20 Minutes West of Lake Louise: Emerald Lake, Natural Bridge and Takakkaw Falls (Yoho)

Just ten minutes west of Lake Louise along the Trans-Canada Highway, you drive under a wildlife overpass at Kicking Horse Pass, crossing the Continental Divide from Alberta into British Columbia and entering Yoho National Park. Because your Parks Canada Pass from Banff is 100% valid in Yoho as well (and personal cars can still drive freely to every lake in Yoho without shuttle tickets), combining Emerald Lake, the Natural Bridge and Takakkaw Falls takes just 3 to 4 hours and is one of the best half-day excursions from Banff or Lake Louise.

1. Emerald Lake & The Natural Rock Bridge (25 Mins West of Lake Louise)

Three kilometres past the tiny railway village of Field, turn right onto Emerald Lake Road:

• The Natural Bridge (3 km Up the Road, 10-Minute Stop): before reaching the lake, pull into the first parking lot to see the Kicking Horse River force its entire milky-turquoise volume through a narrow hole carved right underneath a solid bridge of ancient limestone bedrock.
• Emerald Lake (End of the Road, Free Parking, No Shuttle Needed): surrounded by the President Range and Mount Burgess (famous for the 508-million-year-old Burgess Shale fossils), Emerald Lake glows a vivid, jewel-like emerald-jade green. Walk across the landmark wooden bridge to historic 1902 Emerald Lake Lodge, rent a canoe at the boathouse for ~35% less than at Lake Louise, and walk the flat 5.2-kilometre Emerald Lake Loop Trail around the shoreline.

2. Takakkaw Falls (373 Metres High, Open Late June to Early October)

Back on Highway 1 just east of Field, turn north up the scenic 13-kilometre Yoho Valley Road (passing the engineering marvel of the Spiral Tunnels, where long freight trains loop inside two figure-eight tunnels bored inside the mountains so they can climb the steep grade). At the end of the road, walk 10 minutes flat across the river bridge to stand at the base of Takakkaw Falls (meaning 'It is magnificent.' in Cree), where meltwater from the Daly Glacier rockets out of a cliff notch and plunges 254 metres in a single free-fall drop that showers you in cool mist from 200 metres away.