Floating the Bow River

July 2, 2026

Bright orange rafts pulled up on a gravel bank at the put-in, the Bow River and forested mountains behind

The day after the glacier we took it easier with a float down the Bow River. It’s not whitewater, just a steady scenic float, though the current has some push to it in spots. The water is a cold, milky green that comes off the glaciers upstream. We had a clear morning for it.

Looking down the raft at the group paddling, everyone in life jackets, the river and far shore ahead

On the Water

A wide stretch of the Bow River with a forested shoreline and a mountain rising beyond

The nice thing about a float is that you don’t have to do much. You round a bend and there’s another peak, or a bird standing on a gravel bar. We paddled a little and steered now and then, but mostly we sat and watched the valley go past.

A flat-topped mountain standing over the river, dark forest along the banks

A first-person view down the river from inside the raft, paddlers in orange vests, mountains framing the channel ahead

Taking Out

The raft pulled up on a pebbly shore at the take-out, people climbing out, turquoise water and green hillsides behind

We were on the water for about an hour before pulling out downstream. It’s a calmer way to see the valley than from the highway, and I’d do it again.