Bow Falls, Banff, Alberta

August 26, 2024

Not really a hike, Bow Falls trail is a beautiful walk along the river. Glacier melt from the Bow Glacier has created Bow Falls, a 400 ft waterfall tumbling over the mountain. The falls are a spectacular vision. It’s also quite wondrous to see the source of not only the falls but so many of our rivers. 

The trail is well marked with signage along the way pointing you to Bow Falls. There is slight elevation gain on the route, with one exceptional climb up and over an area by the gorge. The walls of the gorge are quite steep and exposed. I’m afraid of edges and this one did make me a bit nervous. The trail is also quite rocky. I would recommend wearing boots with ankle support or you’d have to go really, really slowly. 

This parking lot does get extremely busy as there a lot of hikes in the area. Be prepared to either arrive early morning, late afternoon, or wait a while to get a parking space. 

Distance: 8.79 km
Elevation gain: 171 m
Total elevation: 2,091 m
Total time: 3:10:12