Clearwater River (Alberta)



Clearwater is a river of southern Alberta, Canada. Situated entirely in the Canadian Rockies and the Rocky Mountain foothills of Alberta, it is a glacier fed upper reach tributary of the North Saskatchewan River. The upper reach of the Clearwater has become popular for equestrian travellers due to the natural setting along the river.

Course
When measuring from Trident Lake, the Clearwater River has a length of 203 km and descends 350 m to its end at Rocky Mountain House.


 * The river begins in Banff National Park on the southern slope of Mount Willingdon immediately into the Devon Lakes at Clearwater Pass.
 * From the Devon Lakes it flows 11 km and descends 400 m to Clearwater Lake.
 * About 2 km after Clearwater Lake and 50 m down the river hits Trident Lake, where it becomes navigable by canoe, although it is not recommended for paddling until it reaches Timber Creek (40 km downstream) because of dangerous and variable river wide log jams.
 * After traveling 15 km east and descending 120 m, the river exits Banff National Park. There are two class III rapids, and a dangerous blind corner that feeds "Heart Attack Log Jam" (a nearly river wide log jam that requires very good class III paddling skills and tight maneuvering to successfully navigate) before reaching Banff Park boundary.
 * The river travels east 18 km more and descends 150 m before turning north and exiting the Ram Range in the Rocky Mountain Foothills. There is one class III rapid a little outside the park boundary, many tight log gardens, and braided channels that end in complete obstruction by logs, as well as one section just downstream of the wagon crossing where the river dives through mature forest and logs with no navigable channel, requiring a 50 meter portage through dense bush and logs. Due to the lack of road access, the many logs and log jams and relative lack of interesting enough whitewater to make up for the long boat haul to reach the put in, the stretch of river from Trident Lake to about 40 km downstream (Timber Creek) saw its first successful descent by canoe in nearly fifty years, by Warren and Paul Finlay on June 26, 2021, having been first navigated in modern days by the Wild Rivers Survey, Planning Division, Parks Canada in 1973.
 * About 20 km further along, the river turns east again and meets its first road around Idlewild Mountain.
 * About 70 km later, the river turns northwest.
 * About 30 km further, the river empties into the North Saskatchewan River.

Tributaries

 * Martin Creek
 * Roaring Creek
 * Malloch Creek
 * Peters Creek
 * Forbidden Creek
 * Timber Creek
 * Washout Creek
 * Peppers Creek
 * Elk Creek


 * Idlewild Creek
 * Cuttoff Creek
 * Rock Creek
 * Limestone Creek
 * Seven Mile Creek
 * Pineneedle Creek
 * Tay River
 * Alford Creek
 * Prairie Creek