They might not be quite as high as Takakkaw, but what they lack in stature, Wapta Falls more than make up for in noise. Named after a Nakoda word meaning ‘river,’ they are the largest set of falls anywhere on the Kicking Horse River, measuring 150m (490ft) across and 30m (98ft) high.
They’re also famous as the supposed spot where, during the historic Palliser Expedition of 1858, the geologist James Hector was kicked in the chest while trying to recover a runaway horse – an event that apparently inspired the name of one of the Rocky Mountains’ most famous rivers.
The falls are reached after a gentle half-hour walk from the trailhead near the western border of Yoho. They are clearly signed off Hwy 1.
