Calgary 
The part of the Trans Canada Highway which leads to Canmore is filled with a jaw-dropping amount of drastically changing scenery. Whether heading east or west, Highway 1 and 1A offer an incredible number of opportunities for stopping, staying, and exploring.
Bow Valley Provincial Park, part of the Kananaskis Country, encompasses both of these highways east of Canmore. This is where the foothills meet the mountains, making these peaks a little shorter than those in Banff. So, with a visit to Bow Valley PP, you may get forest and foothill views or experiences, mountain adventures, or a blend of both.
And while the highway proximity of Bow Valley PP makes it a great roadside destination, it does also have some of the most campsites out of any park in Alberta! And the camping season in the Bow Valley is longer than it is in most other parks. Camping here is available from April to October.
As it is a big park, seeing it all might take a few days and some strategic planning. So, travel according to how you want to explore: some places offer fishing, hiking, cycling, snowshoeing, camping, and more.
Explore the Bow River Valley & Much More of Kananaskis
A large part of Bow Valley Provincial Park surrounds the Bow River. This wide, low, and expansive valley is lined with lush greenery of the foothills towards the east and Exshaw, as well as low and snowy mountain peaks towards the west and Canmore. Up and down this section of the Bow River are several interpretive trails which offer more insight into the area’s storied natural history. Plus, this part of the River Valley is also explorable by car via two highways, by bike or horse on the multi-use trails, and by boat right on the waters.
And while the pristine and bright blue-green waters of the Bow are a highlight of a visit to Bow Valley Provincial Park, this park has a lot more areas and bodies of water to explore! Between the river valley, the adjacent Kananaskis River, and K-Country overall, a day of exploration will reveal the park’s many birds, large and small mammals, and more waterfront scenery.
The Kananaskis Trail, or AB-40, leads south from the Stoney Nakoda Resort with Barrier Lake as the first place to stop and explore. The man-made lake is a result of a dam on the Kananaskis River, with trails lining both sides of the water. When water levels are low, there is enough room on the rocky shoreline to explore closer to the water.
Head further south on the Kananaskis Trail to find the Mt. Lorette Ponds, where boardwalk trails line the water. This quiet and peaceful pond area is great for a picnic, birding, or wildlife viewing. Close by in the Wasootch day use area and trailhead, where there are views of a wide but dried up creek bed.
Explorations around Bow Valley Provincial Park can take many forms and take you to many different parts of Kananaskis!
The Best Bow Valley Trails
Bow Valley Provincial Park surrounds Highways 1, 1A, and 40, offering three major roads from which to start your trail journey. Trailheads line all three of these major park roads with options for different trail activities (hiking, cycling, or horseback riding), and options for different trail difficulty levels.
- The Stoney Trail follows Highway AB-40 from the Willow Rock campground in the north to the Kananaskis Village in the south. Several more challenging trails fork from the Stoney Trail, as well as easier trails around Barrier Lake. This is also a connector for the Jewell Falls trails (10km or 15km out-and-back) which provide gorgeous waterfall and mountain views.
- The majority of the park’s multi-use trails, which also allow cyclists and equestrian riders, start from Highway AB-40, like the Baldy Pass trails, Jewell Pass trail, Prairie View trails, or the Skogan Pass trail.
- One of the park’s prettiest, most popular, and simplest hikes starts from Highway 1A and follows the Grotto Canyon. A second trail leads up and back down Grotto Mountain.
- There are several short and simple interpretive trails that start from the Whitefish or Middle Lake day use areas, which offer information on the surrounding scenery like the Bow River Valley.
Explore Deep Canyons
While most of Bow Valley Provincial Park is on the south side of the Bow River, the park has an important protected area on the north side as well. The Grotto Mountain day-use area is where the hike to Grotto Canyon begins. This simpler Kananaskis hike takes about an hour to complete. The maintained trail enables hikers to walk through the Grotto Canyon, made of tall limestone walls which only get taller as the path goes along the canyon. Hikers are rewarded with beautiful views of the Grotto Canyon Falls at the end of the hike. Explore the Grotto Canyon any time of year, too!
Trails near Barrier Lake
Take your pick between challenging, moderate, or quick and simple hikes around Barrier Lake. These are multi-use trails with most allowing for biking and equestrian use as well.
- There are a few options for hiking to the beautiful Jewell Falls west of Barrier Lake: out-and-back from the dam at about 10km, or as loop with the Prairie View Trail at about 15km. Hike or bike to Jewell Falls.
- For a shorter hike, follow the Barrier Lake shoreline on the west side of the lake for about 3-4km before turning back. Hike, bike, or hop on the horses.
- On the east side of the lake there is an interpretive hike and viewpoint with the trail totaling 6.1km out-and-back. This trail is for hikers only.
Summer Events at Bow Valley Provincial Park
Take in the park’s summer programming from the Bow Valley campground’s amphitheatre. These events, programs, and performances are scheduled weekly until the end of August with the different types of evens recurring throughout the summer. The events are aimed at educating and entertaining all ages about different aspects of Bow Valley Provincial Park: the wildlife, the weather, the river, or park’s natural history.
Fun on the Bow & Barrier Lake
The Bow River has a few wider sections between Canmore and Exshaw which have created Gap Lake and Lac des Arcs. Both of these river lakes are open to canoeing, kayaking, and fishing, with a small launch on each. Anglers travel to fish from the Bow from all around the world thanks to its brown and rainbow trout populations combined with the surrounding scenery.
- Barrier Lake, south of the Bow and next to Highway AB-40, is open to paddle sports as well, plus motorized boating. The boat launch is directly across Barrier Lake from the Jewell Bay backcountry campground.
- Travel all the way down 40 to the southernmost point in Bow Valley Provincial Park for a peaceful pond fishing experience at the Mt. Lorette Ponds day use area.
Fishing on the Bow River
Fishers have several places to choose from when it comes to mountain river fishing on the Bow. The Bow River helps to create several small streams and a few lakes in its wider areas ,where there is world-renowned Rocky Mountain fishing.
- Gap Lake day use area allows for fishing and non-motorized boating on the lake.
- The Grotto Mountain Pond, on the north side of the river, also permits fishing.
- Lac Des Arcs is a short drive east of Gap Lake, where fishers can cast from the shores, or a canoe/kayak.
- For even more peaceful fishing, head to the Mt. Lorette Ponds on the south end of Bow Valley Provincial Park.
Tours around the Bow Valley
See and experience the Bow River and Valley from above, from on the water, from the trails, or from within the park’s mountains! There is a huge variety of guided tours that explore the Bow Valley in different but equally exciting ways.
- Alpine Helicopters Inc. depart on tours from the east side of Bow Valley Provincial Park. These sightseeing tours enable riders to get sweeping views of the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country.
- Bow Valley Canyon Tours
- Get out on the waters of the Bow River, and around some of the faster-flowing parts of the river, with Canadian Rockies Rafting, Canmore Raft Tours, or White Wolf Rafting. These trips include both the Bow and Kananaskis Rivers.
- Canmore Cave Tours offers a variety of tour types and lengths, providing opportunities to explore deep inside the mountains around Canmore and the Bow Valley.
Camping in the Bow Valley & Mountain Accommodations
Bow Valley Provincial Park is home to six front-country campgrounds and two backcountry campgrounds! Both of those backcountry campgrounds are at the Jewell Bay site, with one area for regular campers and the other area for equestrian campers. This leaves the Jewell Bay backcountry campgrounds accessible by foot, horse, or boat. The remaining six drive-in campgrounds of Bow Valley Provincial Park include Bow River, Bow Valley, Canoe Meadows, Lac Des Arcs, Three Sisters, and Willow Rock.
- Three campgrounds are without any services, which makes them ideal for tent campers or smaller setups. These include Canoe Meadows, Lac Des Arcs, and the Three Sisters campgrounds.
- Get services like power or power and water from the remaining front country campgrounds.
- Find the largest amount of camp amenities at the park’s largest campground: Bow Valley, where campers can access a store, concession, showers, and flush toilets. Keep in mind that all of the front country campgrounds also have washrooms, whether flush or vault toilets.
- Canmore sits on the western edge of Bow Valley Provincial Park and the northern edge of Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park. This mountain town is home to several different types of accommodations, including hotels and motels, vacation condos, lodges, and resorts.
- Similarly, the Evan-Thomas PRA sits on the southeastern border of Bow Valley Provincial Park with the Kananaskis Village, its hotels, and the Nordic Spa.
Planning your trip – Bow Valley Provincial Park
What: Bow Valley Provincial Park encompasses the Bow River Valley from the Stoney Nakoda Resort & Casino in the east to Canmore in the west, along with part of the Kananaskis River valley and lands around Highway AB-40.
Highways 1 and 1-A run through the centre of the park and parallel to the Bow River, while AB-40 also runs through part of the Provincial Park. These three main highways are where to find Bow Valley Provincial Park’s several day-use areas and campgrounds. This section of the river valley is an important wildlife corridor, and the park was intentionally set up to protect the areas around the confluence of the Bow and Kananaskis Rivers. Along with birding and wildlife viewing, the park offers summer recreation like hiking, camping, biking, horseback riding, boating, and fishing. During the winter, the park’s trails are open to winter sports.
Location and how to get there: the Bow River Valley surrounding Highways AB-1 and 1-A between Exshaw and Canmore; 100-120km west of Calgary via AB-1
Best time to go: year-round
6 Reasons to Visit Bow Valley Provincial Park During Winter
How much: Kananaskis Country Pass applies – $15 Vehicle Pass
For more information:
Bow Valley Provincial Park Trail Report
