Sunwapta Falls is where a big, glacier-fed river throws itself down a rocky drop and then vanishes into a gorge. The name comes from a Stoney word that is usually translated as turbulent river, which is an accurate description, because the water is milky grey with sediment and moves with real force. The upper falls plunge about eighteen metres over a ledge, and a short path leads to a viewing platform. A longer trail leads downstream to the lower falls, passing through cool, mossy forest.
The river has its source in the Sunwapta Glacier, one of the arms of the Columbia Icefield, and the sediment gives it a pale, almost chalky colour. In the gorge below the falls, the water has carved deep slots in the rock, and the roar fills the air. The spray cools the forest, and the moss on the rocks is a deep, damp green.
For the rider, this section is a relaxed descent from the icefield, with long, flowing curves along the valley floor. The road is wide and well surfaced, and the pace is easy, with views of mountain peaks ahead. After the stark ice and rock of the high country, the air feels softer here and the forest thicker. Traffic is heavy in summer, and parking at the falls can be tight, so be patient and watch for pedestrians crossing the road.
Services are limited. There is a lodge near the falls, but fuel is not usually available, so make sure you have enough to reach Jasper, about fifty-five kilometres to the north. The weather is variable, with showers and cold breezes even in summer, so keep your rain gear handy. Mobile phone coverage is patchy to nonexistent along much of the parkway.
Wildlife often appears in the valley. Bighorn sheep graze on the slopes above, and mountain goats are sometimes visible on the cliffs. Bears forage along the road in spring and early summer. The best light is in the morning, when the sun filters through the spray and creates a rainbow in the mist, and by then the crowds have not yet arrived. If you have time, walk down to the lower falls, where the noise is a little muted and the path is almost empty.