Natural Bridge: Yoho National Park

This next spot is not something I would go out of my way to see but if you are planning on stopping at Emerald Lake it would only take a few minutes out of your day to see this charming natural bridge.

Natural Bridge is located on the same road that branches off the TransCanada that takes you to the spectacular Emerald Lake. We had not been planning to visit but we saw it as we were heading to Emerald Lake and figured we may as well.

We only stayed for a few minutes as there is not really anything to do here other than look at the water for a few minutes.

The stepmother was very excited to see this wedding couple getting some photos taken.

While pretty, definitely not worth a trip in and of itself.

Takakkaw Falls - Yoho National Park

Yoho National Park borders Banff and is home to numerous natural treasures. Dad and I would be spending two days exploring famous Lake O'Hara but on this day we only had a few hours so we hit the main sights that can easily be seen in a few hours and that are located right off the TransCanada Highway.

First up was Takakkaw Falls. A beautiful waterfall nestled amongst the mountains of Yoho. To get to the falls you have to travel along the TransCanada and then travel along a road that winds through the mountains and includes a terrifying switchback. I would not recommend trying to maneuver this road if you are towing anything or if you are in a large camper/trailer.

You can see the Falls from a distance as you approach on the road.

There is a path that leads from the parking lot which is set next to a river to the base of the Falls. It is fairly flat, is paved, and should be accessible. My dad had no desire to go closer to the Falls so he stayed behind at the car with the dogs while the stepmother and I set off for a closer view.

I was scrambling around on the rocks to get a view, not in danger at any time but the stepmother was freaking out. 

Once I had my fill we made our way back to the car. Our next stop would be The Natural Bridge and Emerald Lake.

Banff: Castle Mountain Lookout

We decided to sleep-in a bit this day and so we did not get started with our day until around 8am. Given the "late" start we decided to go for a shorter hike this day and to explore some touristy spots in Yoho National Park. Our first stop of the day was the hike at Castle Mountain Lookout.

This trail can be found on the Bow Valley Parkway about halfway between Lake Louise and Banff. It does not seem to be a heavily traveled trail as we only encountered one other group of hikers while we were there.

The trail for the most part travels though a forested mountainside as you steadily climb up with views across the Bow Valley.

There are several spots where you break free of the treeline and get an unobstructed view. 

The trail ends at an open lookout point that is surrounded by forest.

This little guy quickly made his appearance upon our arrival, probably hoping to join us for lunch!

One of the great initiatives that Parks Canada has instituted is the construction of these animal crossing bridges. They are landscaped to look natural and allow a safe crossing across the highway for the animals. I think they are wonderful.  We were able to spot one from the lookout point.

 

Taking a break at the top of the trail

 This was the scariest part of the hike for me, I get nervous when I don't have firm ground under my feet.

Towards the bottom of the trail there was a small creek. The dogs loved it and decided to have a drink and cool off. 

Overall this is a nice short hike if you have less time although the views are rather limited. One of the less spectacular hikes that we went on on the trip.

Banff: Johnston Canyon

The skies had begun to clear as we departed the town of Banff so we decided to drive back to Lake Louise by way of the Bow Valley Parkway. We would stop for a short walk through Johnston Canyon which is located along the parkway.

As we were driving we saw this beauty grazing by the side of the road

Elk on the Bow Valley Parkway

Johnston Canyon is not a difficult hike, in fact, I hesitate to even call it a hike. The path is mostly paved and there is little elevation gain. The only thing that might scare people away from this trail is the large number of catwalks that must be crossed. In fact, the stepmother is afraid of these and opted to remain behind at the car with Tilly.

The path winds through the canyon and runs alongside the water. There are many little water falls in addition to the Lower and Upper Falls. It is a very pretty trail and not very challenging.

Most people only go as far as the Lower Falls but Dad and I opted to continue to the Upper Falls. The trail continues past the Upper Falls to the Ink Pots. We opted not to go that far though as the stepmother was waiting and it was getting late in the afternoon.

Video:

Lower Falls

Upper Falls

Johnston Canyon was a nice add-on for the day and I was glad that the weather cleared enough to allow us to explore the trail.

On the way back to the campground we passed Castle Mountain, isn't it beautiful?