Canada · Canadian Rockies, Alberta
Though modest in height, the entire Athabasca River is forced through a narrow slot of hard quartzite sandstone, carving potholes and a short canyon that make it one of the most powerful falls in the Canadian Rockies. Paved paths and fenced overlooks ring the gorge just off the Icefields Parkway.
Checked September 2026 by David Bussell
Athabasca Falls drops 24 metres (79 ft) across a face roughly 18 metres wide on the Athabasca, inside Jasper National Park. It is a block-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Jasper, with YEG the closest airport. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
As a block waterfall, a wide sheet of water falling from a broad river.
Planning one of these? Check your travel insurance covers adventure activities — SafetyWing is one option.
Also good forHikingPhotography
Summer glacial melt (Jun-Aug) gives peak, thunderous volume through the narrow quartzite gorge.
Entry: Park entry pass required ~$11 CAD/day
This waterfall
Athabasca Falls
Canada
Height24 mWidth18 m
Most similar
Letchworth State Park Falls
United States
Height30 mWidth—
Also a block waterfall, of similar height and in the United States
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
Angel Falls is 41× taller than Athabasca Falls. Victoria Falls is 4.5× taller and 95× wider. Khone Phapheng Falls is 599× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
16:44
7:04
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Guidebook
Lonely Planet · 2024
Latest Lonely Planet Rockies guide covering the Icefields Parkway, Johnston Canyon and Yoho's Takakkaw Falls.
Guidebook
Andrew Hempstead · 2022
Banff-based author's Rockies guide with Yoho, the Icefields Parkway and Johnston Canyon, plus lodging and road-trip plans.
Walking guide
Graeme Pole · 2011
Well-regarded guide to the Rockies' best day hikes and backpacks, including Johnston Canyon and Yoho Valley routes.
Walking guide
Kathy and Craig Copeland · 2009
Opinionated hiking guide rating Rockies trails, handy for picking day hikes beyond the busy falls boardwalks.
52.6608, -117.8814
Athabasca Falls is in Canada (Canadian Rockies, Alberta), inside Jasper National Park. The nearest base is Jasper and the closest airport is YEG. Its coordinates are 52.6608, -117.8814.
Athabasca Falls drops 24 metres (79 feet), across a face about 18 metres wide. It is a block-type waterfall on the Athabasca.
Peak flow is June to August. Summer glacial melt (Jun-Aug) gives peak, thunderous volume through the narrow quartzite gorge.
Beyond the viewpoints: white-water rafting, hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint.
Yes. Athabasca Falls lies within a UNESCO World Heritage Site — Jasper National Park. Expect park fees, marked trails and rules on where you can walk, swim and fly drones.
The usual base is Jasper, and the closest airport is YEG. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there. Park entry pass required ~$11 CAD/day.
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