Sunwapta Falls

Sunwapta Falls is found 54 kilometers south of the Yellowhead Highway at the town of Jasper, or 49 kilometers north of the Icefield Center, along the Icefields Parkway. The falls are immediately adjacent to the parking area.Sunwapta Falls is akin to Athabasca Falls in that it is one of the biggest tourist draw waterfalls in the Rocky Mountain parks. Mainly due to ease of access and the fact that this is a major tour bus stop, you will have to come early or late in the day to be alone here. Sunwapta Falls isn’t nearly as impressive as Athabasca Falls, but it is one of the more photogenic waterfalls along the Icefields Parkway. The Sunwapta River splits around a rocky island upstream from the falls, then the channels merge and plunge 20 feet into a gorge, over an outcropping that looks like a mouth with knocked out teeth. The river then accelerates under a footbridge and explodes an additional 35 feet to a deeper gorge below. Most people take a look at the upper tier, either from the footbridge or the fence viewpoint at its side, but significantly fewer people walk the extra 100 meters to the viewpoint of the lower tier.