Athabasca Falls

What visitors say

Athabasca Falls is where the Athabasca River squeezes through a narrow rock gorge south of Jasper, with mountains behind and mist rising from the canyon. Visitors talk about the roar you hear before you see it and the spray you can spot from a distance. Spring runoff in May and June makes the flow especially heavy.

The falls are a short walk from the parking lot at the junction of Highway 93 and 93A. Paved paths and railed viewpoints take you along the top of the canyon and gradually closer to the water, and a trail leads down toward the lower canyon where the river settles again. Reviewers call the layout well planned and easy for families.

This is a sightseeing stop first. The Athabasca River is a Canadian Heritage River, and Parks Canada does manage angling on it, with different seasons above and below the falls; you need a national park fishing permit, as provincial licences aren't valid in the park. Most people pair the falls with other stops along the Icefields Parkway.

Crowds are the main drawback in summer, so go early or late. Stay behind the railings and on marked paths, since the rock beyond is slippery and the current is dangerous. The forest around the site shows wildfire damage, which one recent visitor found sobering.

Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 1,662 Google reviews. Conditions and rules change — check current park, access and fishing regulations before you go.