I took a Parks Canada guided hike to Walcott Quarry in Yoho national park to see the fossils! The…read morehike was very informative and fun! We covered a long distance (24km and about 900+m elevation) over 11 hours which was a good pace! There were lots of little wildlife (squirrels, pika, grouse) and the scenery was beautiful.

Even though my trip to Canada mostly cantered around Banff, my tour bus did take us into Yoho…read moreNational Park for a part of the day. Yoho is the smallest of the four contiguous national parks. The other ones are Jasper, Kootenay and Banff National Parks. Yoho is an interesting name for a National Park and comes from the Cree language. It means "awe and wonder". After a stop at Lake Louise and Moraine, we ended up finishing our day at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. One of the things that I enjoyed about this park and lake was that it was less crowded than Banff and the other two popular lakes. I ended up walking the nature trail around beautiful deep-green Emerald Lake. I enjoyed the views and came across a plaque about the fossil-bearing deposits of the Burgess Shale in the area. Sadly, Emerald Lake was the only area of Yoho National Park that I was able to explore. Hopefully I am able to see other areas like Takakkaw and Wapta Falls, Lake O'Hara and the Natural Bridge next trip.

Stunning and powerful waterfall! Gravity and force from mist and/or spray comes into contact with…read morehair and face. Easy walk. There are many vantage points for taking photos and videos. If arriving midday or afternoon, expect to see vehicles lined up on both sides of the road.

Gorgeous waterfall! A must-see for this national park. Plenty of parking available. Restrooms…read moreavailable as well. The path up to the falls is paved. You can see the waterfall very well from the bridge, but we walked all the way up. It was pretty crowded at the base of the falls. There are plenty of areas off the path to take photos with less people in them. The glacier-fed water is beautiful! A milky-blue color. That with the mountains and trees, the colors are so vivid. We also saw a mountain goat on the hillside and a rainbow in the mist. Highly recommend!

Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park is a wonderful alternative for canoeing if the boathouses at…read moreLake Louise and Moraine Lake get too busy. What really stands out is the value; the canoe rental rates are significantly more affordable here than at the other major lakes. The staff that operates the boat house and the attached gift shop were wonderful, incredibly friendly, and helpful. While the lake is certainly less crowded than its more famous neighbors, parking can still a challenge. Expect to spend around an extra 20 minutes to park, and be prepared to walk a short distance from your spot to the water's edge. Once you're there, it's well worth the effort. There are also several beautiful, easy-to-moderate trails circling the lake to explore the scenery on foot after your paddle. Cilantro on the Lake restaurant can get busy, but The Window walk up food counter is quick, and perfect for grabbing some food for a picnic in the canoe. Highly recommended for a more relaxed and less crowded scenic mountain experience!

I go to see three beautiful lakes on my first day in Banff National Park. Our last stop was at…read moreEmerald Lake in Yoho National Park. Yoho National Park is one of the four contiguous national parks in Canada's Rocky Mountains. Emerald Lake is a freshwater lake near the town of Golden. The lake has a emerald green color to it and is enclosed by mountains of the President Range. I had a nice time here. I did some of the hiking trials and saw a little bit of wildlife along the way. This lake is less crowed than Louise and Moraine lakes which I enjoyed. I enjoyed the views while hiking and came across a plaque about the fossil-bearing deposits of the Burgess Shale in the area. I grabbed lunch at the Cilantro on the Lake restaurant before heading out. There are canoe rentals at Emerald Lake if you want to get out on the water.

Lake O'Hara is a beautiful, well-preserved lake that is tucked away within Yoho National Park, and…read moreis a wonderful place to get in a good hike and enjoy the beautiful scenery without the hustle and bustle of loud tour buses and disruptive tourists. I visited in early July and the weather was quite warm, so you won't need any heavy jackets. A simple t-shirt should suffice. Shuttle bus passes up the mountain to view the actual lake are hard to get a hold of, so be prepared for a 11km (~6.8 miles) uphill hike. There aren't any rest stops until you hit the 10 or 11km mark where the campground area is, so be sure to use the restroom beforehand and fill up on water accordingly. There may be more spots on the shuttle for a ride back down depending on the demand, but the bus only leaves every 2 hours (2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm) and tickets are $10 cash per person. I saw a mama bear and her cubs crossing the path on my way down while I was inside the bus, so bears really do walk onto the trail! Bring bear spray with you as a safety precaution if you're unfamiliar with how to deal with wildlife. Overall, I really loved Lake O'Hara and its serene waters and breathtaking surroundings. I want to go back already!

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can stay at either a lodge, cabin or campground. The…read morecampground reminded us of a United Nations meeting as we may have been the only English-as-first-language speakers. From Lake O'Hara we climbed trails to gorgeous Lakes Oesa and Opabin. Breathtakingly beautiful.

This place was such a letdown due to poor management and terrible customer service. We were told…read moreour daughter was able to do all the activities of the adventure pass and paid accordingly. When we arrived to the activities they said she was too short. When we asked for a refund they said they could only refund ten dollars of the $381 which we paid. What!?? They weighed her and asked her age at the ticket counter and even made us go rent shoes for $15 more dollars. And then oops sorry she can't participate. And nope no refund. What a mess. Other than that The wait time for each activity was insane. We literally stood in line for nearly three hours for the mountain coaster. Not worth it at all. Awful. Do not recommend. There are much more beautiful and fun activities to do in the area. Don't waste your money or your time. I am so sad we wasted a whole day of vacation here.

Fun outdoor activities and exercises for kids, teens and adults. Experience the best of both worlds…read moreof Upper Skybridge and Lower Skybridge. Loved the adrenaline rush, exercise and thrill seeking heights. Wear comfy closed toe shoes and sunscreen. Lots of free parking. Have pre-printed tickets ready with barcode to scan and save time. Many different areas throughout the site that you're able to take insta-worthy pics and vids. Poutine ordered to go from the Cafe was yummy and a meal in itself. Crinkle fries were extra crispy, brown gravy was yummy and did not sog the potatoes, and curd cheese complemented this dish. There's dedicated washrooms and gift shop on site. Staff from check in, the cafe and gift shop were very helpful. Worth the drive from AB to Golden, BC.

Literally no other place I would rather write about for my 100th review of 2022!!! I am so, so…read morefortunate my friend took me to Canadian Off-Road Adventures located in Golden, British Columbia back in June of 2022 for an epic day of riding around on All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). My friend booked a three hour tour with the owner, Che, and we were super excited to have him and Ayden as our guides for the afternoon. In fact, we were actually the only ATV on the tour on this particular rainy day but we did not mind ONE bit!!! My friend and I ended up sharing an ATV due to the rather steep increase in price to have two drivers (drivers are $229 while passengers are $99). While we had planned to take turns driving, my friend was so, so, so kind to let me drive the whole day because I was having the best day EVER!!! Che and Ayden drove us in the company van to the starting point after we were outfitted with our safety gear (helmets, gloves, and handkerchiefs). We practiced driving around a dirt lot for a little while so Che could ensure we were being safe and knew how to operate the ATV. Once we were given the all-clear, it was time to adventure. Seriously, the views were absolutely stunning from mountain views to rivers, streams, and waterfalls! When we got to the top of the vista, the light rain had actually turned into snow and I genuinely felt like we were in a snow globe. It was such an amazing experience from start to finish. We even saw a black bear on our way back. I had never had so much fun on an ATV before but this tour actually led me to book another ATV tour in Big Bend National Park earlier this fall. Che was hands down the best and while our trip to Banff and Jasper was a highlight reel, this ATV tour was my favorite part of the trip. I cannot recommend Canadian Off-Road Adventures enough - it is worth every minute and every penny!!!

I came here on a Sunday morning, took the shuttle from the Park and Ride, parking at the lake was…read morealready full. Lots of people at the lake and ran into a ton of people coming down when we were going up. The hike wasn't too steep at the beginning to Larch Valley which was really beautiful. The hike up to Sentinel Pass was a lot steeper and there was ice and snow, which was not the most pleasant. Views at the top were amazing, especially with the larches. On the way down, the snow had mostly melted and turned into slush a bit, ran into quite a few people and it started snowing a bit closer to the lake. Really beautiful hike, definitely recommend!

As with many hikes in Banff, Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass is a must see. It begins at Moraine…read moreLake which can get quite busy at the parking lot so you'll want to go before 10 in the morning if possible. When the bears are out, it is the law to go up with a group of four or more. My wife and I were just two but we had read that it doesn't take long to find others who are going up. Many people came up to the base but mainly to take a picture of the sign stating that bears are in the area. Lame. We were beginning to doubt that other hikers were going to come but it turned out all right. We probably waited about 10-15 minutes before some nice hikers around our same age range came along. Simone, Eric, their dog Chico, along with their four friends from New Brunswick were nice enough to let us join them. Thankfully they were also about the same speed as us. We did see many groups less than four and even some solo hikers. Naughty. The hike starts with a series of switchbacks within the treed canopy. After a while you hit a fork in the trail with one route taking you to Eiffel Lake and the other to Larch Valley and then onto Sentinel Pass. Soon after you will hit an alpine meadow area which is huge, and then the larches. I did this in July so the trees were still green but if you do it in the fall, apparently everything turns yellow! When you get past Larch Valley and make your way to Sentinel Pass you see a huge 'Z' shape way off and high up in the distance. We weren't sure if we would have to climb that but yes. The 'Z' is the final switchback before you can be rewarded with the view. In July the higher elevations still had snow, which made it a bit tricky to trek through. In some parts the hike would take you through a very steep mountainside with snow. Thankfully we made it through without mishap and finally made it up the last switchback. At the top there is a 360 degree panoramic view. On one side you have the great view of Paradise Valley. On the other side is Larch Valley where you climbed up, and a view of Valley of Ten Peaks. Unfortunately the day we went was quite cloudy. Obviously it'd be better with clearer skies but it was still enjoyable. We had lunch up there as most people do before making our decent. I would budget about 5 hours round trip for this hike. Make sure to go in a group of four as they can fine you up to $2000 and carry bear spray.