Takakkaw Falls

Takakkaw Falls (/ˈtækəkɔː/; also spelled Takkakaw^[1]) is a waterfall in Yoho National Park, near Field, British Columbia, in Canada. The falls have a total height of 373 metres (1,224 ft),^[1]. It is frequently mislabeled as the second tallest waterfall in Canada ^[3][4] The World Waterfall Database however lists about 55 higher waterfalls in Canada.^[5]The main drop of the waterfall has a height of 254 metres (833 ft).^[1]

LocationYoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada

Coordinates51°29′59″N 116°28′22″W

TypeTiered Horsetails

Totalheight302 metres (991 ft)

Quick facts Location, Coordinates ...

Takakkaw Falls
Takakkaw Falls pictured in 2010
Interactive map of Takakkaw Falls
Location	Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates	51°29′59″N 116°28′22″W
Type	Tiered Horsetails
Total height	302 metres (991 ft)
Number of drops	4
Longest drop	260 metres (850 ft)
Total width	46 metres (151 ft)
Average width	23 metres (75 ft)
Run	30 metres (98 ft)
Watercourse	Unnamed
Average flow rate	11 m3/s (390 cu ft/s)
[1][2]

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Takakkaw means "it is magnificent” in the Cree language.^[1][6][7] Despite the name's Cree origin, indigenous people did not give the falls this name, and the Cree people did not historically inhabit this area. Rather, it was suggested as a name by Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, the head of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and officially adopted in 1904.^[7]

The falls are fed by the meltwater of the Daly Glacier, which is part of the Waputik Icefield.^[1][2][3][4] The glacier keeps the volume of the falls up during the warm summer months, and they are a tourist attraction, particularly in late spring after the heavy snow melts, when the falls are at peak condition.^[4]