Sunwapta Falls is a waterfall

Waterfall

A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...

 of the Sunwapta River

Sunwapta River

The Sunwapta River is a major tributary of the Athabasca River in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada.-Course:The headwaters of the Sunwapta River are near the Columbia Icefield in the valley west northwest of Sunwapta pass, which divides Jasper National Park from Banff National Park...

 located in Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 10,878 km² . It is located in the province of Alberta, north of Banff National Park and west of the City of Edmonton. The park includes the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, hot springs, lakes, waterfalls and...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

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It is accessible via a short drive off the Icefields Parkway

Icefields Parkway

The Icefields Parkway , also known as Highway 93 north, is a scenic road in Alberta, Canada. It parallels the Continental Divide, traversing the rugged landscape of the Canadian Rockies, travelling through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. It links Lake Louise with Jasper to the north....

 that connects Jasper and Banff National Park

Banff National Park

Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...

s. The falls have a drop of about 18.5 metres. Sunwapta is a native word that means turbulent water. It is most spectacular in the late spring when the spring melt is at its peak.

An aerial video can be viewed by clicking here

There are actually two falls, a lower and an upper one. The one most people see is the upper falls as access is easy. A short hike away is the lower falls which is also quite interesting.

The water originates from the Athabasca Glacier

Athabasca Glacier

The Athabasca Glacier is one of the six principal 'toes' of the Columbia Icefield, located in the Canadian Rockies. The glacier currently recedes at a rate of per year and has receded more than in the past 125 years and lost over half of its volume...

, and volumes are higher in early summer, caused by glacial meltdown.

It is a class 6 waterfall, with a drop of 60 ft (18.3 m) and a width of 30 ft (9.1 m).