- Laughing Falls
This is a 5.3 mile out and back trail that begins at the Takakkaw Campground. The trail is primarily flat and easy, with one short steep section in the middle. There are beautiful river views along the trail, but the river is moving much too fast for your dog to be able to swim in. On the way back from Laughing Falls, the trail gives beautiful views of Takakkaw Falls in the distance. Because this trailhead shares a parking lot with the popular Takakkaw Falls, the lot fills up quickly and is really busy. However, I had no issue finding a spot and even if you couldn’t find one, there is the option of parking along the entry road to the parking lot. Max had a great time on this trail and enjoyed cooling off in the river at Laughing Falls.
2. Point Lace Falls
Point Lace Falls is a quick stop on the way to Laughing Falls. About 1.5 miles into the trail, there is a turn off on the left with a sign for Point Lace Falls. This was a nice pit stop on the way to Laughing Falls for a break and for Max to get a cool drink from the waterfall.
3. Wapta Falls
Wapta Falls is a 3 mile out and back trail. Reaching the trailhead requires a drive down a one-mile-long dirt road that is laden with multiple deep potholes. The parking lot fills up by 10:15-10:30, but there is the option of parking along the dirt road leading to the lot. The trail is fairly level until you reach the fenced off area. From the fence you can see the top of the waterfall. From there, the trail leads down some steep switchbacks to the base of the falls. Spray from the waterfall will leave you soaked if you get too close to Wapta Falls. There is a very steep, but short-lived hike back up from the base of the falls. I am glad we arrived before 10:00 AM because as we were leaving, we passed at least 11 dogs on the trail heading in. I can only imagine the chaos that ensued at the falls with a dozen dogs and even more humans. It is worth it to make this an earlier hike. Also, make sure to bring bug spray as I had to spray both myself and Max twice on this hike.
4. Takakkaw Falls
Getting up close and personal to the falls is only a short, paved walk from the parking lot, which makes this waterfall a tourist attraction and very crowded indeed. While there was plenty of room at the waterfall for everyone to spread out and take pictures and not be on top of each other, I missed the privacy of a waterfall you have to hike to get to and thus less crowded. We stopped to see Takakkaw Falls briefly on our way to the Yoho Lake trail. I would recommend including a nearby hike in your visit to Takakkaw Falls, like Yoho Lake or Laughing Falls.
