Sunwapta Falls Details

Canadian Rockies' Sunwapta Falls

Sunwapta Falls is near to Athabasca Falls and is one of the biggest tourist draw waterfalls in the Canadian Rockies. Ease of access to Sunwapta Falls and the fact that this is a major tour bus stop, the best times to view may be early or late in the day to be alone. While Sunwapta Falls is not as impressive as Athabasca Falls, it is a very photogenic waterfall along the Icefields Parkway. The Sunwapta River splits around a small rocky island upstream from Sunwapta falls, then the channels merges and plunges into a beautiful gorge. Sunwapta river then accelerates under a footbridge and explodes an additional 35 feet to a deeper gorge below. Most people take a look at the upper tier, either from the footbridge or the fence viewpoint at its side, but significantly fewer people walk the extra 100 meters to the viewpoint of the lower tier.

Sunwapta Falls Location & Directions

Sunwapta Falls Coordinates: 52.5323696, -117.644995

Sunwapta Falls can be found 54 kilometers south of the Yellowhead Highway at the town of Jasper, or 49 kilometers north of the Icefield Center, along the Icefields Parkway. Sunwapta falls are immediately adjacent to the parking area.

Sunwapta Falls Height and Waterflow

Sunwapta Falls Total Height » 55 feet 17 meters
Tallest Drop » 35 feet 11 meters
Sunwapta Falls Num of Drops » 2
Avg. Width » 25 feet 8 meters
Max. Width » 35 feet 11 meters
Pitch » 80 degrees
Run » 100 feet 30 meters
Form » Tiered Horsetails
Watershed » Mackenzie River
Sunwapta Falls Stream » Sunwapta River
Sunwapta Falls Avg. High Volume » 1,000 cfs 28 cms
Avg. Low Volume » 0 cfs 0 cms
Source » Athabasca Glacier