Everyone has their own favourite Jasper National Park waterfall, and for many it's Tangle Falls. The reason why so many see it is that the cascades are situated just at the side of Icefields Parkway. It's not unusual for a mist from the falls to blow out onto the road itself.
If you can, time your visit to Tangle Falls for early morning, or otherwise dusk. At these times in the day, there are fewer tourists, meaning less people to get in the way of the view. Whenever you're there, you probably won't be the only photographer – Tangle Falls has earned a reputation as the most photogenic cascades in the Canadian Rockies. Standing 35 metres tall, the water falls down in a singular manner, flowing over a number of rock shelves to create a beautiful tiered effect. In the spring, water gushes at its strongest. In the winter, Tangle Falls is often frozen – a mesmerizing sight which can draw in even more photographers than in the summer.
After marvelling at Tangle Falls, make the short hike to Lower Tangle Falls. Although the view here isn't quite so breath-taking, the walk is a pretty one, and the tourists thin out. The Stutfield Glacier viewpoint is just one kilometre from Tangle Falls, and definitely worth weaving into your itinerary. On reaching your destination, you'll be presented with vistas of the Columbia Icefield. Use your zoom lens and a map to spot the various glaciers which feed many of the water features in this region.
The rocks around Tangle Falls and Lower Tangle Falls are very slippery – wear suitable footwear and stick to designated trails at all times. Be careful when crossing Icefields Parkway to get over from the car park to Tangle Falls.
Tangle Falls is 6.5 kilometres north of the Columbia Icefields Center, immediately off the Icefields Parkway.
