JASPER NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 330

Six kilometers (3.7 miles) farther down the road is Tangle Ridge, a grayish-brown wall
of limestone over which Beauty Creek cascades. At this point the Icefields Parkway runs
alongside the Sunwapta River, following its braided course through the Endless Range,
the eastern wall of a classic glacier-carved valley.
Sunwapta Falls
A further 41 kilometers (25 miles) along the road, a 500-meter (0.3-mile) spur at Sunwapta
Falls Resort leads to Sunwapta Falls. Here the Sunwapta River changes direction sharply
and drops into a deep canyon. The best viewpoint is from the bridge across the river, but
it's also worth following the path on the parking lot side of the river downstream along the
rim of the canyon. Two kilometers (1.2 miles) downstream, the river flows into the much-
wider Athabasca Valley at the Lower Falls.
Goat Lookout
After following the Athabasca River for 17 kilometers (11 miles), the road ascends to a
lookout with picnic tables offering panoramic river views. Below the lookout is a steep
bank of exposed glacially ground material containing natural deposits of salt. The local
mountain goats spend most of their time on the steep slopes of Mount Kerkeslin, to the
northeast, but occasionally cross the road and can be seen searching for the salt licks along
the roadside or riverbank, trying to replenish lost nutrients.
Athabasca Falls
Nine kilometers (5.6 miles) beyond Goat Lookout and 32 kilometers (20 miles) south
of Jasper, the Icefields Parkway divides when an old stretch of highway (Highway 93A)
crosses the Athabasca River and continues along its west side for 25 kilometers (15.5
miles) before rejoining the parkway seven kilometers (4.3 miles) south of the town. At the
southern end of this loop, the Athabasca River is forced through a narrow gorge and over a
cliff into a cauldron of roaring water below. As the river slowly erodes the center of the ri-
verbed, the falls will move upstream. Trails lead from a dayuse area to various viewpoints
above and below the falls. The trail branching under Highway 93A follows an abandoned
river channel before emerging at the bottom of the canyon. Facilities at Athabasca Falls
include picnic tables and restrooms.