Bow Peak Trail (13.2 km, Challenging) – Banff National Park

Overview

About Bow Peak

Why go

Crowfoot Pass meadows and tarns make a rewarding turnaround before the summit scramble
Quiet route with expansive Bow Lake, Waputik Range, and Icefields Parkway views
Beautiful forest, stream, and alpine terrain on the approach

Heads up

Unbridged Bow River ford can be cold, deep, and fast after high water
Loose boulders, scree, and an indistinct upper route require scrambling experience
No formal trailhead facilities; the roadside pullout and trail start are easy to miss

Bow Peak is a quiet, demanding Banff scramble with a beautiful approach through forest and alpine meadows. The out-and-back is about 13.2 km (8.2 mi) total, with roughly 950 m of elevation gain, and usually takes 6–9 hours.

Parkwolf’s verdictWhy go

Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation1,928–2,837 m

TrailheadBow Peak Trailhead51.65782, -116.42127

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Small gravel pullout on the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93), roughly 1 km south of Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint and north of Bow Peak. Park fully off the highway; from the pullout, walk a short distance along the Parkway to the obvious flagged Bow Peak Trail start. Do not use the Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint parking area as the trailhead.

Best time to go

Late July through September is generally the best window, when the river is more manageable and most upper-route snow has receded. River depth and current vary with weather and season; assess the crossing in person and turn around if it is unsafe. Winter travel introduces avalanche hazard.

Safety

Unbridged Bow River ford (water level and current vary and can approach 1 m), cold water, an indistinct trail start, route-finding, loose boulders and scree on the upper slopes, changing alpine weather, and bear activity. Winter travel has avalanche hazard.

8 active Banff alerts

ClosureRed Deer River valley bottom closed for ceremonial bison harvestThe Red Deer River valley bottom is closed to the public during an Indigenous ceremonial bison harvest taking place through November.Official details
ClosureLake Minnewanka and Aylmer area closureLake Minnewanka Trail, Aylmer Pass Trail, and campgrounds Lm8, Lm9, Lm11, Lm20, Lm22 and Lm31 are closed to all users because black bears are displaying food-seeking behaviour.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 Bow Peak, 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.

Recorded for this trailhead

Crowfoot Glacier's Missing Toe

Listen

“The viewpoint coming up offers a great, easy look at Crowfoot Glacier. It was named because it originally had three sections of ice that looked just like a crow's foot.”

Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.

Hiking Bow Peak

What to expectFrom the roadside access, the route drops through forest to the Bow River.

From the roadside access, the route drops through forest to the Bow River. Cross at the unbridged ford, then follow the trail through old-growth forest, streams, and wildflower meadows toward Crowfoot Pass. The pass, with its tarns and broad mountain views, is a worthwhile turnaround if you do not want the summit scramble.

Beyond the pass, the route climbs through boulders and loose rubble to Bow Peak. The upper terrain is a scramble rather than a maintained hike: the path is indistinct in places, hands may be needed, and loose rock requires care. The descent can use a broad scree gully, but the rock is loose and route-finding remains important.

Difficulty and who it is forThis is a hard, non-family-friendly day with an easy-to-moderate scramble above Crowfoot Pass.

This is a hard, non-family-friendly day with an easy-to-moderate scramble above Crowfoot Pass. Be comfortable with an unbridged river crossing, off-trail navigation, loose rock, and changing alpine weather. The route has no formal signage, and bear awareness is important in the forest.

Tips and tricksBring a second pair of shoes or water footwear for the Bow River crossing, and secure your pack…

Bring a second pair of shoes or water footwear for the Bow River crossing, and secure your pack before entering the water.
Carry bear spray, make noise in the forest, and keep your group together.
Allow extra time for loose scrambling, route-finding, and weather changes; Crowfoot Pass is a good turnaround without committing to the summit.

Bottom lineBow Peak combines a quiet river approach, spectacular Crowfoot Pass meadows, and a bouldery…

Bow Peak combines a quiet river approach, spectacular Crowfoot Pass meadows, and a bouldery summit scramble. It is rewarding for experienced hikers and scramblers who are prepared for an unmarked route and a variable river crossing.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Banff

All Banff wildlife maps

122 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting map

67 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map

465 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.

Bow Peak