Clearwater is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 of southern 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...

. Situated entirely in 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...

 and the Rocky Mountain foothills

Foothills

Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...

 of Alberta, it is a glacier

Glacier

A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...

 fed upper reach tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the North Saskatchewan River

North Saskatchewan River

The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....

. The upper reach of the Clearwater has become popular for equestrian travelers due to the natural setting along the river.

Course

When measuring from Trident Lake, the Clearwater River has a length of 203 kilometers and descends 350 m to its end at Rocky Mountain House

Rocky Mountain House, Alberta

Rocky Mountain House is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada, approximately west of the City of Red Deer. It is located at the confluence of the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan Rivers, and at the crossroads of Highway 22 and Highway 11 .- History :The town has a long history dating to the...

.

• The river begins in 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...
  
   on the southern slope of Mount Wellington immediately into the Devon Lakes at Clearwater Pass.
• From the Devon Lakes it flows 11 km and descends 400 m to Clearwater Lake.
• 2 km after Clearwater Lake and 50 m down the river hits Trident Lake where it becomes navigable by canoe.
• After traveling 15 km west and descending 120 m the river exits Banff National Park.
• The river travels 18 more kilometers west and descends 150 m before turning north and exiting the Ram Range
  Ram Range
  The Ram Range is a mountain range of the Canadian Rockies located in David Thompson Country, Canada. The range extends southeast from Abraham Lake to the Ram River. It is bounded on the southwest by Whiterabbit Creek....
  
  in the Rocky Mountain Foothills.
• About 20 kilometers the rivers turns west again and meets its first road around Idlewild Mountain.
• About 70 kilometers and the rivers turns north west.
• About 30 more kilometers and the river empties into the North Saskatchewan River.

Tributaries

• Martin Creek
• Roaring Creek
• Malloch Creek
• Peters Creek
• Forbidden Creek
• Timber Creek
• Washout Creek
• Peppers Creek
• Elk Creek

• Idlewild Creek
• Cuttoff Creek
• Rock Creek
• Limestone Creek
• Seven Mile Creek
• Pineneedle Creek
• Tay River
• Alford Creek
• Prairie Creek

External links

• Alcazar Mountain: Clearwater River Hike 2006 - A journal log with photos describing a hike along the Clearwater River.