Mistaya Canyon

Mistaya Canyon is a river-cut canyon in Banff National Park, Alberta, in the western Canadian Rockies along the Icefields Parkway. Near the meeting of the Mistaya and North Saskatchewan rivers, it became a popular stop because it is easily reached from Highway 93 North. The canyon formed after the last glaciation, when the modern river cut into a valley already shaped by ice, carving a deep, narrow channel with tightly curved walls. Erosion followed fractures and bedding planes in Paleozoic carbonate rocks, especially limestone and dolostone, helping create steep walls and potholes. Today it is an accessible natural attraction reached by a short trail.

Alberta · Canada