Parking
Use the parking lot at Central Park, where parking and washrooms are available near the trailhead. Spaces can fill on busy days; follow posted town parking signs and restrictions.
Overview
About Bow River Trail (Banff)
An easy, scenic out-and-back from Central Park through Banff's townsite to Bow Falls. Follow the signed riverside path from the Central Park trailhead, cross the Bow River Pedestrian Bridge, and continue along the river to the Bow Falls viewpoint. The mapped corridor is about 0.85 miles one way; plan for about 1.7 miles total when returning to Central Park. Allow roughly 1 hour for the round trip. The route is mostly level, but the approach to the falls includes stairs and a short climb.
Central Park provides the primary access, with nearby parking, washrooms, and picnic space. The riverside path offers mountain and river views, while Bow Falls is the natural turnaround and main destination. This is a townsite shared-use route rather than a wilderness hike, so expect other walkers and cyclists, especially around the bridge and falls.
The path is usable year-round, but winter ice can make the stairs and shaded sections slippery. Keep dogs leashed, yield on shared-use sections, and check Parks Canada trail conditions before setting out.
Why go
- Easy, scenic riverside route starting in Banff townsite
- Central Park provides nearby washrooms and picnic space
- Bow Falls is a dramatic, clearly defined turnaround
Heads up
- Busy around the townsite, bridge, and falls
- Stairs near Bow Falls limit accessibility for wheelchairs and some strollers
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,378–1,390 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Bow River Trail (Banff), 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
Whyte Museum, Central Park and Nancy Pauw BridgeListen
“You're nearing a quieter part of town centered around the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. If you're curious about the people and art inspired by these mountains, this is the place for that.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Banff's Bow River Bridge and Historic Gardens
- Buffalo Nations Museum and Banff Recreation Grounds
- Downtown Banff: Restaurants, Shops, and Tips
- Banff Canoe Club: Easy Downtown Paddling
- 178 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 177 trails, 236 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.”
Wildlife
Wildlife in Banff
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 mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
