Bow Lake

A large lake along the Icefields Parkway, fed by the Bow Glacier. Bow Lake sits at 1,920 m and is one of the largest lakes in Banff National Park. The historic Num-Ti-Jah Lodge sits on its shore; the lake forms the headwaters of the Bow River.

Visible from the Icefields Parkway (34 km north of Lake Louise); a popular stop for photos. Trails lead to Bow Glacier Falls and the Wapta Icefield; the interconnected glaciers whose meltwater feeds the Bow and Kicking Horse rivers (see Wapta run for etymology). Rock flour from the Bow Glacier gives the lake its turquoise colour. Bow Pass (2,067 m), the parkway’s highest point, lies just north; Peyto Lake is a short drive beyond. The name comes from the bows (weapons) made from reeds along the river by Indigenous peoples of the region.