Parking
Start at the Emerald Lake parking lot, at the north end of the lake. It fills early in summer and on weekends, so keep a backup plan; outhouses are beside the lot.
Overview
About Emerald Basin Trail
Why go
- A dramatic basin and waterfalls beyond an easy lakeshore approach
- Old forest, glacier views and a fossil story all on one route
Heads up
- The steep rocky climb comes late in the walk
- The tread fades into loose scree at the basin
Emerald Basin Trail is a 9.6 km (about 6 mile) out-and-back from Emerald Lake parking to a wide alpine amphitheatre. The 4.8 km figure is one way; this full distance includes the return along the same corridor. Allow about 3.5 hours. The payoff is a wilder finish than the gentle lakeshore: old conifers, a short steep rocky climb, and a basin ringed by waterfalls and scree beneath a glacier tucked between the President and Vice President peaks. Choose it when you want a proper half-day hike and are comfortable with rough footing at the end. The one-way approach climbs about 305 m and drops about 100 m before you reverse those rollers on the way back.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs the climb worth it?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yoho map
Full mapElevation1,303–1,494 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Yoho alerts
- 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
- CautionWatercraft and angling prohibited in YohoWatercraft use and angling are prohibited on all waterbodies in Yoho National Park until March 31, 2027, to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species, including whirling disease.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yoho Tour Guide
Your drive to Emerald Basin 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
Emerald Lake: Shore, Colour and Lunch0:00 / 0:34
“You're approaching Emerald Lake, where a short, level walk to the bridge brings you to the blue-green water and its mountain backdrop. Stop even if you haven't got time for a hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yoho Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Conifer That Drops Its Needles
- Yoho Visitor Centre: Fossils and a Useful Break
- Field: A Bistro Meal or a Quick Restock
- 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 Emerald Basin Trail
Follow the lake shoreStart from the north end of Emerald Lake parking and take the west, or left, shore path.
Start from the north end of Emerald Lake parking and take the west, or left, shore path. The first 1.6 km is a broad, easy walk beside the water, with a viewpoint and an interpretive stop about the Burgess Shale. At the avalanche slope, turn around for a look back toward Emerald Lake Lodge across the water; it makes a better photo than a straight-on lake view. This route leaves the lakeshore at the north end, so you do not need to walk the full Emerald Lake circuit.
The climb into the basinAfter crossing the open glacial outwash plain, take the left branch toward the basin.
After crossing the open glacial outwash plain, take the left branch toward the basin. The path gets steep and rocky as it climbs beside the Emerald River canyon, with views opening toward Michael Peak. It eases through old forest before the trees thin and the valley spreads into shrubs, meadow and pale scree. The maintained tread gradually fades among boulders; the ordinary hike ends here, and the rough continuation is not a casual add-on.
Waterfalls, ice and fossilsThe basin is a broad, avalanche-scoured bowl below steep rock walls.
The basin is a broad, avalanche-scoured bowl below steep rock walls. Waterfalls drop down the cliffs, and Emerald Glacier sits in a notch between the President and Vice President peaks. After snowmelt, glacier lilies and other flowers brighten the protected meadow pockets. Marmots and pikas live among the scree, though sightings are never a sure thing. On the approach, the outwash plain is glacially deposited sand and gravel; a nearby interpretive stop explains the Burgess Shale fossils on Mount Burgess. Leave fossils and rocks where they are.
Parking and footingThe Emerald Lake lot fills early during summer and on weekends, so keep a backup plan.
The Emerald Lake lot fills early during summer and on weekends, so keep a backup plan. Outhouses are beside the lot. Snow can linger on the lakeshore avalanche slope into early summer, while the final climb is steep and uneven even when clear. Dogs may accompany you on leash; follow any posted trailhead restrictions and pick up after them.
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.
