Elbow falls is one of the more accessible waterfalls in the Calgary area. Just forty-five minutes west of the city on the Elbow river, it's a popular spot for a family picnic. The falls are in two stages with one being above and the other being below.
The Elbow river starts at the Rae Glacier in Kananaskis and cascades down the Rocky mountains, through the foothills and joins up with the Bow River in Calgary. We frequently hike in this area because it's nearby and beautiful.
Troll falls are located in the heart of Kananaskis, just West of Banff National Park. Kananaskis is a provincial park and these falls are located right next to Nakiska winter resort, which is one of many ski hills in the area. This is one of the parks most popular hikes and it's suitable for almost anyone who can walk.
Lundbreck falls pictured above and below are a ways south of Calgary, nearer to the American border. One can experience two waterfalls for the price of one. Not that you have to pay anything to stop here, it's right next to the road that is the Southern Pass through the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
The Trestle bridge in the background with the fall colours would make this my favourite waterfall in this post. It could be because we had a long drive that day on our way back from Montana and this offered the perfect break to stretch one's legs.
While not a waterfall, this picture was taken from a bridge and I admire the linear nature of this river section. Considering it is a rocky torrent of it's remarkably straight for a 500m stretch through mountainous terrain.
Looking the other way from the previous photo one sees Numa Falls. This is the sort of jaggedness one expects of the Kootenay River. Looking straight down, the photo gives one a sense of vertigo, they don't even need a sign to say no diving. This is the the first waterfall in the series that is located on the other side of the continental divide, meaning it drains into the Pacific Ocean as opposed to Hudson's Bay.
These falls are an easy walk from the parking lot on what would be a very long walk up and along Numa Creek trail. It's a nice stop to stretch ones legs when driving from Calgary to Invermere which is a popular cottage area.
Thank you for viewing some of our local waterfalls. Which one is your favourite?
All photos were taken with an S22 or Iphone 13 Pro