Bow Falls

Banff Town


About 500m south of town, just before the junction with Spray River, the Bow River plunges into a churning melee of white water at Bow Falls. Though the drop is relatively small – just 9m at its highest point – Bow Falls is a dramatic sight, especially in spring following heavy snowmelt.

Paved trails run along both sides of the river and make a lovely leisurely afternoon stroll from Banff; in summer go early or late in the day to avoid the endless procession of coach tours. The west-bank viewpoint is the best place to watch the waterfall in full thundering flow, while the east-bank trail leads to another famous viewpoint at Surprise Corner, with a view across the falls toward the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. It also marks the start of the Hoodoos Trail, which leads along the Bow River to a landscape of bizarre rock pillars shaped by eons of natural erosion.

The river itself begins 100km upstream as meltwater from the Bow Glacier, flowing south through Banff en route to the prairies and Hudson Bay far beyond. The river has been known to First Nations people for well over 10,000 years; to the Cree Nation, it was known as manachaban sipi (literally ‘the place from which bows are taken’).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Banff Town attractions

1. Surprise Corner Viewpoint

0.06 MILES

About 1.2km east of Banff Town, the Surprise Corner viewpoint looks out over the rushing white water of Bow Falls.

2. Fairmont Banff Springs

0.22 MILES

Looming up beside the Bow River, the Banff Springs is a local landmark in more ways than one. Originally built in 1888, and remodeled in 1928 to resemble…

3. Old Banff Cemetery

0.53 MILES

Banff’s shaded cemetery is worth a visit, especially if you’re interested in the town’s history. Some of the gravestones date back to the 1890s; among the…

4. Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum

0.65 MILES

The Luxton Museum recounts the story of Alberta's indigenous people, with a strong emphasis on the Cree, Blackfoot, Blood and Stoney nations. The displays…

5. Banff Park Museum

0.66 MILES

Occupying the oldest surviving federal building in a Canadian National Park and dating from 1903, this museum is a national historic site. Its exhibits –…

6. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

0.76 MILES

Founded by local artists Catharine and Peter Whyte, the century-old Whyte Museum is more than just a rainy-day option. It boasts a beautiful, ever…

7. Tunnel Mountain

0.78 MILES

It might be Banff’s smallest mountain at 1692m, but Tunnel Mountain is still one of the town’s most recognizable landmarks. The mountain’s distinctive…

8. Banff Avenue

0.79 MILES

A little over a century ago, Banff Ave was Banff. Initially, the central street was home to little more than a handful of hotels, homesteads and trail…

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