HomeAmazingAthabasca Falls – Most Potent Fall in Rocky Mountains
Athabasca Falls – Most Potent Fall in Rocky Mountains
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The Athabasca Falls are among the most potent and breathtaking falls in the Rocky Mountains, capturing the brilliance of rainbow-hued spray or the dazzling sheets of ice suspended from the jagged rock on film. Athabasca waterfall is situated in Jasper National Park on the upper Athabasca River, about 30 kilometers south of the town site of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, and just west of the Ice Fields Parkway. Athabasca is a powerful waterfall, comprises unbelievable natural scenic beauty, and is not known so much for the height of the fall, which is 23 meters.
The waterfall is recognized for its force due to the huge quantity of water falling into the gorge. Moreover, on a cold morning in the fall, the river levels tend to be at their lowest, and abundant amounts of water flow over the falls. The huge mountain poised over the falls is Mount Kerkeslin, which was named by Sir James Hector of the Palliser Expedition in 1859.
The river falls over a layer of hard quartzite and through the softer limestone below, carving the short gorge and a number of potholes. The waterfall can be safely viewed and photographed from several platforms and walking trails around the falls. The approach to the fall is from the nearby parking lot, which leads off Highway 93A just northeast of the falls. Highway 93A takes off from the nearby Ice Fields Parkway and crosses the falls on the way north to the town of Jasper.
Whitewater rafting often starts below the falls to travel downstream on the Athabasca River to Jasper. Athabasca Falls is actually one of the major tourist attractions along the Ice Fields Parkway and is a very busy place on a midsummer’s day. If you want to avoid the crowds, it is best to visit early in the morning or after dinner time. Most of the trail system is paved, but stairs limit access for people in wheelchairs. There is a perfect picnic area with ten picnic tables, a kitchen shelter, washrooms available, and great cross-country skiing in the winter.
The falls themselves weren’t particularly mind-blowing, but they possessed enough power to carve out a bit of a gorge immediately downstream of it. There are massive numbers of people who visit Athabasca Falls but do not give it adequate time. They rush to the falls; snap a picture, and they’re gone. Then why not poke around? This is the ideal time to explore the area, looking for signs of abandoned waterfalls and other water-worn rocks. Stand in the spray at the closest viewpoint, or just hang out and enjoy the view.