Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Bow Valley Provincial Park

    3.3 (3 reviews)

    Bow Valley Provincial Park Photos

    More like Bow Valley Provincial Park

    Recommended Reviews - Bow Valley Provincial Park

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Grassi Lakes

    Grassi Lakes

    4.7(16 reviews)
    23.9 km

    Grassi Lakes are amazing!!!! Truly emerald color and crystal clear waters. Since the easy trail was…read moreunder construction and closed, we took the difficult trail, which was much more steep. Totally worth the climb. Loved it.

    So grateful for the recommendation we received from a local Calgarian Canadian to try this trail!…read moreThe views are absolutely spectacular!! This hike is located near a residential area in Canmore. Follow your GPS navigation which ultimately will take you down a single road, surrounded by tall evergreen trees, and a small dirt lot on the left for parking before you embark on the trail. A few recommendations: Park on the street as the lot fills up quick, bring sunscreen, and take the harder trail. Initially when starting the hike there will be two signs for the "Easy" and "More Difficult" trail paths. Trust me when I say the more difficult path is worth the extra strenuous steps. We had no idea that halfway through the path you stumble upon a gorgeous waterfall and incredible views of a giant lake surrounded by beautiful mountains. Then as you continue on this trail, you'll ultimately come to a clearing with emerald and turquoise lakes which is the perfect spot to stop, indulge in a quick snack, and soak in all those spectacular views. All in all if you take the not so easy trail you'll complete the entire thing within an hour and a half, including those moments where you stop and contemplate just gorgeous this country is. One final tip: bring Bear spray and attach bells to your hiking gear. The last thing you want to do is startle a bear and end up in a frightening situation. Luckily we did not see any bears on the trail, but we did see a Black Bear crossing the road as we were leaving the parking lot! We heard from locals that Canmore has a lot of Bear sightings so just plan ahead, be aware of your surroundings, and enjoy your fantastic hike on this beautiful trail!

    Photos
    Grassi Lakes
    Grassi Lakes
    Grassi Lakes

    See all

    Banff National Park

    Banff National Park

    4.8(174 reviews)
    36.9 km

    What an amazing time I had at this park! I am a big National Park junkie back in the U.S. and was…read moreexcited to visit my first Canadian National Park. I came with my running group and they combined our runs with various activities around the park. Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park and was established in 1885. It is known for its mountain peaks and turquoise glacial lakes (Lake Louise and Moraine are the two popular ones). Banff offers year-round outdoor adventures like hiking, wildlife viewing, cycling and skiing. The Town of Banff has lots of shopping and restaurants for those that aren't into the outdoor activities. Banff National Park is located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains and has several large glaciers and icefields. Nearby are Yoho, Jasper and Kootenay National Parks. The Town of Banff is at the center of the park in the Bow River Valley. The park itself has a variety of recorded mammal species. Banff National Park has been successful at reducing the number of animals killed on the roads by building wildlife crossings. We drove under a number of these while driving through the park. They are such a clever idea. My running company booked three runs in and around Banff National Park. The views were gorgeous as we did our trail runs. When I first arrived, we took a tour bus to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Emerald Lake (in nearby Yoho National Park). I really enjoyed the beauty of those lakes and was able to do some photography work at them. They are just as pretty in person as the pictures that you see on the internet. The huge crowds in the summer was the only downer part. For activities, we canoed down the Bow River. That was a lot of fun and we got great views of the mountain ranges while on the river. We also did the Via Ferrata at Mt Norquay. It was my first time doing one of these and it was easily one of my favorite activities. On my final day, I took the Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. You can see the whole Town of Banff from there and the breathtaking mountain ranges all around. The Town of Banff has lots of retail stores, gift shops and restaurants. I ate very well on this trip. Overall, Banff was an amazing experience for me. The flight to Calgary from Arizona wasn't too long and my running company did a great job in booking all of my activities. I look forward to a trip back someday!

    We took a trip to British Colombia and Alberta this Fall to visit Canada's national parks. Out of…read morethe three we visited, Banff was by far our favorite! It's Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885. It's located in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. The highlights of our time in Banff included Lake Louise, Banff Gondola, Sulphur Mountain, Bow River & Falls, Fairmont Banff Springs, Bow Valley Parkway, and so much gorgeous scenery along the way. We didn't see much wildlife in Banff while we were there, but did bring one can of bear spray to take on hikes with us, just in case. You can purchase national park passes at the ranger stations at all entrances of the park. For the 2 of us, it was $22 CAD/day. This park lives up to all it's hype and I would highly recommend.

    Photos
    Banff National Park
    Banff National Park
    Banff National Park

    See all

    Banff Gondola - sulphur mountain

    Banff Gondola

    4.5(267 reviews)
    35.1 km

    We made reservations in advance via Pursuit Pass for departure time and return time. Print out all…read moretickets in advance in case of SOS before arrival for faster check-in. If you're taking a free shuttle from Brewster Transportation, there are certain areas in Banff where shuttle will pick up and drop off passengers. Allow over an hour before departure time: 1) Park your vehicle in free or paid public parking. 2) Walk to designated shuttle area(s). 3) Shuttle(s) will make multiple stops prior to arriving at Sulphur Mountain. We enjoyed the magnificent scenery from various elevation levels indoors and outdoors. Highest peak at 7,846 ft. There's a plethora of information to read, washrooms, hydration station to refill water flask(s), casual and fine dining, observatory deck, fireplace, gelato cart, gift shop, Starbucks. We spent about a little less than two hours exploring everywhere on upper level before descending and catching the shuttle. Worth the exhilarating and fascinating experience!

    The Banff Gondola is a to do while in Banff. If you're not a mountain climber but you want to get…read morethe effect of being right up there with them, this is the easiest way to do it. I was late a half hour from my designated time slot however the ticket desk folk were forgiving and shifted my time to match my arrival. The gondola will get you up 7,486 feet = 700 meters in the air to view the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains. The 360 degree views are amazing and they allow you to stay up on the viewing deck/boardwalk for at least 90 minutes. It's actually a nice walk and the views change as you move along the path. The altitude might get to some folks and there's a lot of stairs to climb so if you're not active, you may need to take more breaks. Thankfully the path has a lot of benches/viewpoints along the way if you need to catch your breath. I also managed to catch some wildlife and came across a family of non-threatening mountain sheep. Disclaimer: At best stay on the wooden boardwalk. There is a portion of the trail that is outside the designated leasehold area which are not guarded by rails. I can't remember exactly where this is but you'll know when you see it. It's mostly rock/gravel covered with no railing. The drop is sudden and one wrong move will cause you to fall over 7,000 feet. Your doom is either that or risk running into a bear if you go off path. The parking situation is decent as long as you don't go during prime hours. You will have to pay a separate fee to park your car if you're driving in as this location does not honor the Parks Canada parking pass (even if it's for Banff/Lake Louise). There are dining options if you want to eat lunch or dinner up above. Sky Bistro has some pretty sick views. On the way out they have a gift shop and Starbucks. Definitely do the Banff Gondola as a half day trip. It's fun and you won't regret it.

    Photos
    Banff Gondola - Here we are having reached the top of the ride!! The view was absolutely incredible!!

    Here we are having reached the top of the ride!! The view was absolutely incredible!!

    Banff Gondola - Nothing but views.

    Nothing but views.

    Banff Gondola - We ate at the buffet, very average food, pricey. Fantastic view!

    See all

    We ate at the buffet, very average food, pricey. Fantastic view!

    Quarry Lake Dog Park

    Quarry Lake Dog Park

    4.3(3 reviews)
    21.7 km

    As far as off leash parks go, this one is actually rather small, especially for the middle of…read morewilderness, like Canmore is, and kind of boring. But, when the bears aren't around, I'll go into the forest behind (which is technically not off-leash) and there's better scenery, a lake, etc. and makes for a more interesting, longer walk. Lots of people do it, but I won't say it never gets patrolled. However, the background imagery cannot be beat! I've never had issues with parking - it's very easy to find. May be a little hard to turn left into the dog park if traffic is heavy but otherwise it's a good place to let your dog blow off some steam if you're not going to take him/her for a hike. Review #2 of Yelp's 30 Day Challenge

    Quite the view, too bad most of the hiking spots were closed due to bear activity. Anyways, made…read morethe best of my day by taking photos with a group of friends and chilling near the lake. Oddly enough you can swim but only at your own risk. I'd imagine it would be very cold. Parking lot is fairly big with an open field next to parking lot for your dogs. There is an outhouse next to the lake which is nice. There is Canmore which is not a far drive away from this lake. People are quite friendly. If your brace enough to swim in the lake go for it, there is no life guard on site at all or ever I suppose. I would definitely comeback again just to enjoy the scenery. Mountains in the distance, what else can you say. Benches and rocks everywhere along the lake. Recommended for any adventurist or picnic's.

    Photos
    Quarry Lake Dog Park
    Quarry Lake Dog Park
    Quarry Lake Dog Park

    See all

    Central Park - Great running/walking path alongside Bow River and Central Park

    Central Park

    5.0(2 reviews)
    36.9 km

    I can't believe there's only one other review for this beautiful park in the heart of Banff town!…read more Just a few minutes walk from downtown Banff and perfectly situated along the Bow River, Central Park is a huge park for everyone to enjoy! My first time here was actually in summer of 2019 and they happened to have live music one afternoon at the gazebo. So many people were spread out around the park relaxing on the grass, picnic blankets or sitting at one of the many picnic tables just enjoying the sunny day, hanging out and listening to the local artist/band while soaking in the gorgeous views of the mountains and Banff town! More recently, my hubby and I were back in town for the 2023 Banff Marathon/Half Marathon/10K weekend and the race hub was set up at Central Park (race packet pick up, expo, pre-race festivities, and start/finish area). We loved getting to do "Yoga in the Park" here as part of the Banff Marathon festivities and just hang out here before and after the race itself. If I lived in Banff, I'd probably be here everyday! It's just the most picturesque place to go for a run, walk, have a picnic, take your kids to play in the playground or just run around on the grass. They even have a farmers' market and craft market here from time to time (possibly weekly), and a large public washroom/restroom building by the main parking lot. Not to be missed when in Banff!

    What a great place to be on Canada Day! Live music, dancing, drums, fireworks, everyone in red -…read morefrom head to toe. Great to see the community to come together to celebrate their country. Shout out to Amelie Patterson. Awesome performer- hope she comes to SF one day.

    Photos
    Central Park - Gorgeous views from near the gazebo (taken during my first visit in Aug 2019)

    Gorgeous views from near the gazebo (taken during my first visit in Aug 2019)

    Central Park - Main walkway into Central Park from parking lot

    Main walkway into Central Park from parking lot

    Central Park - Amazing place for outdoor yoga!

    See all

    Amazing place for outdoor yoga!

    Bow Valley Provincial Park - parks - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...