While we were having breakfast this morning, we were trying to decide what we should do today. Did we want to do another day of driving or did we want to have a chill day. We thought about it and decided that we would go to Yoho National Park which is about one and a half hours from Canmore near Field, BC. We packed up some sandwiches and snacks and we were on our way just after 10:00am.
During this trip, we have been using the GyPSy app. This app is like having your own private tour guide with you in the car. The tour plays automatically based on your location and guides you to all the best things to see and do. The app suggested that we should go directly to Emerald Lake and then on the way back, we could stop at the other places. We took the app’s suggestion.
As we were approaching Emerald Lake, we saw a long line of cars parked on the side of the road. This was not a good sign. We drove to the parking lot and just as we expected, there were no spots. So it was back down the road. Before we headed to the lake, we had lunch in the car.
The one thing we wanted to do on this trip was to go canoeing and that is one of the reasons we wanted to visit Emerald Lake. We were lucky that we were able to walk right up and rent a canoe ($75 for an hour).
The last time we went canoeing was at Lake Louise in 2017 and it was raining. Today we were spoiled with sunshine and blue skies. I can not believe how quickly the hour went by.
Once we got back to the dock, we grabbed a bite to eat before exploring the area around the lake. It was getting late in the afternoon, so we decided to hit the road.
Our first stop on the way back to Canmore was the Natural Bridge. The bridge was carved out of the rock by the Kicking Horse River. It is an impressive rock formation.
We left the bridge and we were going to skip Takakkaw Falls but the app said the drive to the falls was not to be missed. Takakkaw Falls is at the end of Yoho Valley Road which is closed from October to June. The road is very scenic but it is narrow and has a couple of intense hairpin switchbacks.
Takakkaw Falls is the second tallest waterfall in Canada. The walk to the base of the falls is only about ten minutes on a paved path. As you approach the falls, you are struck at the sheer size of it. I am so glad we listened to the app.
On the drive back to Canmore, we decided to take the Bow Valley Parkway again. The thought was that this was likely the last time on this road during this trip. We got lucky and saw a black bear munching on the side of the road. The scary part was that the bear was very close to a picnic area and we could hear the people. Yikes.
By the time we got back into Canmore, it was after ?pm. So we picked up dinner from Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. which we enjoyed back at the condo.
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