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Muleshoe Picnic Area in Banff National Park

Picnic area · Banff National Park

Muleshoe Picnic Area

Picnic tables, outhouses and a chance to watch for birds.

Type
Picnic area
Nearest trail
0.1 km
Audio stories
6 nearby
  • Parking
  • Restrooms
  • Picnic tables
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Muleshoe: A Picnic and a Birdwatching Pause

Overview

About Muleshoe Picnic Area

Why stop

  • A natural break on the quieter Bow Valley Parkway.

Heads up

  • Bring food from Banff; choices along 1A are limited.

Map

Where it is

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Full map
Picnic areaMuleshoe Picnic Area51.17921, -115.71933
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your stop

Before you go

8 active Banff alerts

  • ClosureJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area closedJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area are closed to all traffic and travel through December 11, 2026, because construction work requires protecting public and workers’ safety.Official details
  • ClosureBaker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds closed to campingCamping is prohibited at Baker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds through December 1, 2026, because a grizzly bear entered campsites and investigated tents and gear; the closures reduce risk to…Official details
See all 8 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Banff Tour Guide

Your drive to Muleshoe Picnic Area, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Banff National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Banff audio tour

Recorded for this place

Muleshoe: A Picnic and a Birdwatching Pause
0:00 / 0:27
“Muleshoe Picnic Area is coming up, a small Bow Valley Parkway stop that's worth a pause if you enjoy watching birds.”

Plays as you drive up to Muleshoe Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Bourgeau Lake and Harvey Pass
  • Swimming Races at the Winter Carnival
  • The Newspaper Argument Behind an Alpine Club
  • Backswamp Viewpoint: River and Mount Bourgeau
  • 185 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 162 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“…Loved the commentary as you drove thru. I’m sure the app can do more than I know but the tips were very helpful. I’m gonna use it when we go to Banff next month.”
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Muleshoe Picnic Area

A quiet pause on 1AMuleshoe is a small roadside picnic area on the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A), roughly 5.

Muleshoe is a small roadside picnic area on the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A), roughly 5.2 km west along the route from its eastern end. It makes a useful break on the quieter drive between Banff and Lake Louise. Check Parks Canada's current Bow Valley Parkway rules before setting out; vehicle access has seasonal restrictions.

Bring a picnicParks Canada lists picnic tables and outhouses here.

Parks Canada lists picnic tables and outhouses here. Bring your own meal: food options along the Parkway are limited, so pick up supplies before leaving Banff.

Listen for birdsThe area is noted for bird habitat.

The area is noted for bird habitat. Pileated woodpeckers and osprey are two species worth watching for, and binoculars make this a more rewarding pause than a quick meal stop.

picnicbirdingbowvalleywildlife

Wildlife

Wildlife in Banff

All Banff wildlife maps
Grizzly Bear123 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapBrown Bear150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapGray Wolf44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapRiver Otter12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapMoose69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapBlack Bear466 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Muleshoe Picnic Area

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ChallengingMuleshoe Ridge Trail5.5 km · 4 hr · 0.1 km awayA steep climb earns a wide Bow Valley oxbow view.ChallengingHarvey Pass Trail17.8 km · 6.5 hr · 1.4 km awayA long climb through lake country to open Harvey Pass views.ChallengingBourgeau Lake Trail13.4 km · 6 hr · 1.4 km awayA long climb to a lake beneath a glacial amphitheatre.ChallengingMount Bourgeau Trail22.3 km · 8 hr · 1.4 km awayA long climb earns a lake, alpine pass and broad summit views.ModerateBrewster Creek Trail20.1 km · 6.5 hr · 3.7 km awayA long creek-valley walk ends at a backcountry lodge.EasyHealy Creek Trail5.5 km · 1.8 hr · 3.7 km awayA gentle forest walk ending at the Sundance Trail junction.ModerateBanff Legacy Trail24.5 km · 6.5 hr · 4.6 km awayA long paved route with an on-road link through BanffChallengingCory Pass Loop12.8 km · 6 hr · 4.6 km awayA rugged loop over Cory and Edith passes through Gargoyle Valley

More stops nearby

Scenic pullout · 2 km awayBackswamp ViewpointA quick Bow Valley stop with the river and Bourgeau in view.Picnic area · 4.6 km awayFireside Day-use AreaA quick picnic stop with trail access at the Parkway's eastern end.Picnic area · 5.4 km awaySawback Picnic AreaTables, outhouses and mountain views make a practical Parkway break.Scenic pullout · 6.6 km awayHillsdale MeadowA quick pullout for summer flowers and a Pilot Mountain view.Sight · 7.9 km awaySundance CanyonA tight gorge and small waterfall reward the long approach.Sight · 8 km awayVermilion LakesDocks and marsh reflections frame Mount Rundle.

Parkwolf’s Banff ranking

Top sights in Banff

All 90 places
  1. 1Lake LouiseSight
  2. 2Moraine LakeSight
  3. 3Peyto Lake ViewpointSight
  4. 4Johnston CanyonSight
  5. 5Banff GondolaSight
  6. 6Cave and Basin National Historic SiteSight

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The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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