After a relaxing few days in Jasper, it was time to head back south to Banff. The great thing about staying overnight in Jasper is that you can catch all the sights you missed on the way up the Columbia Icefield Parkway. There are so many amazing sites on the Columbia Icefield Parkway that you can’t absorb it all in just one day!

Sunwapta Falls

We stopped at Sunwapta Falls, about 40 miles south of Jasper. Fed by the meltwater of the Athabasca Glacier (one of the toes of the Columbia Icefield), the Sunwapta River flows northwest to the Athabasca River. Canadian geologist A.P. Coleman aptly named the falls after the Stoney Nakoda word for “turbulent waters” in 1892.

This map from the Jasper National Park visitor guide shows exactly where Sunwapta Falls (highlighted in yellow) lies along the northern portion of the Columbia Icefield Parkway (Hwy 93). I’ve highlighted in pink our starting point of Jasper, along with Athabasca Falls and Athabasca Glacier, which we saw on our drive a few days before.

As the crow flies, Sunwapta Falls appears close to Maligne Lake, also highlighted in pink. As I mentioned in the previous post, visitors must travel over 60 miles (all the way to Jasper and then another road south) because the Maligne Range, including the Endless Chain Ridge, bisects the parkway and the lake.

As the river narrows, the water rages around a tree island before plunging over a 60-foot drop. The rushing water roared as we walked down to the platform near the top of the falls. Because we weren’t in a hurry, we stood here in awe, absolutely mesmerized. Again, we visited in early June, when the glacial melt was in full force. Visitors coming in the fall may have a different experience.

Upper Sunwapta Falls is just a short walk from the parking lot. Lower Sunwapta Falls can be reached by a 1.6-mile (round-trip) hike. Rain started falling, so we only visited the upper falls.

If you want to stay at Sunwapta Falls, the Rocky Mountain Lodge offers rustic accommodations. It’s also a great place to stop for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with views of the mountains in Jasper National Park. We took advantage of the grab-and-go offerings of sandwiches to eat later in the day.

Tangle Creek Falls

Also highlighted in yellow on the map above is Tangle Creek. Here, dramatic multi-tiered waterfalls descend down the rocky face of Tangle Ridge Mountain. Explorer Mary Schaffer named the falls, which drop over 150 feet, in 1907.

Tangle Creek Falls, aka Tangle Falls, is one of the most visited on the Icefield Parkway because it cascades right next to the road! For better views, stop at the parking lot across the parkway and carefully cross to the other side.

Big Bend Overlook

After Tangle Creek Falls, we drove past the Skywalk and the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center, which we had already toured. We pulled over in the parking lot for one more shot of the Athabasca Glacier. In the picture below, you can better gauge its size by noticing the parking lot with campers near the bottom left.

We then came to Big Bend Overlook before driving down the 180-degree hairpin turn. The magnificent view of the North Saskatchewan River Valley shows the parkway and the river flowing alongside it.

DH (Dear Hubby) wanted to capture lots of pictures here with both his Nikon camera and iPhone. Surprisingly, the iPhone captured better shots.

From the parking area at the Big Bend Overlook, we also could make out Bridal Veil Falls, the 1,200-foot-tall, slender waterfalls coming down Cirrus Mountain from Huntington Glacier. If you don’t look for it, it’s easy to miss.

Weeping Wall

A few miles later, we came to another set of waterfalls also descending down Cirrus Mountain. True to its name, these waterfalls “weep” 1,000 feet down the sheer rock face on the side of the parkway.

This is a quick stop off the Icefields Parkway. In winter, it freezes over with blue ice, making it a top spot for ice climbing.

If you need to refuel or get a snack, make a stop at the Saskatchewan River Crossing about 18 miles further south. This is the point where three rivers (Mistaya, North Saskatchewan, and Howse) meet.

Mistaya Canyon

Just like Sunwapta Falls, words can’t fully describe the powerful forces of nature at Mistaya Canyon. This is another must-stop place. Even though the easy walk is only 1.2 miles (round-trip), plan to spend some time sitting on the rocks and taking everything in.

The trail descends about 250 feet from the parking lot before coming to a bridge. At that point, deep canyon walls reveal themselves. We continued a bit farther where tumbling waters raced down the canyon walls.

Walking out onto the wide, flat rocks, we noticed circular potholes carved out by the turbulent waters over time. A sign mentioned the water levels were once as high as the limestone canyon walls.

The water comes from the Mistaya River, which flows out of Peyto Lake. We looked out at the snowy peaks of Mount Sarbach, named after Swiss guide Peter Sarbach, in the distance. When tourism first began in the area in the late 1890s, experienced guides from Switzerland came over to lead mountain expeditions. From 1899 to 1954, Canadian Pacific Railway hired 30 Swiss guides to lead groups to these mountains.

Now it was time to leave and get back to Banff. We had spent about four hours with stops from Pyramid Lake to Mistaya Canyon. Read on for our next adventure hiking Johnston Canyon in Banff.

Important Tips

I mentioned these tips in my previous post about the Icefield Parkway, but it bears repeating.

• There is no wi-fi or cell service along the parkway except at Saskatchewan River Crossing and Columbia Icefield Discovery Center.
• Print out or screenshot all maps before getting on the parkway.
• You may also want to write down the mileage between stops, as signage is fairly nonexistent on the parkway.
• Gas up beforehand, as the only fuel station is at Saskatchewan River Crossing.
• If headed from Jasper, pick up a picnic lunch or eat at Sunwapta Falls Lodge.
• Download the Guide Along app to purchase the Icefields Parkway Tour, which works without a cell signal.

For free downloadable maps, click here. Be sure to read about Part One of our trip on the Columbia Icefield Parkway, which includes Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, the Columbia Icefield Glacier & Skywalk Experience, and Athabasca Falls.