Sunwapta Falls

Sunwapta Falls
Sunwapta Falls is located in Alberta
Sunwapta Falls
Location in Alberta
Map
LocationJasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Coordinates52°31′56″N 117°38′43″W / 52.5322°N 117.6453°W / 52.5322; -117.6453
TypeClass 6
Total height18.5 m
Total width9.1 m (30 ft)
WatercourseSunwapta River
Sunwapta Falls

Sunwapta Falls is a pair of waterfalls of the Sunwapta River in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

The falls are accessible via a 600-metre (2,000 ft) access road off the Icefields Parkway, which connects Jasper and Banff National Parks. The falls have a drop of about 18.5 metres (61 feet). Sunwapta is a Stoney language word that means "turbulent water". The falls is most spectacular in the late spring when the spring melt is at its peak.

There are two falls, a lower and an upper one. The one most people see is the upper falls, as access is easier. The lower falls are a short distance away. The water originates from the Athabasca Glacier, and volumes are higher in early summer because of glacial melting. It is a Class 6 waterfall, with a drop of 18 m (60 ft) and a width of 9.1 m (30 ft).[1]

  1. ^ "Sunwapta Falls". Waterfalls of the Pacific Northwest. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-07-01.