Researched route, Icefields Parkway
Icefields Parkway
Across the foot of Bow Lake on the ice, up the glades, then along the bench under Bowcrow Peak's fans to a broad pass.
Crowfoot Pass is a broad pass between Bowcrow Peak and Bow Peak, reached from the Icefields Parkway across the foot of Bow Lake, near Lake Louise. From the Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint you cross the lake on the ice, climb through the Crowfoot Glades and follow the bench southeast along the foot of Bowcrow Peak's fans: 5.6 km and about 488 m of climbing to the pass, at about 2,370 m. It's the common, well documented way to the pass. Where you go and what you ski beside it is up to you. Two things set this tour apart. The crossing is on lake ice that nobody checks for you, and the last kilometre runs along the foot of fans that slide on their own. We built this route from research and haven't skied it ourselves.
We built this route from our own extensive research. All resources are cited on the dashboard. We haven't skied it ourselves, the routes illustrated may not be the best line choice, use your own judgement when planning. Remember you are still responsible for your own tour.
Last checked October 20, 2026.
| Distance | about 11.3 km round trip, 5.6 km to the pass |
| Elevation gain | about 488 m to the pass counting the ups and downs (413 m net), and about 25 m back up to the car at the end |
| Slope angles | nearly flat for the first 2.3 km; 15 to 25 degrees through the glades; no more than 25 degrees on the line along the bench and to the pass; steeper ground beside the line, up to 37 degrees on the left and 47 on the right within 200 m, and 35 to 59 degrees on the cliffs and fans above the glades; terrain data reads low |
| Trailhead | 1,958 m, at the viewpoint |
| The pass | about 2,370 m: terrain data reads 2,371 m. A guidebook gives no height, and no height is published that we found |
| Nearest town | Lake Louise |
| Pass required | Parks Canada |
| Skied by us | Not yet |
From Lake Louise, take the Icefields Parkway north. The Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint is about 32 km along: a long pull-off on the left, with Bow Lake below it. A guidebook says it's often plowed. Trip reports describe a short, steep bank between the pull-off and the lake, icy where the plows pile the snow, and the climb back up it is the last effort of the day.
A guidebook and trip reports also describe parking on the Parkway's shoulder about 1 to 1.5 km south of the viewpoint, which saves about 1 km of shoreline each way. Reports describe several cars there on busy days. A guidebook's 4.5 km to the pass is from that shoulder. Ours is from the viewpoint, 1.1 km further. We start at the viewpoint because it's a marked pull-off that's easy to find and often plowed. No source pins down where on the shoulder to park, and the shoulder depends on the plows: a 2024 trip report notes that parties use the viewpoint especially when the road edge hasn't been plowed. The shoulder also runs along Parks Canada's Dolomite Peak closure zone (below).
Parks Canada's Dolomite Peak avalanche closure zone covers the slopes across the road from the lake, from the Helen Lake trailhead across from the viewpoint southeast past the stretch where people park on the shoulder. Parks Canada closes the zone during avalanche control, announces it in the headline of Avalanche Canada's forecast, and marks it with signs. Its Icefields Parkway page says avalanche paths along the road are marked as No Stopping Zones, and asks drivers not to stop in them. The viewpoint and our line are on the lake side, outside the zone.
You need a Parks Canada pass to stop anywhere in Banff National Park. The Parkway closes from time to time for avalanche control, so check 511 Alberta before you go. There's no cell service on the Parkway, so leave your plan with someone who isn't coming.
Expect company in the glades. Trip reports and Avalanche Canada reports describe several parties on a good day, and avalanche courses use them. The bench and the pass are quieter.
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