Yoho National Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Yoho National Park | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
  |
|
| Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Nearest city | Golden |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 1,313 km² |
| Established | 1886 |
| Governing body | Parks Canada |
| 304 | |
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 it 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.
Contents |
[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.
[edit] Mountains
- Mount Burgess 2,599m (8,527ft) is a frequently climbed mountain. For 17 years it was featured on the Canadian ten-dollar bill.
- Mount Stephen 3,199m (10,496ft) is the tallest of the four mountains that surround the town of Field, British Columbia. A portion of the Burgess Shale fossils were discovered on Mount Stephen.
- The President 3,138m (10,296ft)
- The Vice President 3,066m (10,060ft)
- Mount Goodsir 3,567m (11,703ft)
[edit] Waterfalls
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Park's Canada web site (bilingual)
- A travel guide for Yoho National Park and the village of Field, BC
- Yoho National Park on the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia ( Bivouac.com)
- Parks Canada - Official National Parks and Mountain Guide
- An article on Yoho National Park from The Canadian Encyclopedia
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||
