The Bow Valley Parkway is a beautiful 32.2 mile drive through Banff National Park from Banff to Lake Louise. We combined this drive with our day trip to Lake Louise.
View along the Bow Valley Parkway
The Parkway has some seasonal restrictions to be aware of: while we were there it was closed 8pm to 8am for wildlife. It is a minor road, with only one lane in each direction and a speed limit of 20-35 mph. The route is known for wildlife viewing, with opportunity to see elk, mountain sheep, deer, and possibly moose or bear. It has fabulous mountain views, forests and views of the Bow River.
Mountain sheep viewed along the Bow Valley Parkway
Deer viewed along the Bow Valley Parkway
There are many scenic pullouts to take pictures and enjoy a picnic.
Bow Valley
We stopped at Johnson Canyon (see below). There are many other hiking trailheads along this route, some have seasonal closures/restrictions.
A catwalk leads to the waterfalls in Johnston Canyon
One of the waterfalls in Johnston Canyon
Located off route 1A (aka The Bow Valley Parkway), Johnston Canyon Trail is a fun jaunt up a canyon via a series of catwalks, culminating in exciting waterfall views and inkpots. If you take the trail to its culmination, the Inkpots, it is 6.7 miles in length with 705 feet of elevation change. This is a very busy spot with tour buses and car/rv visitors. The traffic thins out as you head deeper into the canyon, especially past the lower waterfall.
Johnston Canyon trail
