Bow Glacier Falls Trail reopens with warning signs after two deaths in 2025 rockslide

An Alberta mountain hiking trail where two people died in a rockslide last year has reopened, but with enhanced caution measures in place.

Parks Canada says the Bow Glacier Falls Trail in Banff National Park now has warning signs steering hikers away from more hazardous areas at the end of the official trail. Jutta Hinrichs, 70, and Hamza Benhilal, 33, were killed in June 2025 when the cliffside along the trail collapsed while several groups of hikers were in the area. The rockslide prompted Parks Canada to close the popular trail to all traffic, and those who violated the order faced threatened fines up to $25,000.

A geotechnical assessment prepared for Parks Canada examined rock-slide hazards and identified lower-risk zones and areas with higher exposure. The report warns that "it would be reasonable to expect further rockfalls both from the source area of the June 2025 event and from other parts of the rock face below the lake."

The fatal rock slide occurred in less than a minute, with the latter stages captured on video. While the bulk of the rock dislodged during that event has fallen, some additional material could still fall. The report suggests individual risk may be "tolerable for a short visit" to the falls, though many visitors are not experienced backcountry travellers with expertise in managing geohazard exposure.