Natural Bridge

Yoho National Park / Field, British Columbia, Canada

About Natural Bridge


Hiking Distance: almost roadside
Suggested Time:

Date first visited: 2010-09-17
Date last visited: 2010-09-17

Waterfall Latitude: 51.38185
Waterfall Longitude: -116.53014

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Natural Bridge was an attraction that I’m deeming to be a waterfall attraction because the Kicking Horse River actually disappeared before re-emerging through its span.

However, depending on your viewing angle, the span kind of seemed more like rocks being wedged together than a legitimate natural bridge.

Natural_Bridge_017_09172010 - The Natural Bridge on the Kicking Horse River
The Natural Bridge on the Kicking Horse River

We were able to hear the roar of the disappearing water churning and ejecting beneath the bridge to further reinforce my move in considering this a legitimate waterfall worthy of a write-up on this website.

From the car park, there was a real short walk going on a bridge over the Kicking Horse River providing frontal views of the Natural Bridge attraction backed by scenic mountains (when the weather was fair; see photo above).

Beyond the bridge, the short walking path curled left towards a viewing deck where we got more angled views of the natural span with different mountains serving as the backdrop.

We were very lucky that we happened to show up just when the bad weather finally cleared up to the point that we could see the river’s powdery blue color as well as the scenic snowy mountains backing the whole scene.

Natural_Bridge_021_09172010 - Looking towards the Natural Bridge on the Kicking Horse River from a different angle
Looking towards the Natural Bridge on the Kicking Horse River from a different angle

That color in the water, which seemed to be typical of the watercourses and lakes in this area, was a result of minerals and other deposits injected by glaciers prevalent in the area.

Authorities

Natural Bridge resides in Yoho National Park near Field in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is administered by Parks Canada. For information or inquiries as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Natural_Bridge_001_09172010 - The sign saying a few things about the formation of the Natural Bridge as well as the rest of Kicking Horse River Valley
Natural_Bridge_003_09172010 - Looking upstream past some cascade of the Kicking Horse River where the river was about to momentarily disappear into the Natural Bridge before continuing further downstream
Natural_Bridge_005_09172010 - More contextual look at the Kicking Horse River disappear beneath the rock span of the Natural Bridge while showing more of its mountainous backdrop
Natural_Bridge_009_09172010 - Looking downstream from the footbridge at the powdery-blue Kicking Horse River
Natural_Bridge_010_09172010 - Angled look at the so-called Natural Bridge on the Kicking Horse River
Natural_Bridge_016_09172010 - Direct look at the Natural Bridge still concealing the waterfall spilling upstream from it
Natural_Bridge_022_09172010 - The footbridge and colorful Kicking Horse River beneath it
Natural_Bridge_025_09172010 - Last look upstream towards the Natural Bridge on the Kicking Horse River
Natural_Bridge_026_09172010 - Last look downstream at the Kicking Horse River as seen from the bridge near its trailhead


The car park for Natural Bridge is on the way to Emerald Lake and the Hamilton Falls.

The well-signed car park for Natural Bridge is a little over 2km from the Emerald Lake turnoff deviating from Hwy 1.

For details on getting to this turnoff from Lake Louise, see the Hamilton Falls page.

For some geographical context, the nearby Lake Louise was about 28km (under 30 minutes drive) east of Field, 57km (45 minutes drive) north of Banff, 182km (2 hours drive) west of Calgary, 232km (3 hours drive) south of Jasper, and 469km (4.5 hours drive) southwest of Edmonton.

Find A Place To Stay

Slow bottom up sweep of the waterfall disappearing before ending at a scenic mountain in the backdrop


Bottom up sweep showing the natural bridge itself before ending at the scenic backdrop


Bottom up sweep from the other side of the Kicking Horse River before ending at the scenic backdrop

Related Top 10 Lists

No Posts Found

Tagged with: yoho, national park, emerald lake, lake louise, canadian rockies, british columbia, canada, waterfall, columbia, shuswap, kicking horse river, field



Visitor Comments:

Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...

Natural Bridge, 1967 (with a footbridge!) May 12, 2021 9:28 am by Steve Gillett - Some more ancient history that may be of interest. When we were at Natural Bridge Falls in 1967, as part of a family trip, there was an observation footbridge over the falls proper! Obviously, from your photos, it's no longer there. I don't know when or why it was removed. Maybe it was decided it… ...Read More

Share your thoughts about what you've read on this page

You must be logged in to submit content. Refresh this page after you have logged in.

Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:

If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...

Natural Bridge, 1967 (with a footbridge!) May 12, 2021 9:28 am by Steve Gillett - Some more ancient history that may be of interest. When we were at Natural Bridge Falls in 1967, as part of a family trip, there was an observation footbridge over the falls proper! Obviously, from your photos, it's no longer there. I don't know when or why it was removed. Maybe it was decided it… ...Read More

Have you been to a waterfall? Submit a write-up/review and share your experiences or impressions

Review A Waterfall

Nearest Waterfalls

The Waterfaller Newsletter

The Waterfaller Newsletter is where we curate the wealth of information on the World of Waterfalls website and deliver it to you in bite-sized chunks in your email inbox. You'll also get exclusive content like...

  • Waterfall Wednesdays
  • Insider Tips
  • User-submitted Waterfall Write-up of the Month
  • and the latest news and updates both within the website as well as around the wonderful world of waterfalls


How To Build A Profitable Travel Blog In 4 Steps

Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.