Bow Glacier Falls

Not to be confused with the Bow Valley Lookout Trail, yesterday's hike, the Bow Glacier Falls begins at Bow Lake which has to be one of the finest places to start a hike along the Icefields Parkway. The hike was incredibly rewarding and offered really fantastic scenery. We particularly enjoyed the beautiful views when passing the turquoise colored Bow Lake with the majestic Crowfoot Mountain as its backdrop. The highlight of the trail is the 400-foot waterfall springing from the Bow Glacier which is not visible at the falls because it has retreated above the headwall.

From the parking lot we could see Bow Glacier Falls and the glacier above the headwall.

From the parking lot the trail skirts along the lakeshore and passes historic Num-Ti-Jah Lodge.

Views over this first stretch of the trail extend across turquoise-colored waters to Crowfoot Mountain and...

the leaning spire of Mount St. Nicholas which rises from the Wapta Glacier. 

View back towards the lodge at the end of the lake.

Just before the falls we reached the edge of a huge moraine field and the glacially-carved basin.

While we were eating our lunch at the base of the falls, this little guy paid us a visit...

hoping to share our lunch.

After lunch we took some pictures of the main falls (Frederick is there for scale) and...

two falls that stream out of holes just to the right of the main falls - perhaps you can see them in the picture above.

The base of the falls and water erosion in action.

As we were poking around the base of the falls we saw these blue rocks.

Since the trail crosses the rocky basin sprinkled with boulders, rocks and stones there is no good way to mark the trail except by following cairns. This one seemed to be artfully arranged with some interesting striped rocks.

On the way back we got this great look at a glacier.

The trail followed the run-off stream from the falls across the rocky moraine and...

flows through a narrow gorge.

Hikers have to use the stairs to...

get to the base of the gorge where the water exits.

The stream then feeds Bow Lake with the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge in the distance.

Selfie at the falls.