Bow Glacier Falls

BOU AVENUE
Bow Glacier Falls

Teresa Kosmala, Zosia Zgolak and I hiked to Bow Glacier Falls in Alberta's Banff National Park on 13 September 2025. Easy access and scenic views make this one of the more popular hikes along the Icefields Parkway, but a rockslide at the falls earlier this year claimed the lives of two hikers. As a result, Parks Canada closed the immediate area indefinitely, but it is still permissible to enter the basin below the falls and view them from afar.

When Teresa, Zosia and I arrived at Bow Lake in the morning, the usual parking lot near The Lodge At Bow Lake (formerly Num-Ti-Jah Lodge) was already full, and we had to park at the overflow lot (51.68188, -116.46201) near the Icefields Parkway. This necessitated an extra 350 metres of walking each way which was not a big deal. After making a requisite stop for photos at the lakeshore near The Lodge, we left the bulk of the tourists behind us as we hiked the well-defined trail around Bow Lake and upstream along the feeder creek. The most strenuous part of the hike was climbing the stairs next to the gorge that guards the entrance to the basin below Bow Glacier Falls. Thankfully, we did not have to surmount the infamous chockstone which marks the turnoff to Bow Hut. Instead, we climbed over a forested ridge and popped out of the trees into the open basin on the other side. Shortly after entering the basin, we abandoned the trail to climb up a moraine where we found a nice scenic spot for a break. A sandwich board further up the trail marked the boundary of the closed area within the basin, and while a few hikers ignored the closure notice and ventured further, we made sure that we were taking our break on the legal side of the sign.

After taking a 40-minute break, Teresa, Zosia and I dropped down from the moraine to regain the trail at the sandwich board. We then followed the trail out of the basin and retraced our steps back to Bow Lake and The Lodge without any issues. We made a short detour to check out The Lodge's store/cafe before concluding with a final easy walk back to our parked car.

It's about an extra 350 metres each way--not long unless you've got a long day ahead of you bagging peaks on the Wapta! The busy parking lot necessitates some extra walking along the access road to The Lodge At Bow Lake (formerly Num-Ti-Jah Lodge).

Odd that the new management didn't want to keep the old Indigenous name which means "pine marten". Teresa and Zosia approach the familiar red-roofed buildings of The Lodge At Bow Lake.

Too bad about the smoky haze!

The view to the southwest across Bow Lake includes St. Nicholas Peak, The Onion, Portal Peak, and Mount Thompson.

Look at all the cars parked at the Bow Lake Viewpoint at far left...yeesh!

The view to the southeast across Bow Lake includes Mount Andromache, Mount Hector, and Bow Peak.

	The turquoise colour of the water is more evident near the delta at the west end of Bow Lake.
	Teresa and Zosia proceed further upstream along the creek that feeds into Bow Lake.
	Teresa and Zosia climb stairs to bypass an impassable gorge.
	Zosia and Teresa leave the trail to climb up a moraine in the basin beyond the gorge.
	Teresa and Zosia stand atop the moraine (2025 metres) which is the high point for this trip.

Amazing views for so little effort!

Here is a comprehensive view of the basin from the top of the moraine. At centre is Bow Glacier Falls.

	Teresa, Zosia and Sonny pose together in front of Bow Glacier Falls.
	Here is a comparison of the cliff face beside Bow Glacier Falls before and after the deadly rockslide that claimed the lives of two hikers on 19 June 2025.
	Zosia and Teresa exit the basin on their way back to Bow Lake.
	Teresa and Zosia make their way back around Bow Lake.
	Zosia and Teresa meet some interesting characters at The Lodge's store/cafe (Provision Co.).
	Total Distance: 8.6 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 4 hours Cumulative Elevation Gain: 89 metres GPX Data

	The busy parking lot necessitates some extra walking along the access road to The Lodge At Bow Lake (formerly Num-Ti-Jah Lodge).
	Teresa and Zosia approach the familiar red-roofed buildings of The Lodge At Bow Lake.