lake and one of the best things to do in Yoho National Park. Emerald Lake is the largest lake in the park and should be on everyone’s Yoho National Park itinerary.

There is so much to do at Emerald Lake, so make some time to be here! There is a short 3.5-mile hike that brings you around the entire lake. It’s a great way to see wildlife since animals are drawn to this source of water. You’ll pass through an avalanche slope where moose tend to graze.

You will also see Burgess Shale. Burgess Shale is one of the only locations in the world that contains both fossilized soft tissues and hard body parts. It’s pretty cool! There are many trails off of this one as well if you are looking for more of a challenge. Emerald Lake is one of the best places for Yoho National Park hikes for those looking for easy trails with beautiful views.

If you would rather not hike an hour around the like, don’t fret! There are plenty of other ways to explore Emerald Lake. You can rent rowboats and canoes from the boathouse to explore the beautiful lake! Or if you want to really experience the lake, take a dip in it! But it is COLD. Two words - glacier water. Like many of the other lakes in the area, Emerald Lake is glacier-fed, so only the adventurous of people will jump into the water.

Wapta Falls

In the western part of Yoho National Park lies Wapta Falls. Wapta Falls is on Kicking Horse River and comes in at 59 feet tall and 330 feet wide. Since Kicking Horse River is a big river, you will never be disappointed with the power of this waterfall. In terms of water volume, it is the largest waterfall in the park and should be on everyone’s Yoho National Park itinerary!

Wapta Falls can be reached by a short 3-mile hike if the gate to the recreation center is open. If it is closed, it becomes a 5-mile hike. Either way, it is a very easy, straightforward hike, and is one of the best Yoho National Park hikes because it allows you to get up close and personal with this powerful waterfall.

After the first mile, you will be brought to a viewpoint above Wapta Falls. If you venture further along the trail, you will be able to get right up to the bottom of the waterfall. Talk about an epic view! But with the epicness comes A LOT of mist which on sunny days creates rainbows around the falls. Hiking to Wapta Falls is one of the best things to do in Yoho National Park.

We actually didn’t get the chance to head to Wapta Falls because most of the fires were coming from the west, so the smoke was awful. It was on our list to see, so I wanted to still mention it!

Lake O’Hara

I’m saving Lake O’Hara for last because it deserves the most of your attention. This is the true hidden gem of all the parks in this area and is one of the best things to do in Yoho National Park. Once you have visited everything else, you can head to Lake O’Hara. I would give you at least a half-day to spend at Lake O’Hara on your Yoho National Park itinerary. You can also book an overnight stay, which is awesome if you want more time at this beautiful lake!

NOTE: You HAVE to have a reservation to visit this beautiful place, so make sure to do that ahead of time! The more in advance you can book your bus spot, the better. You can book up to three months in advance. We didn’t know how crazy the ticket sales would be, so we thought we would be able to book our bus trip when we were there, but NOPE. We learned that tickets sell out as soon as they go on sale for the season. You could also walk down the road to Lake O’Hara, but it is about 14 miles ONE WAY.

If you are among the lucky individuals who get a reservation, then you are in for an AMAZING time. Lake O’Hara is home to some of the most beautiful photography spots and has some of the best Yoho National Park hikes.

The Lake Oesa Trail is one of the easier trails that leads you to some of the most beautiful views. It is about 3.6 miles round trip and has a gradual ascent. A more strenuous version of this hike is the trail to the Wiwaxy Gap and Huber Ledges. You gain elevation quicker with this hike, but the views are well worth it. The Wiwaxy Gap is the highest point of the Alpine Circuit, so you know you are getting some amazing views!

If you are looking for an easy hike, you are in luck! The easiest hike at Lake O’Hara is the one that follows the lake around its base. The path has minimal elevation and takes about 1-2 hours to complete. Even though you won’t experience the same views high above the lake from the hikes previously mentioned, you still get breathtaking views of Lake O’Hara with the Rockies in the background, making it one of the best things to do in Yoho National Park.

As I mentioned earlier if you want to add Lake O’Hara to your Yoho National Park itinerary, book your tickets as soon as they go on sale. You must be on your A-game to get them. About 17,000 people enter the parks here and only 1,000 of them get to venture to Lake O’Hara. Yup, it’s that competitive. But well worth it to view this amazing place!

What to Pack for a Yoho National Park Itinerary

Hiking Boots: If you want comfort and support on your trip, hiking boots are the go to.
Hiking Socks: Having moisture-wicking and comfortable hiking socks are just as important for exploring.
Hiking Backpack: You need something to carry all your food, clothes, and anything else you need while adventuring, so having a supportive hiking backpack is crucial.
Hydration Reservoir/Water Bottles: While hiking or just exploring, it is important to have enough water! I always pack a hydration reservoir.
Jackets: The weather is unpredictable, so I always pack a rain jacket and insulated jacket.
Ten Essentials: The Ten Essentials are crucial for hiking!
Microspikes: If you plan on winter hiking, you will need to bring microspikes.
Snowshoes: Also if you hike in the winter, you may need snowshoes.

Even though Yoho National Park isn’t as well-known as Banff National Park or Jasper National Park, it is still very beautiful and worth the stop when you are in the Canadian Rockies. This guide reviews everything you need to know to create an epic Yoho National Park itinerary, including travel tips, where to stay, Yoho National Park hikes, and the best things to do in Yoho National Park.