Bow Lake

Bow Lake is a glacial lake along the Icefields Parkway, with turquoise water below Bow Peak and Crowfoot Glacier. It's an excellent quick stop if you want a big mountain view without planning a hike. For the main public shore, turn toward The Lodge at Bow Lake; the separate signed Bow Lake Viewpoint and Day-use Area is 1.3 km south. Both north-shore lots get very busy in summer, so aim for early or later in the day.

A short gravel path runs from the north-shore parking to the water, and the lakeshore is accessible year-round. It's easy to make this a quick look, but you can walk along the water for a longer visit.

Keep a band of lake in the frame with Crowfoot Glacier and the surrounding peaks; that reads as Bow Lake rather than an anonymous close-up of rock. If the surface is still, look for reflections, though the calm water depends on conditions.

Nearby Bow Glacier Falls is where the Bow River begins, as meltwater from the Wapta Icefield tumbles down from the ice. That gives the scenery a story beyond the color of the water.

The Lodge at Bow Lake is a separate seasonal stop on shore, generally operating from May to October. Guide Jimmy Simpson passed the site in 1898 and said he would build a shack there. Roughly 25 years later, he did; the business eventually grew into a 24-room lodge.