Police, rescuers respond as rock slide hits hikers in Banff; injuries undetermined

By Canadian Press on June 19, 2025.

LAKE LOUISE, ALBERTA, CANADA — Rescue crews, police and air ambulance paramedics scrambled to a remote region of Banff National Park Thursday afternoon amid reports a rock slide had hit a group of hikers, with possible injuries and deaths resulting.

“The initial report indicated there were multiple hikers and there may be serious injuries and/or fatalities,” RCMP Cpl. Gina Slaney said in a news release.

Parks Canada, in a statement said, it is “responding to a report of a serious rockfall incident with involvement near Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park.”

The site is north of Lake Louise on the Icefields Parkway, about 200 km northwest of Calgary.

Temporary road closures were expected on the Icefields Parkway near Bow Lake in order to allow responders to work. Parks Canada has asked visitors to avoid the area.

The Bow Glacier Falls hiking trail is a nine-kilometre route open year-round, running along the edges of Bow Lake.

It’s considered a moderate challenge for hikers, and day-trippers include families.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025.

The Canadian Press