The Takakkaw Falls Warden’s Patrol Cabin was constructed in 1935 and is associated with the National Park Warden Service, the enforcement of wildlife and forest protection, as well as the development of tourism in Canada’s National Park. The Takakkaw Falls Warden Patrol Cabin is a ‘Recognized’ Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Region:
Southwest Alberta
Field Documentation:
September 14, 2024
Field Documentation Type:
Terrestrial LiDAR
Culture:
Euro-Canadian
Historic Period:
1935CE
Latitude:
51.498295
Longitude:
-116.48275
Datum Type:
WGS84
Threat Level
Yoho National Park
Emerald Lake, one of Yoho Parks’ iconic destinations. Photo from Madisen Hvidberg.
Yoho National Park is the second oldest of Canada’s parks next to Banff. Yoho started in 1886 as the Mount Stephen reserve, a protected area of land around the Canada Pacific Railway’s (CPR) Stephen Hotel that was constructed to accommodate increased mountaineering tourism in the Canadian Rockies [1]. Visit the Swiss Village section of our archive to learn more about National Parks creation.
In 1901 the Park was renamed to Yoho National Park, a name that comes from a Cree expression of awe similar to the English term “wow.” This is fitting for the park which today spans 1,313 km2, including 28 mountain peaks, 540 million year old Burgee Shale fossils, and an abundance of beautiful waterfalls, lake, and stunning natural scenery [1]. Yoho National Park is one of seven parks that make up the Canadian Rocky Mountains United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site inscripted in 1984 [2].
Takakkaw Falls and Early Use of the Park
Captain John Palliser (L) and James Hector (R). Date unknown. Photo from Glenbow Archives NA 558-1.
Out of the many amazing sites contained within Yoho National Park, one of the most famous is Takakkaw Falls. At 1,224 feet tall this is the second highest waterfall in Canada and the tallest in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The falls are melt water from the Daly Glarier, part of the Waputik Icefield above the Yoho valley [3].
Takakkaw Falls and its surrounding area have been inhabited by Indigenous people since the end of the last ice age. In more recent pre-Colonial history the area encompassed by Yoho was primarily used by the Ktunaxa (Kootenay) as a route to the Plains [1]. While there were southern passages across the mountain, these would have put the Ktuanaxa into the territory of the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) with whom they were not allied with. Using the Kicking Horse Pass instead allowed for direct access into Plains territory of the Cree and Stoney-Nakoda where the Ktuanaxa could hunt and trade goods. The word Takakkaw is a Cree word that means “wonderful.”
No one is sure when Europeans first arrived at the falls themselves, but many names in the area come from European exploration and anecdotes. For example, Kicking Horse Pass was named such after James Hector of the Palliser Expedition was kicked in the chest by his horse during their crossing in 1858. Likewise, nearby Emerald Lake was named by European Tom Wilson in 1882 based on the stunning colour of its glacial waters.
Takakkaw Falls Warden Patrol Cabin
View of Takakkaw Falls from across the river. Photo from Madisen Hvidberg.
The Takkawak Falls Warden Patrol Cabin is located close to Takakkaw Falls, visible from the front porch of the cabin and now located just behind the visitor’s parking lot. While it was relocated to its current location in the recreational area in 1977, this “rustic log cabin continues to reinforce the natural beauty of the area” [4].
The cabin was designed by Canadian architect James T. Childe in 1918 and constructed in 1935 to provide overnight accommodation for Parks Wardens working in Yoho. The cabin is a well-crafted example of a horizontal log building with saddle-notched corners. It is constructed of natural, local materials and its medium-pitch gable roof and deep overhung porch contribute to its architectural site designation [4].
The Warden’s Cabin was constructed in response to the increased tourist activities and mountaineering expeditions in Yoho National Park. It was built along a patrol trail to give warden’s increased capacity to monitor recreational activity in the park, as well as for increased protection of wildlife and the forests. It was occupied year-round for a number of years associated with the operation of the Yoho Valley Bungalow Camp [4]. Today the cabin serves as picturesque accommodation for Parks employees and tourists alike.
[2] UNESCO 2024. Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites List. Electronic document, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/304/, accessed November 15, 2024.
[4] Government of Canada 2024. Takakkaw Falls Warden Patrol Cabin. Parks Canada Directory of Federal Heritage Designations. Electronic document, https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_fhbro_eng.aspx?id=9216, accessed November 15, 2024.
This gallery contains modern and historic images related to the Takakkaw Falls Warden’s Patrol Cabin. Photos are given individual photo credit. Please submit a comment if you have a memory or photo related to this heritage site that you’d like to share!
The Takakkaw Falls Warden’s Patrol Cabin was documented with a Z+F 5010X IMAGER terrestrial laser scaner. The interior was captured in four (4) scans and the exterior in eighteen (18) scans. The scans in each of these projects were then registered together using Z+F LaserControl.
The interior and exterior projects were registered together and cleaned in Autodesk ReCap, to do this effectively there must be overlap between each project. The best way to ensure this is to scan in open doorways or to intentionally add overlapping scans. This is why the scan project for the interior includes a position outside of the building, this scan position was intentionally included in the interior project to aid in registering the data to the exterior during processing!
Scan Locations
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