Bow Falls
A Wide, Low Waterfall On The Bow River Just Below The Spray River Junction, Reached By A Flat Walk Along The River From Banff Townsite, With A Viewing Area, A Boat Launch And A View Of The Banff Springs Hotel. An Easy And Popular Short Stop In The Town · Banff, Alberta
Bow Falls is a broad, low waterfall on the Bow River just below the Spray River junction and beneath the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, about 1.5 km from downtown Banff (confirm). The river drops roughly 9 m over a wide limestone ledge (confirm) and then curves around the foot of Tunnel Mountain, a scene filmed for the 1954 movie River of No Return with Marilyn Monroe (confirm). A flat riverside path from town leads to a viewing area and a rail at the lip, and a short trail climbs to Surprise Corner for the classic view of the hotel above the river. It is more a place for a stroll than a thundering cascade, and it is loudest in the June runoff. The small car park near the falls fills on summer days, so many visitors walk or cycle from the town. The falls are free to visit, and the hotel above sells coffee and meals (confirm). Allow thirty minutes for the falls or two hours with Surprise Corner and the river loop.
Bow Falls, on the Bow River below the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and Surprise Corner, about 1.5 km from downtown Banff; coordinates approximate, Banff, Alberta, Canada
The falls, the riverside path and the viewing area are open at any hour, all year, with no gate or ticket. The hotel, shops and cafes nearby keep their own hours. Daylight runs past 10 pm in June and ends by about 4:30 pm in December. The small car park near the falls and the Surprise Corner lot have time limits that vary, and summer afternoons are the hardest time to park (confirm limits). The path is plowed or packed in winter but can be icy. Flow peaks in late May and June with snowmelt and falls in autumn.