There are also glacial landforms such as eskers, kames, moraines, and kettle lakes that formed during the retreat of the Bow Valley glacier in the late Pleistocene.

The spectacular mountains that flank the park, such as Mount Yamnuska, consist of resistant Cambrian to Devonian age carbonate rocks that have been placed on top of softer Late Cretaceous sandstones and shales by the McConnell Thrust Fault.

[5] The vegetation in the park today is a mix of forested areas and open meadows, and is adapted to cold winters, strong Chinook winds, and hot dry summers.

Due to strong winds from the west, trees exposed on the tops of ridges commonly lean to the east and lack branches on the windward side.

Consistently damp, humid areas like Many Springs host moisture-loving plants like yellow lady's slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum), butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris), and elephant's head (Pedicularis groenlandica).