Bow Glacier Falls trail reopens more than a year after deadly Banff rockslide

Parks Canada officials say the Bow Glacier Falls trail has reopened following a detailed geotechnical assessment and the installation of new warning signs.

LAKE LOUISE – More than a year after two people were killed in a massive rockslide at Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park, the trail has been reopened. Parks Canada officials say the Bow Glacier Falls trail has reopened following a detailed geotechnical assessment and the installation of new warning signs. “The assessment examined rockfall hazards in the area and identified lower-risk zones and areas with higher exposure,” stated Parks Canada in a social media post on Thursday (July 16).

“New signs now clearly mark the end of the official trail and warns visitors to increased rockfall risk beyond the end of the official trail.” The Bow Glacier Falls rockfall on June 19, 2025, claimed the lives of two hikers, including Jutta Hinrichs, 70, of Calgary, who was pronounced dead at the scene, and Hamza Benhilal, a 33-year-old man from Surrey, B.C.. Benhilal’s body was found by Parks Canada’s search and rescue dog team later that day amongst the far-flung debris.

The unstable conditions meant his body could not be recovered until the following day, though. The rockslide also badly injured three others. Two of the most seriously injured were flown to Calgary’s Foothills Hospital by STARS air ambulance and a third hiker was taken to hospital by ground ambulance.

In total, 13 other people who had minor injuries or were remarkably unhurt were evacuated from the waterfall site, which is located west of Bow Lake on the Icefields Parkway, about 37 kilometres north of Lake Louise. Following an exhaustive two-day multi-agency operation, Parks Canada rescuers wrapped up the search after there were no other reports of missing people and all vehicles at the parking lot had been accounted for. Witnesses to the disaster that struck that afternoon reported the rock slide was about 50 metres wide and 20 metres deep and approximately the “size of an apartment building.”

An estimated 100 personnel responded, including visitor safety specialists from Banff and Jasper national parks, RCMP, Kananaskis Mountain Rescue, Banff and Lake Louise fire departments, STARS Air Ambulance, Alpine Helicopters, Alberta Health Services EMS, Banff EMS and other agencies. Canada Task Force 2 – a national disaster response team – completed infrared drone flights through their partners in the Calgary Police Service followed by more investigation with a thermal imaging camera. Although the trail has reopened, Parks Canada reminds visitors that rockfall is a natural hazard in the mountains and “some risk will always be present.”

A spokesperson for Parks Canada was not immediately available, but the federal agency's social media post said all backcountry travel involves risk so choose trips that match your experience and comfort level. “Parks Canada advises people hiking to Bow Glacier Falls to respect the posted signs and avoid steep slopes beyond the marked trail,” reads the post. “Precautions such as travelling in groups, staying alert, and passing quickly through areas where rockfall may occur can help reduce your risk from rockfall hazard.”