Visiting Bow Lake and Hiking Glacier Falls in Banff, Alberta

Bow Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Banff.

In fact, I like it more than Lake Louise.

Don’t get me wrong, Lake Louise and Moraine are awesome but the crowds are getting worse with each year and if you arrive after 10 am parking is a huge problem.

However, if you travel a little north on Icefields Parkway (the road to Jasper), you will see a lot of other beautiful alpine lakes that you can visit while avoiding the crowds.

Bow Lake is one of those amazing lakes that deserves a visit.

It is located on the side of Icefields Parkway and parking is usually not a problem there.

Bow Lake is perfectly blue when it is sunny and is a great spot for taking photos.

You will also find a lot of beautiful alpine flowers if you visit the lake at the beginning of July.

There is also a nice relatively easy hike to the waterfalls if you are more adventurous.

How to Get to Bow Lake?

Bow Lake is located 35 km north from the intersection of Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 93 (Icefields Parkway).

Icefields Parkway is one of the most scenic highways in Canada and it is definitely worth the drive.

I usually take it when driving from Calgary to Jasper or Nordegg.

Bow Lake is located right off the highway and it is hard to miss it.

There is one parking spot right on the highway to take a quick break and another one on the northern side of the lake by a big red lodge.

The second spot has washrooms and is great for a picnic.

There are a few campground spots along Icefields Parkway where you can camp if you want to spend more than one day in the area.

Why Bow Lake and other alpine lakes are so blue?

I was always curious why some alpine lakes are so blue.

So I did some research.

Basically, when the glacier moves along the rock it creates fine silt (ground rock).

After glaciers start to melt this fine silt gets into the lake and starts to reflect the sunlight.

This makes lakes like Bow Lake and Lake Louise appear so blue.

How to get to Glacier Falls trailhead?

Drive to Bow Lake and park on the northern side by the washrooms.

You will see a large red lodge there as well.

I never noticed before my last visit but you can actually see the falls from the highway.

After parking, go to the back of the red lodge and you will see the sign for Bow Glacier Falls Trail.

Hiking Bow Glacier Falls Trail

I always wanted to do a hike around Bow Lake and wasn’t disappointed when I finally did it.

I was on my way to Nordegg but decided to take a longer drive thru Saskatchewan Crossing to hike Bow Lake instead of taking Highway 2.

Bow Glacier Falls trail offers a lot of picturesque views and it is a must-do if you are in an area.

One cool thing about Bow Falls is that it is a place where the Bow River starts.

It is a relatively easy hike with an elevation of around 250 m and a total distance of around 9 km.

Depending on how many stops you take it can be done in 2.5 – 3 hours.

I saw people with small children on this trail so even if you are not a hiker you should be okay.

You can always stop at the end of the lake and turn back if it is too wet or the weather is not cooperating.

There are a lot of breathtaking views to stop and take pictures.

After you reach the end of the lake you should be able to see a trail that follows the stream which is coming from the falls.

Walk further along the stream and soon you will see wooden stairs.

Go up the stairs and from there it is a short walk to the falls.

It can get a little wet as you get closer to the falls because of all the streams coming down.

The views beneath the falls are amazing and worth the hike.

Conclusion

Lake Louise is not the only lake in Banff and there are many other beautiful lakes that you can visit.

Even if you are not intending to hike to Bow Glacier Falls, stop at the Bow Lake to really appreciate its beauty.

There are a few other glacier lakes in the area such as Peyto Lake, Hector Lake (need to hike to get to it), Waterfowl Lakes, and a few other ones that you can visit on the same trip.

Did you know that your internet service provider can track your online activity? Want to hide your identity online and keep your browsing habits private? Try NordVPN!