Yoho National Park is in the traditional territories of the Secwepemc and KtunaxaFirst Nations.[5] Before the establishment of the park, the Ktunaxa primarily used the area—specifically, Kicking Horse Pass—to cross the Rockies in order to access bison hunting grounds on the eastern side of the mountains.[6][7]
The park was created following a trip by Prime Minister John A. Macdonald and his wife Agnes through the Rockies on the newly completed Canadian Pacific Railway, Canada's first transcontinental. After his return to Ottawa, Yoho National Park was created on October 10, 1886. Glacier National Park was created on the same day, making Yoho and Glacier the second and third national parks in the country, after Rocky Mountains Park (now named Banff National Park).
The contiguous national parks of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, and Yoho, as well as the Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine, and Hamber provincial parks, were declared a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1984.[8]
The weather in the park is localized and changeable.[9] Located on the western side of the continental divide, it receives more precipitation than areas east of the divide.[9] Precipitation in the park increases with elevation.[9] In winter, average temperatures are between 5 and −15 °C (41.0 and 5.0 °F) from the months November to April although temperatures can range between 10 and −35 °C (50.0 and −31.0 °F).[9] The coldest weather usually occurs in the months December to February.[9] In summer, mean temperatures average 12.5 °C (54.5 °F) with an average high of 20 °C (68.0 °F) and an average low of 5 °C (41.0 °F).[9] Snowfall and freezing temperatures can occur during the summertime at altitudes above 1,500 m (4,900 ft).[9]
The Kicking Horse River, a Canadian Heritage River, originates in the Wapta and Waputik icefields in the park. This river has created a natural bridge through solid rock. This formation is located 3 km (1.9 mi) west of Field, accessible from the road to Emerald Lake.
Takakkaw Falls have a total height of 373 metres (1,224 ft),[11] making it the 2nd tallest waterfall in Canada.[12][13] The main drop of the waterfall has a height of 254 metres (833 ft).[11]
Wapta Falls is the largest waterfall of the Kicking Horse River, at about 30 metres (98 ft) high and 150 metres (490 ft) wide.[14][15] Its average flow can reach 254 cubic metres per second (9,000 cu ft/s).[16][17]
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