Bow Valley is a valley

Valley

In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...

 located along the upper Bow River

Bow River

The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....

 in Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

The name "Bow" refers to the reeds that grew along its banks and which were used by the local First Nations

First Nations

First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

 peoples to make bows; the Peigan

Northern Peigan

The Northern Peigans or Aapátohsipikáni are a First Nation, part of the Niitsítapi . Known as Piikáni, "Pekuni" or Aapátohsipikáni , they are very closely related to the other members of the Blackfoot Confederacy: Aamsskáápipikani , Káínaa or...

 name for the river is "Makhabn", meaning "river where bow weeds grow".

Parks

Bow Valley Provincial Park

Bow Valley Provincial Park

Bow Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park located in Alberta, Canada. Established in 1959 in the arch of Bow River, at the confluence with Kananaskis River, the park is one park of many within the Kananaskis Country park system....

 (part of the Kananaskis Country park system) is established east of the Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rockies

The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...

 in the arch of the valley, while the upper course of the Bow River flows through the Banff National Park

Banff National Park

Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...

. The Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park

Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park

Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada, located immediately west of Canmore, west of Calgary.The park is situated at the foot of Mount Rundle in the Canadian Rockies, along the Bow Valley and the Trans-Canada Highway, at an elevation of and has a surface of...

 is located between the Banff National Park and Canmore

Canmore, Alberta

Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...

 in the Bow River Valley.

Numerous other recreation areas dot the valley. Provincial Recreation Areas are established at Three Sisters

Three Sisters (Alberta)

The Three Sisters are a trio of peaks near Canmore, Alberta, Canada. They are known individually as Big Sister , Middle Sister and Little Sister ....

, Gap Lake, Grotto Mountain

Grotto Mountain

Grotto Mountain is a mountain located in the Bow River valley, across from Canmore, Alberta, Canada. It is a popular hiking spot among locals and is home to the Rat's Nest Cave.There are two main scrambling routes:...

, Lac des Arcs

Lac des Arcs (Alberta)

Lac des Arcs is a lake in Alberta, Canada that forms part of the Bow River.Located within Alberta's Rockies, the Hamlet of Lac des Arcs is located on the lake's southeastern shore, while the Lafarge Exshaw Plant and a limestone quarry lie on the lake's northern shore.The Trans-Canada Highway runs...

, Heart Ridge, Heart Mountain

Heart Mountain (Alberta)

Heart Mountain is a mountain located in the Bow River valley just south of Exshaw, Alberta. The peak was named in 1957 for the heart shaped layer of limestone near the top....

, Ghost Reservoir

Ghost Lake (Alberta)

Ghost Lake is a glacier fed man-made lake in Western Alberta, Canada, formed along the Bow River. It is located approximately 45 km west of the city of Calgary and immediately west of Cochrane....

 and other locations.

Lakes

Many lakes, glacial and artificial are found in the Bow Valley:

• Bow Lake
  Bow Lake (Alberta)
  Bow Lake is a small lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Canadian Rockies, at an altitude of 1920 m.The lake lies south of the Bow Summitt, east of the Waputik Range and west of the Dolomite Pass, Dolomite Peak and Cirque Peak.Bow Lake is...
  
  
• Hector Lake
  Hector Lake
  Hector Lake is a small glacial lake in western Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Bow River, in the Canadian Rockies.It is named after James Hector, a geologist and naturalist with the Palliser Expedition....
  
  
• Vermilion Lakes
  Vermilion Lakes
  The Vermilion Lakes are a series of lakes located immediately west of Banff, Alberta, in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.The three lakes are formed in the Bow River valley, in the Banff National Park, at the foot of Mount Norquay. They are located between the Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian...
  
  
• Lake Louise
  Lake Louise (Alberta)
  Lake Louise is a lake in Alberta, Canada. The glacial lake is located in Banff National Park, from the hamlet of Lake Louise and the Trans-Canada Highway....
  
  
• Gap Lake
• Lac des Arcs
• Ghost Lake