Sunwapta Falls

Sunwapta Falls
Location in Alberta
Location Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Coordinates Coordinates: 52°31′56″N 117°38′43″W / 52.5322°N 117.6453°W / 52.5322; -117.6453
Type Class 6
Total height 18.5 m
Total width 30 ft (9.1 m)
Watercourse Sunwapta River

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

The falls are accessible via a 600 metres (2,000 feet) 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 60 ft (18 m) and a width of 30 ft (9.1 m).[1]

See also

References

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