Top 10 Amazing Facts about Sunwapta Falls, Alberta

Sunwapta Falls at Jasper National Park, Canada. Photo by Bitan Banerjee. Wikimedia Commons.

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Sunwapta Falls, Alberta

The Sunwapta Falls are a pair of falls in the Ice Fields of Alberta, Canada. Sunwapta is a Stoney language word that means turbulent water. There is an upper and a lower fall.

They are located in Jasper National Park, a few meters from the Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge. Visitors get to hike down a nature trail to get a view of the falls.

They flow from the Athabasca Glacier and have a drop of about 61 feet. The water volumes are usually higher in summer due to the high melting of the glacial ice. The Upper fall is more easily accessible.

The Sunwapta Falls are a major tourist attraction at Jasper. Here are the top 10 amazing facts about the falls.

1. The Sunwapta Falls are located in the famous ice fields of Alberta

The Ice fields of Alberta are the largest icefields in the North America Rocky Mountains, stretching over an area of 325 square kilometers.

They are famous for their incredible vastness and the great number of breathtaking geological features.

These include soaring mountains, massive glaciers, and beautiful waterfalls, Sunwapta falls being one of them.

2. They were named by AP Coleman in 1892

He was a Canadian geologist. After touring the Icefields area in Alberta, he gave Sunwapta Falls’ name the Stoney Indian word for ‘turbulent river.’

Indeed the Sunwapta river cascades forcefully down into a narrow gorge. Its waters flow with considerable power.

The name Sunwapta roughly translates to ‘turbulent water’ or ‘radiating waves’ in the native tongue of the Stoney First Nations people.

3. The Sunwapta falls have two main falls

Part of the Sunwapta Falls. Photo by Ovedc. Wikimedia Commons.

These are the upper and the lower falls. The upper fall is more easily accessible as it is just a few meters off the Icefields Parkway. It is also the most attractive, hence most people prefer to view it.

Each of these falls can be viewed from separate points. The upper falls are just a few minutes from the parking lot. A short hike into the woods down the trail leads to the lower fall. The hike is full of roots but the feel of nature is definitely worth the walk.

4. The Lower Sunwapta falls are less congested even in the high season

A side view of the Lower Sunwapta Falls. Photo by Ovedc. Wikimedia Commons.

This could be because they are less easily accessible compared to the upper falls which are a few meters from the road. To access the lower falls, one must walk further downhill through a trail.

The upper fall is also considered more impressive hence a majority of the visitors prefer to hike only up to the same. Regardless, the hike down towards the lower falls is perfect for bonding with nature.

5. The falls originate from the Athabasca glacier

Athabasca Glacier, Jasper National Park Canada. Photo by Carlos Delgado. Wikimedia Commons.

The Athabasca glacier is one of the six main glaciers in the Ice fields of Alberta. It is also the most well-known due to its easy accessibility.

The glaciers are formed when the snow melts at a slower rate in summer than in falls during winter. As it accumulates and thickens, it falls downhill slowly, forming a glacier.

The Athabasca glacier feeds the Sunwapta falls as its ice melts. The falls have higher water volumes during summer since the rate of ice melting is higher.

6. The falls can be accessed via a short hike trail from the Icefields Parkway

Icefield Parkway. Photo by Leon Petrosyan. Wikimedia Commons.

The Icefields Parkway connects Banff and Jasper National Parks. It traverses the icefields terrain. The Sunwapta Falls hike begins at the Sunwapta falls parking lot.

There are two trailheads and one is marked with a list of hikes. It is only a hundred meters before you reach a bridge over a gorge carved by the waters of Sunwapta falls.

The trail is an easy one, not too steep. There are lots of tree roots down the trail to the lower falls but walking through is not a challenge. The view is spectacular from the gorge.

7. Sunwapta Falls are one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Jasper National Park

With a breathtaking mountain backdrop, Sunwapta Falls are among the 7 main beautiful waterfalls in Jasper National Park.

These include the famous Athabasca falls which have a beautiful backdrop of Mount Kerkeslin. The Tangle Falls is close to the Icefields Parkway and is a great ice climbing spot when it freezes in winter!

The rest of the falls are the Maligne Canyon, Stanley, Punchbowl, and Geraldine waterfalls.

8. The Sunwapta Falls has a unique small island!

Sunwapta Falls, part of the treed island around which the Sunwapta River flows. Photo by Migueldalugdugan. Wikimedia Commons.

This is one of the things that set the falls’ landscape apart from the rest at Jasper. The Sunwapta River wounds round a small treed island just before it rushes down the rocks. The sight is simply incredible. The view is accessible over the bridge above the gorge.

9. There are several viewpoints of the falls

The falls are generally close to the road but good views can be accessed from set viewpoints. The main one is a bridge over a gorge beside the falls. The bridge is only a few meters off the Sunwapta Falls parking lot and can be accessed via a short hike trail.

You can see the Sunwapta River flowing over a ledge and in between the canyon walls. The other viewpoint can be accessed by backtracking to the start of the bridge and walking downhill toward the river. There are fenced viewpoints for a closer look.

For the lower falls, one need not cross the bridge. There’s a signpost at the trail junction and a path up a small hill. Just around the bend, one can see the Sunwapta River, and its rocky canyon.

10. The Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge is just a few meters away

Visitors hiking to see the falls can stay at the lodge. It is conveniently located near the falls. The Glacier Skywalk at Columbia icefields is half an hour drive away.

The lodge offers comfortable accommodation, great food, and service. It is the only accommodation option near the falls.  

It has refreshing ambiance and beautiful scenic views. The Sunwapta Falls parking lot is about 500 meters southwest of the lodge. The trailhead for Sunwapta Falls starts at the parking lot.