Ice Falls at Fish Creek Park in Calgary

andrewsco3
Mar 9
4 min read

Updated: Jun 20

Fish Creek Provincial Park is one of Calgary’s most popular parks, and is actually the second largest urban park in the whole of Canada. It’s a fantastic place to ‘get away’ from the city, and the park is so large, it always feels like there is a new trail or section of the park to explore.

But, did you know that in the winter Fish Creek Park has its own ice falls? They are certainly not as dramatic as the ice falls at Grotto Canyon near Canmore, but considering that they are located right here in Calgary, they’re a great option when you want to stay local.

The Ice Falls with trees in the background — The Ice Falls at Fish Creek Park

This is a short blog post that gives a little more information about the ice falls, as well as some photos to give you an idea of what you can expect when visiting.

WHERE ARE THE ICE FALLS LOCATED?

The Fish Creek Park ice falls are located near Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant, towards the southern end of the park. If you're driving, you can park in the large lot next to the restaurant. (By the way, Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant is one of our favorite dining spots in Calgary!)

The fish creek park frozen river and bridge in the background — The view of the frozen river and bridge

From the parking lot:

Follow the maintained gravel path south toward the bridge. The path is flat and accessible for most people, including those with strollers or wheelchairs.
When you reach the bridge, don’t cross it. Instead, turn right and follow the footpath along the riverbank.
After a few minutes, you will see the ice falls!

Fish Creek Park map showing Bow Valley Ranche and also the location of the ice falls — Map shows the location of the falls compared to the Bow Valley parking lot

THE FISH CREEK ICE FALLS

You could be forgiven for not knowing that these ice falls even exist, as in the summer there is no waterfall at all. Instead, there is little more than a trickle most of the time, and it resembles more of a wet or ‘weeping’ wall than anything else. But in winter, the groundwater seeps through the porous sandstone cliffs and freezes into stunning ice formations.

The ice falls close up photo — The Fish Creek Park ice falls

The ice cascades down the rock face, creating a beautiful natural ice sculpture. The best place to photograph the falls is from across the river, where you can get a nice shot with the contrast of ice falls with the trees in the background.

Jess practicing her photography — Jess is getting into photography!

CAN YOU GET CLOSE TO THE ICE FALLS?

If you want a closer look, you’ll need to cross the frozen river - but be careful!

💡 Safety Tip: Never walk on frozen water unless you're 100% sure it's safe. When we visited, someone had thrown a stone onto the ice, and it broke through - definitely not safe to cross in that spot!

The Fish Creek Park Ice Falls with frozen river in the front — The ice falls from the other side of the (mostly) frozen river

When we visited, crossing right in front of the falls would have been dangerous as there was quite a lot of slushy ice on top of the river. You can also tell how warm it was from the fact that Jess is only wearing a T-shirt in the photos! However, if you continue along the river a bit, you'll find some shallower sections where crossing is much safer. Here are some photos of Jess up close to the falls.

THE FISH CREEK PARK ICE CAVES

Just to the right of the falls, you'll find a small rock overhang that some people call "ice caves." While they aren’t true caves, kids love climbing inside!

The ice falls and caves at Fish Creek Park

A close up of how big the caves are....

Jess by the ice caves in Fish Creek Park — Jess by the 'ice caves'

During the winter there are some pretty cool ice formations inside. They look almost alien like!

If you decide to explore, be sure to wear ice cleats, as the area in front of the falls and caves can be extremely slippery.

OTHER THINGS TO DO IN THE PARK

Fish Creek Park is a great place to visit year-round, whether you’re here for the ice falls in the winter or the picnic areas, biking paths, and wildlife viewing in the summer. It’s also one of our 40 recommendations for things to do in Calgary. These are some of our favourite activities in the park:

Walking & Biking Trails: The park has miles of paved and unpaved trails, perfect for hiking, cycling, and jogging.
Wildlife Watching: Keep an eye out for deer, owls, and even coyotes!
Riverside Spots: There are plenty of cozy coves along the river where kids can splash in the water during summer.
Picnic and BBQ Areas: There are plenty of designated spots equipped with tables and fire pits, perfect for a summer BBQ.
Sikome Lake: There is even a man-made lake which is a great swimming spot in the summer.

Jess and Ellie with winter views in the background — Just some of the walking paths that wind through Fish Creek Park

Just to show how far removed you can get from the city - this photo is from a recent winter hike in Fish Creek Park. If you didn’t know better, you might think it was taken in Kananaskis or the Rockies!