A tributary of the Bow River in Banff National Park, rising near Pipestone Pass and flowing into the Bow near Lake Louise. The river valley holds deep historical, geological, and cultural significance.

Naming (1859). In late August 1859, Sir James Hector of the Palliser Expedition explored the tributary while ascending the Bow toward Howse Pass. He recorded “Pipestone Creek” (later River) in his journal and on expedition maps; a direct translation of the name used by his Indigenous guides. Hector noted the soft stone along the riverbanks and recognised it as the material used by the Stoney Nakoda (Îyârhe Nakoda) for carving pipe bowls. His documentation provided the first scientific survey of the area’s geology and officially recorded the cultural importance of the site on British maps. Tom Wilson later used the Pipestone–Bow confluence as a staging area; his 1882 camp there preceded his guided journey to Lake Louise.

The stone: red argillite. The rock is scientifically classified as red argillite; a fine-grained sedimentary rock (mudstone) that underwent low-grade metamorphism, hardening it enough to be durable yet soft enough to carve. It is distinct from catlinite, the pipestone of Minnesota; the Banff argillite is specific to the geological formations of the Canadian Rockies. The deep red colour comes from iron oxides (hematite) in the original clay deposits. Freshly quarried, the stone is relatively soft and can be worked with knives or abrasive stones; once exposed to air it hardens, producing durable, heat-resistant pipe bowls valued for trade and ceremony.

Stoney Nakoda use. The Stoney Nakoda quarried this red argillite to carve calumets (ceremonial pipe bowls), central to spiritual practice, prayer, and diplomacy. Quarrying was often accompanied by specific rituals and prayers; the quarries were historically considered neutral ground where different nations could gather in peace. The Pipestone Express and Pipestone Ridge runs at Lake Louise Ski Resort take their names from the river and valley.

Pipestone River