Athabasca Falls

Waterfall in Alberta, Canada

Athabasca Falls

Winter falls in the late January

Location| Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Coordinates| 52°39′51″N 117°53′01″W﻿ / ﻿52.66417°N 117.88361°W﻿ / 52.66417; -117.88361
Type| Segmented Horsetails
Total height| 24 m (79 ft) [1]
Number of drops| 2
Longest drop| 20 m (66 ft) [1]
Total width| 46 m (151 ft) [1]
Average width| 30 m (98 ft) [1]
Run| 15 m (49 ft) [1]
Watercourse| Athabasca River
Average
flow rate| 113 m3/s (4,000 cu ft/s)[1]

Athabasca Falls is a waterfall in Jasper National Park on the upper Athabasca River, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of the townsite of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, and just west of the Icefields Parkway.

## Geography and geology

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Athabasca Falls is a Class 5 waterfall, with a total drop height of 24 m (79 ft) and a width of 46 m (151 ft).[1] A powerful, picturesque waterfall, Athabasca Falls is not known so much for its height as for its force, due to the large quantity of water falling into the gorge, which can be substantial even on a cold morning in the fall, when river levels tend to be at their lowest. The river falls over a layer of hard quartzite and through the softer limestone below, carving a short gorge and a number of potholes.[2]

## Access

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The falls can be safely viewed and photographed from various viewing platforms and walking trails around the falls. Access is from the nearby parking lot, which leads off Highway 93A just northeast of the falls. Highway 93A takes off from the nearby Icefields Parkway, and crosses the falls on the way north to the town of Jasper. Whitewater rafting often starts below the falls to travel downstream on the Athabasca River to Jasper.

The Athabasca Falls are located near two Athabasca River crossings: Highway 93A has a historic bridge[3] which allows vehicles to cross the river, and there is also a pedestrian bridge located nearby, closer to the falls.[4]

## Photo gallery

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*   *   *   *   *   *   * Warning sign

## See also

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* List of waterfalls
* List of waterfalls of Canada

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f g "Athabasca Falls, Alberta, Canada - World Waterfall Database". www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
2. ^ Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (2017-08-02). "Athabasca Falls - Jasper National Park". www.pc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
3. ^ "The Athabasca Bridge". Athabasca Archives. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
4. ^ Hamilton, Paul C. "Athabasca Falls Details". www.athabascafalls.com. Retrieved 2025-01-07.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Athabasca Falls.

* Explore Jasper. Athabasca Falls

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Hydrography of Alberta

Rivers|

* Athabasca
* Battle
* Beaver
* Bow
* Brazeau
* Clearwater
* Crowsnest
* Elbow
* Firebag
* Ghost
* Hay
* Kakwa
* Little Bow
* Milk
* North Saskatchewan
* Oldman
* Peace
* Pembina
* Red Deer
* Saint Mary
* Slave
* Smoky
* South Saskatchewan
* Sturgeon
* Vermilion
* Wapiti

Rivers and lakes in Alberta

Waterfalls|

* Athabasca
* Bow
* Bridal Veil
* Crescent
* Crypt
* Elbow
* Lundbreck
* Panther
* Ram
* Siffleur
* Sunwapta
* Tangle
* Vermilion

Lakes|

* Agnes
* Amisk
* Athabasca
* Beaverhill
* Bistcho
* Buck
* Buffalo
* Calling
* Cardinal
* Chip
* Claire
* Coal
* Cold
* Cooking
* Crimson
* Crowsnest
* Des Arcs
* Driedmeat
* Elkwater
* Frank
* Garner
* Gregoire
* Gull
* Hastings
* Hubbles
* Island
* Isle
* Jackfish
* Long
* La Biche
* Lesser Slave
* Louise
* Miquelon
* Moraine
* North Wabasca
* Peerless
* Peyto
* Pigeon
* Santé
* St. Cyr
* Ste. Anne
* Saskatoon
* Sturgeon
* Sylvan
* Thunder
* Utikuma
* Wabamun
* Waterton
* Winagami
* Wizard
* Zama

Reservoirs|

* Abraham
* Barrier
* Blood Indian Creek
* Brazeau
* Chain Lakes
* Chestermere
* Crawling Valley
* Ghost
* Gleniffer
* Glenmore
* Little Bow Lake
* Lower Kananaskis
* McGregor
* Milk River Ridge
* Minnewanka
* Newell
* Rattlesnake
* Reesor
* St. Mary
* Spray Lakes
* Sikome
* Travers
* Upper Kananaskis

Glaciers|

* Angel
* Athabasca
* Bow
* Columbia Icefield
* Crowfoot
* Hector
* Peyto
* Robson
* Saskatchewan
* Vulture
* Wapta
* Waputik Icefield

Other|

* Hay-Zama Wetlands
* Peace–Athabasca Delta
* Whooping Crane Summer Range (wetlands)

* Canada portal
* Rivers portal
* Lakes portal

Authority control databases: Geographic |

* World Waterfall

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