Sunwapta Falls, Waterfall in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Sunwapta Falls drops about 18.5 metres over stepped rock ledges on the Sunwapta River in Jasper National Park, Alberta. The upper falls, seen from a 600-metre access road off the Icefields Parkway, falls in a broad sheet beside a pale, striated rock wall. The lower falls lies a short distance downstream along a roughly two-kilometre trail.

The falls took shape roughly 8,000 years ago when retreating glaciers created hanging valleys in the landscape. The smaller Chaba Valley met the larger Athabasca Valley, establishing the current configuration.

The name Sunwapta comes from the Stoney Nakoda language and means turbulent water, describing the river's powerful character here. Visitors encounter a landscape shaped by this force, where the water has carved a clear path through the rocky terrain.

The upper falls lie about 600 metres from the Icefields Parkway via a short access road, while a roughly two-kilometre trail continues to the lower falls. Flow is highest in late spring and early summer, when snowmelt and glacial melt swell the Sunwapta River.

The water volume changes noticeably throughout the year because it comes from the Athabasca Glacier and responds to seasonal melting. Visitors who return at different times see remarkably different scenes at the same location.