Ancient Art

The Bow Valley in the Canadian Rocky Mountains just and hour's drive west of Calgary is a popular destination for visitors from around the world. Every year millions of people make the journey to the small mountain towns of Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise to take in the world-class mountain vistas, wildlife viewing and backcountry adventures.

With all of this distracting scenery and activities it's easy for us to forget that these mountains have been home to humans for thousands of years before European settlers made their way to the Bow Valley. Evidence of these early inhabitants is elusive even if you have an idea of where to look because over time these sites can be weathered and worn to the point they are barely recognizable.

Around the town of Canmore there are three relatively easy-to-access sites home to ancient pictographs, which are paintings that have been made on rock with a mixture of red ochre and grease - not to be confused with petroglyphs, which are etchings made in the rock. While the pictographs have faded over time (and unfortunately also due to vandalism) it is still possible to see the original paintings at Grassi Lakes, Grotto Canyon, and Rats Nest Cave and they are a great way to sneak a peek into a piece of the valley's past.