Bow Lake

Bow Lake is a high-alpine lake beside the Icefields Parkway, known for turquoise water under a ring of glacier-cut peaks. It is one of the route's best stops if you have time to get out and walk a little: a short gravel path leads from the north-shore parking area to the water. From Lake Louise, the lake is 39 km north; from Banff, it is 94 km.

For the lake and its shoreline, take the main Bow Lake turn toward The Lodge at Bow Lake. The Bow Lake Viewpoint and Day-use Area is separate, 1.3 km south; that is the lakeside picnic stop. Both north-shore lots get extremely busy in summer, so arrive early or later in the day if you want a better chance at parking. The gravel path to the shore is accessible year-round.

A quick photo stop works, but the short walk puts you closer to the water and gives you more than the highway-side view. If you want a longer outing, the Bow Glacier Falls trail follows the lake shore to the base of the falls; that is a separate moderate hike, not part of the brief lakeside stroll.

Bow Lake sits at about 1,920 m and is fed by Bow Glacier. The glacier grinds rock into very fine sediment called rock flour. Carried into the lake, those particles scatter sunlight and give the water its milky turquoise color. Bow Lake also forms part of the Bow River's headwaters, so this is the start of a river system that flows across southern Alberta.

From the shore, look toward Crowfoot Mountain and the glaciers around the lake. The Lodge at Bow Lake points to sunrise light on Crowfoot Mountain, and still water can reflect the peaks; neither condition is guaranteed. Include some of the near shore with the mountain backdrop so the frame shows the lake's scale.