Bow Falls

Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

About Bow Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Bow Falls was a wide river waterfall situated in the backside of the town of Banff.

Given how relatively easy it was to visit this waterfall, it was the first one we saw during our September 2010 Canadian Rockies trip.

Bow_Falls_005_09152010 - Bow Falls
Bow Falls

We also saw tour buses routinely stop and drop off its load of tourists at the large car park for this waterfall as a result of its accessibility.

We were able to see Bow Falls along a well-established walkway that gave us views from near its base, above the falls, as well as the rapids and cascades further upstream.

Whenever we looked downstream from the falls, we got to see the lovely river twisting its way before tall mountains including the oddly sloped Mt Rundle.

From this established walkway, there didn’t seem to be an obvious way to see the Bow Falls from the other side of the river.

Bow_Falls_056_09152010 - Context of the walkway leading to the top of the Bow Falls
Context of the walkway leading to the top of the Bow Falls

Speaking of the other side, Julie and I almost wasted time there when we took a different road as suggested by our confused GPS.

We ended up at a car park where it led to a trailhead labeled the Bow Falls and Hoodoos Trail.

However, from looking at the trajectory of the trail, it didn’t seem like something we should be doing late in the day for the purpose of just seeing the waterfall, especially given that it was 3.1 miles return and Julie was pregnant.

While this trail might have been a worthwhile experience under different circumstances, we were content with the contextual views of the Banff Springs Hotel near this trailhead before turning back and driving to the car park with the easier access (as mentioned above).

Authorities

Bow Falls resides in Banff National Park near Banff in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is administered by Parks Canada. For information or inquiries as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: banff, national park, bow river, canadian rockies, canada, waterfall, alberta, hoodoos trail, banff springs



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Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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