Parking
Use the Sunwapta Falls parking area off the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93N), then follow the Lower Falls signs from the upper-falls access.
Overview
About Lower Sunwapta Falls Trail
Why go
- Three major cascades and open mountain views
- A manageable one-hour outing from the Icefields Parkway
Heads up
- The return climbs the same ground you descended
Lower Sunwapta Falls Trail is a 2.6 km round-trip out-and-back from Sunwapta Falls parking to three waterfalls on the Sunwapta River. Allow about one hour for this moderate walk, which has 87 m of elevation change. It’s a good choice if you want more than the quick upper-falls stop and would like to spend time by the river. Dogs are allowed.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the falls walk for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Icefields Parkway map
Full mapElevation1,332–1,411 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Icefields Parkway alerts
- ClosureWildfire-impacted area closures in JasperStay out of the closed wildfire-impacted areas in Jasper National Park; access is prohibited or restricted to protect public safety.Official details
- ClosureOpal Hills hiking area closed for grizzly bearThe Opal Hills hiking area is closed because a female grizzly bear with two offspring is in the area. - The closure took effect September 25, 2026, and remains in effect until further notice.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Icefields Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to Lower Sunwapta Falls Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Icefields Parkway audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Sunwapta Falls: Island, Gorge and Lunch0:00 / 0:34
“You're coming up on the access road for Sunwapta Falls. Follow it to the falls parking area for a short walk to the upper bridge and viewpoints.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Icefields Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Frog’s Frozen Winter
- The Wardens’ Cabin Network
- Honeymoon Lake: A Simple Lakeside Night
- The Lichen That Feeds Caribou
- 141 audio storiesacross Icefields Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Moose, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 57 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Lower Sunwapta Falls Trail
Follow the signs downstreamStart at the Sunwapta Falls access area and follow the signs for Lower Falls.
Start at the Sunwapta Falls access area and follow the signs for Lower Falls. The path drops downstream to the waterfalls, then returns the same way; save some energy for the climb back to the parking area.
Look for all three cascadesThe lower falls are a short sequence of three major waterfalls, with open views toward the…
The lower falls are a short sequence of three major waterfalls, with open views toward the surrounding mountains. The river breaks around a tree-covered mass of fractured rock into several foamy channels. If you’re taking a photo, step back enough to keep the rock and more than one channel in the frame.
Keep back from the waterMist can leave rocks near the falls slick.
Mist can leave rocks near the falls slick. Stay on the established path and well back from the fast river.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Icefields Parkway
12 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
127 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
16 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
100 sightingsElkMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
34 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
53 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Icefields Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
