Bow Falls, Banff, Alberta, Canada - Waterfalls on Waymarking.com

This waterfall is not overly tall, but it is visited by thousands of tourists each year, since it is located just a few blocks from the top tourist destination of Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, in the town of Banff in the Banff National Park.

To locate Bow Falls from downtown Banff, find the Bow River bridge continue east on Spray Ave. and turn left onto Rundle Ave. Proceed down Rundle and turn left into the Bow falls parking lot. (You can follow the signs to Bow Falls). The parking lot is large, but can be crowded. Walk across the parking lot toward the river and you can see the falls just upstream. (the coordinates are at the river edge, near the parking lot). You can take the short paved path (including stairs with about 75 steps) from the parking lot up the hill to a viewpoint that looks down on the falls, and this is where you will see Fairmont Banff Hotel in the distance.

The waterfall has been featured in several classic Hollywood films in the 1950s, usually showing famous movie stars being swept over a turbulent waterfall (Bow Falls). Robert Mitchem, also Marilyn Monroe (River of No Return), and the son of Lassie have all been captured on the big screen with Bow Falls.

The waterfall is located on the Bow River, just before it merges with Spray River, on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors may notice the rock on each side of the river are different. The river bisects shale on one side and limestone on the other.

Bow Falls are about 30 feet (9 meters) tall, and about 120 feet (37 meters) wide. There is a short hike to a viewpoint to look down upon the falls, with Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in the background, and the Canadian Rocky Mountains back-dropping all. The fall is classified as a Wide Gradual Cascade, with a 35 degree gradient.

The name "Bow" that is used for the River and Falls refers to a type of plant, a reed, that grew along the banks of the river and were used by the First Nations to make bows. (Research indicates the Peigan name for the Bow River is "Makhabn" which is translated to "river where the bow reeds grow".

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Sources:
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worldwaterfalls.com/waterfall.php?falls=Weeping-Wall--Alberta--Canada


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www.albertatravel.org/Bow_Falls.htm

Type: Cascade Watercourse: The Bow River Waterfall Height: 30 Seasonality: Perennial Seasons of Best Flow: From: 03/01/2011 To: 07/31/2011 Viewpoint: Bottom Path Up and Down: Full Walk Behind: Not at all Parking Coordinates: Not Listed

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