The Bow Valley Parkway
Banff National Park
The Bow Valley Parkway is a scenic winding route between Banff and Lake Louise, and a quieter alternative to the Trans-Canada Highway. This 48-kilometer paved road has roadside pull-offs, picnic areas and scenic views.
Bow Valley Parkway Cycling Experience Pilot
From 2022 to 2024, Banff National Park piloted a three-year cycling offer along the eastern 17 km section of the Bow Valley Parkway. This pilot offer included restricting public vehicles in the spring and the fall on the Bow Valley Parkway to allow cyclists the opportunity to travel the scenic parkway without vehicle traffic.
The initial pilot was successful in demonstrating the significant demand for a vehicle-free cycling experience within Banff National Park, resulting in positive public feedback. As such, Parks Canada is extending the Bow Valley Parkway Cycling Pilot for an additional five years (2025-2030).
The extended pilot presents an opportunity for Parks Canada to take an adaptive management approach to this unique cycling offer. Over the next five years, Parks Canada will continue to monitor and collect data to address visitor experience, accessibility, safety, enforcement, and wildlife management considerations. Adaptive management adjustments may be made to mitigate issues over the course of this extended pilot phase and to inform long-term management planning.
Dates
Spring: May 1 to June 25, between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.*
Fall: August 28 to October 2
Map
Parking details
Visitors planning to use the Bow Valley Parkway should park their vehicles at the Banff Train Station parking lot accessible via the Mount Norquay Road entrance to the townsite.
Safety
Visitors are responsible for their own safety. Visitors should be prepared for their trip, be familiar with all road safety guidelines, and be ready for a breakdown or accident and know how to repair their bike and carry the necessary tools and parts.
Respect other visitors and protect the quality of everyone’s experience by sharing the road. Some vehicle traffic (e.g. vehicles used by utility operators or for Parks Canada operations) will occur on the Bow Valley Parkway. To ensure safety, visitors should be aware of their surroundings, expect to see service vehicles, and follow the rules of the road while recreating in Banff National Park.
Visitor Information
What facilities exist along the roadways (toilets, garbage etc.)?
Visitors must be prepared for their experience and bring sufficient food and water, appropriate clothing, gear for variable weather and bike repair tools.
- Garbage: Protect the environment and wildlife by using the bins provided or by packing out all garbage and recycling.
- Toilets and day-use areas are available along the roads.
- Cell phone coverage: Cell coverage is generally available along the roads, but there are areas of low or no coverage. Be prepared to be self-sufficient in case of injury or equipment failure. Know how to repair your bike and carry the tools and parts to do so.
- Where to lock your bike: Bike racks are available at the Johnston Canyon Day-use Area. Make sure to bring your own lock.
During the cycling experience, can the road be used for other travel types, like walking or inline skating?
However, the road is narrow and some vehicles (e.g. vehicles used by utility operators or for Parks Canada operations) will continue to be active on the road.
Are e-bikes allowed on the Bow Valley Parkway?
E-bikes are permitted on the Bow Valley Parkway, as well as the Banff Legacy Trail, which can be used to access the Bow Valley Parkway from the Town of Banff.
E-bikes are prohibited on most trails in Banff National Park with some exceptions.
Where can I rent a bike in Banff National Park?
Wildlife
How can visitors respect wildlife while cycling on the Bow Valley Parkway?
Be aware - Banff National Park is home to many types of wildlife, including elk, wolves, cougars, and the remaining grizzly and black bear populations in North America. To successfully raise their young and sustain a healthy population, wildlife need access to as much quality habitat with as few human surprises as possible. Give them space for your safety and their survival.
What should a visitor do if they encounter wildlife while cycling?
Visitor should always be aware of possible encounters with wildlife, even on roads and paved trails.
Cyclists are particularly susceptible to sudden, dangerous bear encounters because of the speed and silence of their travel. Visitors must stay alert, travel in groups when possible, make noise, slow down, look ahead and always carry bear spray and know how to use it. Additionally, the use of ear buds/ear phones while cycling or hiking is not recommended.
Visitors are responsible for their own safety. Learn how to stay safe when you encounter wildlife.
If you see a large carnivore, such as a bear, cougar, wolf or coyote, please report the sighting (when it is safe to do so) by calling Banff Emergency Dispatch at 1-403-762-1470.
How will the Cycling Experience impact wildlife?
Vehicle restrictions reduce disturbance to wildlife. The eastern section of the Bow Valley Parkway travels through the montane, a small but important area of the park for wildlife. This is the first area in the park to be snow-free and to ‘green up’, so it is especially important in the spring as it provides animals like grizzly bears and wolves with much needed food and a place to raise their young when the rest of the park is still snowbound. These same animals are also sensitive to the presence of people, particularly between dusk and dawn when their natural activity is highest.
Bow Valley Parkway mandatory seasonal travel restriction
As part of the existing annual seasonal travel restriction on the Bow Valley Parkway that runs from March 1 through to June 25, all travel, including people cycling and hiking, will only be permitted between 8 am and 8 pm.
Bow Valley Parkway mandatory seasonal travel restriction
From March 1st to June 25th, travel is not permitted between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. on the 17-kilometer section of the parkway from Johnston Canyon Campground to the Fireside Picnic Area.
This is to ensure the area remains a high quality home for wildlife. The eastern portion of the Bow Valley Parkway travels through a small but vital part of the park, called the montane, that provides critical habitat for large carnivores, including wolves, cougars and bears.
Protecting wildlife is the foundation of a great visitor experience and sustainable future for Banff National Park. This mandatory travel restriction will allow sensitive wildlife to move unimpeded across the landscape, use high-quality habitat, and engage in normal behaviour. It is part of a larger action plan to ensure the ecologically and culturally rich Bow Valley Parkway area continues as a world-class setting for visitors to learn about and experience the park, and as a safe and secure environment for wildlife.
All businesses and commercial accommodations remain open during this mandatory travel restriction and are easily accessible by driving the Trans-Canada Highway and exiting at Castle Junction.
Bow Valley Parkway Closure Map (PDF 11 MB)
Did you know that the Bow Valley Parkway was the original road linking Banff and Lake Louise in the early 1900s?
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