Wildlife on the Bow | Big Canoe Tour in Banff National Park
Description
Discover life on the Bow River in our 12 seat Canoe. Join us on an early evening Big Canoe tour and learn fun facts about animal habitats, behaviors and conservation. Escape the bustling Banff streets and get back to nature. Enjoy paddling up the scenic Bow while keeping your eyes peeled for some of the locals - bald eagles, elk, muskrats and maybe even “Barry” our resident beaver. Let our informative guides share the best practices for wildlife encounters and discover the challenges they face with increasing human interaction. You can’t get a more scenic backdrop for an interpretive wildlife tour. It’s fun for all ages! Great tour for families
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(85)
Our family had a great evening canoeing with Maegan as our guide. She was friendly, knowledgeable and an excellent guide. We saw osprey, mergansers, beaver lodges and the sun setting over the mountains was spectacular. Highly recommend the evening tour, very peaceful and scenic.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear your family had such a memorable evening on the Bow River with Maegan. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to her. She'll be delighted to hear that her knowledge and friendly approach helped make your experience so enjoyable. The evening tours are truly a special way to experience Banff, and we're glad you were able to take in the peaceful scenery, incredible wildlife, and that spectacular mountain sunset. Seeing osprey, mergansers, and beaver lodges along the way makes for a perfect Bow River adventure! Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome your family back for another paddle soon. Banff Canoe Club
We ventured out with our guide, Grace, and another family for a nice night on the river. We enjoyed spotting a few ducks and a beaver during our journey. As a family of 6 (2 adults and 4 kids), this was a great opportunity for our children to be able to experience canoeing. We had beautiful weather with just a quick sprinkle of rain as we departed. The mosquitos were out, so be prepared! My kids went home with a few bites as souvenirs.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear your family had such a great evening on the Bow River with Grace. It's fantastic that your children had the opportunity to experience canoeing together, and spotting ducks and a beaver along the way is always a special bonus! We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Grace. She'll be thrilled to know she helped make your trip so memorable. We also appreciate the helpful tip about the mosquitoes! They can certainly make an appearance on warm summer evenings, so bug spray is always a good idea for future paddlers. Thank you for choosing to paddle with us, and we hope to welcome your family back for another adventure in Banff soon! Banff Canoe Club
We only saw one beaver, but we still enjoyed the canoe trip. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The Bow river is so amazing that I recommend going out on it. Staff was very helpful.
Hi there, Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed your canoe trip on the Bow River. While wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, it's always exciting to spot a beaver, even if it was just one! Every trip is a little different, and the beautiful scenery along the river makes each paddle special in its own way. We're delighted to hear that your guide was knowledgeable and friendly, and that our team helped make your experience a positive one from start to finish. The Bow River really is a spectacular place to experience Banff from a different perspective. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back for another paddle on your next visit! Banff Canoe Club
Nice 2 hour paddle up the bow river. The guides cam and Emily explained a lot about the wildlife, the mountains, and indigenous peoples and history to give the trip context
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your paddle on the Bow River and that it was a memorable experience. We'll be sure to pass your kind words along to Cam and Emily. It's great to hear that their knowledge of the local wildlife, mountain landscape, and Indigenous history helped bring the area to life and added meaningful context to the journey. Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to see you back on the water for another adventure soon! Banff Canoe Club
Myself, daughter and two grandsons had a wonderful introduction to canoeing on the Bow River. Alec was an engaging leader who shared his knowledge and experience of the area. It was very interesting to learn about history, the wildlife and how the group effort helps to make the canoeing experience more enjoyable! Also, thanks to the other two pleasant people who helped us navigate the river. (Kaia and sorry… the other New Zealand fellow) I would highly recommend this experience for families.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear that you and your family enjoyed your introduction to canoeing on the Bow River. Alec will be thrilled to know his guidance, knowledge, and storytelling helped make the experience both fun and meaningful. We’ll also be sure to pass along your kind words to Kaia and our New Zealand teammate, they’ll really appreciate the recognition. Creating memorable family experiences is what we strive for, and we’re so happy to hear this was a special one for you all. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back again in the future! The Banff Canoe Club.
It is a marketing scam. We saw no animals. They just take you up the river with no special wildlife viewing points. If you are able to paddle, better go on your own and save some money.
Hello Zorica, We are unsure what you mean by a “marketing scam.” Our Wildlife on the Bow Tour is an interpretive wildlife experience focused on learning about local animal habitats and behaviours. While our guides always do their best to spot wildlife, sightings can never be guaranteed, as these are wild animals in their natural environment. This tour continues to be very popular with visitors, as reflected in the many positive guest reviews we have received over the years. We are sorry the experience did not meet your expectations. It sounds like a self-guided activity, such as a canoe rental, may have been a better fit for what you were looking for. We still hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Banff.
A great experience for the whole family - we were really treated with the wildlife experience. From Oma to our 4 year granddaughter.
Thank you so much! We’re thrilled your whole family, from Oma to your little granddaughter, had a terrific time experiencing the wildlife together. It’s wonderful to be part of such special memories. We hope to welcome you all back for more adventures soon!
We spent an hour and a half on the river today with Abbey as our guide. The sun shone and the river was beautiful and calm, with amazing colours. We saw a bald eagle and beaver dams, with Abbey giving us a great insight into all the sights on the way. Thoroughly enjoyed this day and Abbey was fantastic. Thank you!
Thank you for your review of the Wildlife of the Bow! We're so happy you had such a beautiful day on the river with Abbey. Spotting a bald eagle is an incredible sighting, and we're glad Abbey helped bring the experience to life with her knowledge. We'll be sure to pass along your thanks—hope to see you again on the water!
We had Bree as our guide on this group canoe ride on the Bow River. Bree was knowledgeable and informative throughout the ride. We felt very safe. A very memorable experience.
Thank you for your review of the Wildlife on the Bow Big Canoe Tour! We're so glad you had a memorable morning on the Bow River with Bree. She’ll be happy to hear you felt safe and informed throughout the trip. We hope to see you again on the water!
Brea was our guide and she was bubble friendly and very sociable. She gave us a talk about the potential animals that we may see in the area. I learned a lot about deers. We then set out onto the bow river in the canoe. It was such a peaceful and beautiful time being in nature surrounded by breathtaking mountains. We learned how to paddle and navigate the river and we learned about bears and other wildlife in the area. Brea made the whole adventure an exciting learning experience and one that we will always remember. Thank you Brea
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that Bree made your canoe trip both fun and educational. It sounds like a truly peaceful and memorable time on the Bow River, surrounded by stunning mountains and wildlife. Learning about the wildlife whilst also learning to paddle is exactly what we try to do! Hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
