Yoho National Park
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| Yoho National Park | |
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| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
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| Location: | British Columbia, Canada |
| Nearest city: | Golden |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 1,313 km² |
| Established: | 1886 |
| Governing body: | Parks Canada |
Yoho National Park is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide in southeastern British Columbia. Yoho NP is bordered by Kootenay National Park on the southern side and Banff National Park on the eastern side. The name Yoho comes from a Cree word expressing amazement.
Yoho covers 1,313 km² (507 mi²) and is the smallest of the four contiguous national parks (NP). Yoho, together with Jasper NP, Kootenay NP and Banff NP, along with three British Columbia provincial parks—Hamber Provincial Park, Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, and Mount Robson Provincial Park—form the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site.
The park's administrative offices and visitor centre are located in the town of Field, British Columbia, beside the Trans-Canada Highway.
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[edit] World Heritage Site
This park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, together with the other national and provincial parks that form the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, for the mountain landscapes containing mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and limestone caves as well as fossils found here.
[edit] Geology
The Kicking Horse River, a Canadian Heritage river, originates in the Wapta and Waputik icefields in the park. This mighty river has created a Natural Bridge through solid rock. This formation is located 3 km west of Field, accessible from the road to Emerald Lake.
The Canadian Rockies consist of sedimentary rock, with numerous fossil deposits. In particular, the Burgess Shale, located in Yoho National Park, has among the world's richest deposits of rare fossils. The Burgess Shale was discovered in 1909 by Charles Doolittle Walcott.
There are many wildflowers in this park. If you go to the mountainous side of it, you will find a great quantity of mountain wildflowers. The two main animals found in this park are grizzly bears and moose.
 A rainbow over Takakkaw Falls |
 Takakkaw falls from farther down the river |
 Natural Bridge |
 Location in British Columbia |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Park's Canada web site (bilingual)
- Yoho National Park on Bivouac.com
- A Travel Guide for Yoho National Park and Village of Field, BC
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| National parks | Aulavik • Auyuittuq • Banff • Bruce Peninsula • Cape Breton Highlands • Elk Island • Forillon • Fundy • Georgian Bay Islands • Glacier • Grasslands • Gros Morne • Ivvavik • Jasper • Kejimkujik • Kluane • Kootenay • Kouchibouguac • La Mauricie • Mount Revelstoke • Point Pelee • Prince Edward Island • Pukaswa • Prince Albert • Quttinirpaaq • Riding Mountain • Sirmilik • St. Lawrence Islands • Terra Nova • Tuktut Nogait • Ukkusiksalik • Vuntut • Wapusk • Waterton Lakes • Wood Buffalo • Yoho |
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| National Park Reserves | Gulf Islands • Gwaii Haanas • Pacific Rim • Torngat Mountains • Mingan Archipelago • Kluane • Nahanni • Tuktut Nogait | |
| Marine Conservation | Fathom Five • Saguenay-St. Lawrence | |
