Yoho National Park, BC
A riverside walk to Laughing Falls with two optional waterfall detours.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yoho Tour Guide
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
Takakkaw Falls: A Short Walk to the Spray“Takakkaw Falls is coming up at the end of Yoho Valley Road, and you don't need a long hike to get close to this one. Follow the short, mostly level paved path toward the falls for the roar and cold spray.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yoho Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
Laughing Falls is a moderate 9 km (5.6 mi) out-and-back from Takakkaw Falls parking lot, following the Yoho Valley Trail through the forested bottom of the Yoho River valley. Parks Canada places the falls 4.5 km from the lot. Allow about three hours for the direct return, longer if you add side trips or stay awhile. The tread is mostly packed gravel, with a short steeper climb before the route settles back toward the river. This outing turns around at Laughing Falls; the Yoho Valley Trail continues another 3.9 km toward Twin Falls, which is a longer hike.
The route passes braided creek channels and signed junctions. Point Lace Falls and Angels Staircase Falls are separate detours, so they add both distance and time to the direct 9 km figure. Near the end, the trail follows the Yoho River gorge to Laughing Falls and its adjacent backcountry campground. At the falls, include a little of the river below the drop to show the cascade in its rocky setting.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingIceline via Little Yoho20.3 km · 8 hr · At the trailheadGlacier views and tarns reward a full-day climb.
ChallengingIceline via Celeste Lake Loop17.4 km · 7 hr · At the trailheadSteep climb, glacier views, and a Celeste Lake descent.
ChallengingWhaleback Circuit20.5 km · 7.5 hr · At the trailheadTwin Falls, an alpine ridge, and a full day on foot.
ModerateTwin Falls Trail16.8 km · 5.5 hr · At the trailheadA long valley walk to Yoho's twin cascades and historic tea house.
ChallengingYoho Valley Circuit28.5 km · 10.5 hr · At the trailheadA full day linking Twin Falls, Whaleback and the Iceline
EasyPoint Lace Falls and Angels Staircase Falls Trail5.5 km · 1.8 hr · At the trailheadAn easy valley walk branches to two waterfall viewpoints.
ChallengingTakakkaw Lake Route7.9 km · 7 hr · At the trailheadA steep, rough climb follows the upper valley toward Takakkaw Lake.
ModerateYoho Lake Trail9.8 km · 3.5 hr · At the trailheadA steep climb leads to red chairs facing Wapta Mountain.
Campground · At the trailheadTakakkaw Falls CampgroundA walk-in tent camp beneath the roar of Takakkaw Falls.
Sight · 0.8 km awayTakakkaw FallsGet close enough for glacier-fed spray to change the temperature.
Lodging · 0.8 km awayHI Yoho National Park, Whiskey Jack Wilderness HostelA rustic hostel base for Takakkaw Falls and the Iceline Trail.
Sight · 2.3 km awayAngel’s Staircase Falls ViewpointA stepped cascade worth the valley walk while snowmelt still feeds it.
Sight · 2.3 km awayPoint Lace FallsA short spur reaches a lacy, 45-foot cascade.Campground · 2.5 km awayYoho Lake CampgroundBackcountry camping beside Yoho Lake, reached by a steep hike.Sight · 2.5 km awayYoho LakeRed chairs and a Wapta reflection reward the uphill hike.
Sight · 3.1 km awayDuchesnay LakeAdd the lake detour if you're walking to the waterfalls.Parkwolf’s Yoho ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
