Parking
The trail begins just before a bridge on Yoho Valley Road, near Monarch Campground. A dedicated trail lot was not confirmed.
Overview
About Centennial Trail
Why go
- A shaded walk beside the Kicking Horse River, with wildflowers.
- Views toward Mount Stephen and Cathedral Crags.
Heads up
- A short outing without a summit or major destination at the end.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yoho map
Full mapElevation1,278–1,332 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Yoho alerts
- ClosureWalcott Quarry and Mount Stephen access restrictedMentions Mount Stephen, referenced in this guideWalcott Quarry and Mount Stephen are closed to visitors except on scheduled guided hikes or with a research permit, to protect these historically and scientifically significant sites.Official details
- ClosureYoho Valley Road closed for avalanche seasonYoho Valley Road is closed to vehicles from mid-October to mid-June because of avalanche risk. - Parks Canada’s current trail report lists no vehicle access to trails in the Yoho Valley.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yoho Tour Guide
Your drive to Centennial Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yoho National Park. 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 Yoho audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Kicking Horse and Monarch: Camping by the River0:00 / 0:34
“You're nearing the entrance to Yoho Valley Road, with access to Kicking Horse and Monarch campgrounds.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yoho Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Bird That Plants Pines
- Upper Spiral Tunnel: A Swiss Idea in the Rockies
- Meeting of the Waters: Two Currents Joining
- How the Rock Layers Got Tilted
- 35 audio storiesacross Yoho’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Mountain Goat, Black Bear, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 58 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 Centennial Trail
A short riverside walkCentennial Trail is an easy, shaded out-and-back beside the Kicking Horse River, on a narrow…
Centennial Trail is an easy, shaded out-and-back beside the Kicking Horse River, on a narrow path along Yoho Valley Road. It is 1 km each way, 2 km round trip, and takes about 45 minutes. The river and its wildflowers are the draw, with Mount Stephen and Cathedral Crags visible along the way. Pick it for a short walk near the campgrounds, not a full-day hike.
Follow the riverThe path starts just before a bridge on Yoho Valley Road and follows the river through a…
The path starts just before a bridge on Yoho Valley Road and follows the river through a forested stretch. Turn around at the end of the named trail and retrace your steps. It is a short, low-effort walk rather than a climb or route-finding challenge.
Access and dogsThe trailhead is on Yoho Valley Road near Monarch Campground.
The trailhead is on Yoho Valley Road near Monarch Campground. The road is open to vehicles from mid-June through mid-October, so plan this as a driving-season walk. Dogs can join, but must stay leashed and under control.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yoho
21 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
55 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
61 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
66 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
26 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
10 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yoho. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
