Calgary Urban Hikes

You don't have to go far in Calgary to find a great hiking trail.  Natural areas abound in our city.  Below are my family's favourite places to explore close to home.

Nose Hill Park, NW

 

We usually park at John Laurie Blvd and Brisebois Drive if we want a good hill workout.  There are many options from this parking lot from paved trails to more natural pathways.  There is an excellent paved trail that takes you all the way up to the top of the hill.  From there you can walk towards Shaganappi and come back the same way, never leaving pavement. 

Since my family loves hiking, we create new loops each time we go up and rarely touch the paved paths.  If you haven't explored Nose Hill much, head North when you get on top of the hill to reach the quarry, an interesting place with a small pond and rocks for throwing.  This is a stunning place to visit in the fall.

For an easier workout or just a change of scenery, park at Shaganappi and Edgemont Blvd.  It's mostly flat walking on either paved trails or natural paths from this entrance. This is the best parking lot for exploring on bikes.

And if you want to look for the large Aboriginal Medicine Wheel created out of stones, park on 14th Street and head to the far SE corner of the park.

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Bowness Park and Baker Park -  NW

 

I put these two parks together because we often combine them on our hikes.

To access Bowness Park, head to the neighborhood of Bowness and park in the official parking lot at 8900 48 Ave. NW.  Bowness Park features a lagoon (great for watching ducks and geese), picnic areas with fire pits (several can be reserved in advance), playgrounds, paddle boat and canoe rentals in the summer, fields for playing sports, an antique train that gives rides around the park, a wading pool,  and a cafe. 

In the winter, this is one of the best places in Calgary to go outdoor skating and there's no cost to use the large lagoon. There are natural walking paths around the park and there's a beautiful paved loop for biking or inline skating. There is also access to the Bow River so children can throw rocks in the water. 

Baker Park is located on the other side of the Bow River from Bowness Park.  (9333 Scenic Bow Rd.NW.) The two parks can be visited using the regional pathway that creates a beautiful loop between the parks. There's a central area with a grass amphitheater popular for weddings and summer concerts.  The amphitheater has many short paved trails going through it where kids love to wheel around on their bikes, scooters, or inline skates.

Baker Park has many interesting paved pathways and loops around it, perfect for children learning to ride a bike. There's also a fabulous disc golf course in Baker Park and it's free to use. Just bring a Frisbee and you're good to go.

Options for Exploring:

One - Do a loop of Bowness Park,  take some time to throw rocks in the river, walk along the creek that flows into the lagoon, visit a playground and even have a picnic.

Two - Head west across Bowness Park until you reach the pedestrian bridge under Stony Trail.  Cross the Bow River to access a paved trail that will take you over to Baker Park.   Pass by Baker Park and head towards the 85th Street bridge.  Cross the bridge and head back to Bowness Park.  The loop is approximately 3km. The full loop is paved and relatively flat for kids learning to ride a bike. 

Three - Follow the creek from the lagoon at Bowness Park on a natural trail until you reach the pedestrian bridge under Stony Trail.  Do not cross the bridge.  Instead look for a beautiful forest trail following the river through a Douglas Fir Forest.  The trail goes below the community of Valley Ridge.  It's possible to take stairs at the end of the short trail up to Valley Ridge and come back along a paved trail, down a gigantic paved hill with switch-backs, and end up at your starting point.  There are lots of stairs on the forest trail so do not plan to bring a stroller or bike.  The trail out and back or as a loop would not be longer than 3km.

- note that there is currently construction around the bridge and you can not access this trail unless you climb up into Valley Ridge and drop down from the paved pathway.

Bowness to Valley Ridge Forest hike

Fun at Bowness and Baker Park

Bowness Park in autumn

Skating at the lagoon in winter

Bowmont Park, NW 

 

Bowmont Park is one of the premier natural areas in the city.  We often access it from Bowness Park to create longer walking loops.  You can also access the park from the community of Silver Springs at the end of Silver Springs Blvd (past the shopping plaza with the Value Village.) The park has paved and natural trails, off leash areas, creeks, bridges, train bridges, and boardwalks.  There's even a waterfall by the Bow River.  Many of the natural trails follow high up on an escarpment over the river.

From Bowness Park, head east on either paved or natural trails to access Bowmont Park.  The more you explore the area, the more you'll discover new and wonderful trails.  We have our favourites and you'll find yours too.  Check out the city pathway map as a starting point. 

Alternately, start in Silver Springs and you'll be right at the trail head for Waterfall Valley.  This is a lovely trail that uses stairs and boardwalks to access the Bow River and a lovely waterfall down by the river.  It's our favourite trail in Bowmont.  From the end of Silver Springs Blvd, get on the paved trail and head west a short distance until you see the sign for Waterfall Valley.   The return walk is shorter than a kilometre in distance, but you can combine the valley with a larger hike on natural trails out to a viewing platform over the river and train bridges (further west) and come back along the paved trail to your car.  

For a longer walk I also recommend checking out the brand new Dale Hodges Park, east of Silver Springs Blvd. Head east on the paved pathway until you arrive at the old converted quarry, now a wetland area with boardwalks.

Hiking along the escarpment in Bowmont from Silver Springs heading east

Bowmont in autumn

Waterfall Valley

12 Mile Coulee, Tuscany, NW

 

This is one of our favourite natural areas in the city to explore.  There are many access points in the community of Tuscany or you can walk from the large Sobeys parking lot.

The highlight of the ravine for families is the creek that runs through it.  I've taken children down into the coulee and it's always an adventure trying to cross the creek on logs, stones, and home-made wooden bridges.  Wear rubber boots or water shoes if you really want to do some serious exploring down there.  We've also found teepees down in the coulee which are fun for kids to play in.

Playing in the Coulee with friends

12 Mile Coulee Adventures

Hidden gems in the Coulee

Confluence Park / West Nose Creek, NE

The highlight of this park located off Bedington Trail is the giant glacial erratic called the Split Rock. We like biking or hiking along the natural creekside trails through this park to the rock, and kids will love the bridges throughout the park.

There is also a nice paved pathway that goes through the park up above the creek.

The Split Rock Glacial Erratic in Confluence Park

Edworthy Park, SW

 

This is one of the best multi-use parks in Calgary.  There's picnic areas with fire pits, playgrounds, paved trails for biking, natural trails for hiking, serious hills for training and conditioning, a dog park, and for train lovers - railway tracks running right through the park.  Come in the morning and you'll see trains pass by every half hour. The park is also located on the Bow River so you can spend a lot of time throwing rocks in the river - always a hit with kids! You can also get ice-cream at Angels Cafe on the north side of the river.

There's two main hikes in this park that we love to do.  The most popular hike is the Douglas Fir Trail.  This is an excellent spring conditioning hike with several flights of stairs leading up to a scenic viewpoint over the Bow River.  It'll get your heart pounding and my son finds this trail incredibly interesting.  Maybe it's the challenge of climbing all the stairs.  It's a beautiful hike through a huge grove of Douglas Fir trees - hence the name, some as old as 500 years.   The half loop is under 4km but younger children may need to be carried a bit.  Otherwise, you can just go to the viewpoint and return the same way. There and back to the top of the escarpment would be 2km at most.  Note that the trail is closed in winter due to natural springs that create ice flows along the path.

To find the Douglas Fir Trail, start from the South Parking Lot and get on the official paved bike trail.  Head East on the South side of the tracks.  Within 5 minutes you will find the official sign for the trail and it's easy to follow from this point.  You'll first climb to an escarpment (lots of stairs so don't bring a stroller) and then make your way back down to the paved bike trail again.  This is the short loop where you can follow the paved trail back to Edworthy Park.

Climbing stairs on the Douglas Fir Trail

Running through the Douglas Fir Forest

The other hike we love to do is a bit more complicated for directions as it isn't an official hike.  I call this the Dog park hike (don't do it if you're afraid of dogs).  Start from the South Parking Lot.  The paved trail goes East here towards the Douglas Fir Trail.  You want to go straight up the gigantic monster hill in front of you.  It's not paved and it looks terrifyingly big with small kids.

Note that you will be on the west side of the paved road entering the park from Bow Trail.  There is another hill on the left side of the road too (also fun) but it will put you on the wrong side of the escarpment to finish the loop. 

Once you are on top of the escarpment take some time to breathe, enjoy the flower meadows, let your dog run free in the off leash area, and then start walking west along the top of the escarpment.  There are several ways down off the escarpment, some steeper than others.  Basically keep walking west until you find a good trail going down at a pair of benches.  There will be steps on the path and it isn't too steep.  You'll come out along the train tracks and can follow them back to the main park. 

Spring on top of the escarpment above Edworthy Park

The flower meadow above Edworthy Park in the off leash area

Autumn along the Bow River, Edworthy Park

Weaselhead Flats, North Glenmore Park, SW

 

The Weaselhead Flats natural environment park connects North and South Glenmore Parks.  It's located at 66 Ave. and 37 St. SW and has its own parking lot labeled "Weaselhead."  It's one of our favourite hikes in Calgary and once you start hiking through the flats, you'd never know you were in the city.  It makes a great destination for a real hike within the city limits.

From the parking lot, take the paved trail down the long steep hill.  At the bottom, you'll cross the west end of the Glenmore Reservoir on a big bridge guaranteed to thrill kids.  A short distance after the bridge you'll see the sign for the Weaselhead Flats Natural Area.   Follow the meandering trail that follows the Elbow River until you get to an intersection of several trails.  The one heading left will take you back to the beginning of your hike and is your shortest choice.  Take either of the other trails for a longer hike.  The one going right takes you to a boardwalk section that's seriously cool.  If you took the shortest path to create a loop through the flats, it would be around a 3km hike.  Expect slightly longer distances if you choose one of the other trails.  Note that with the longer options you will be hiking back along the paved bike path. 

Weaselhead Flats in summer

Weaselehead Flats in spring

Jack Rabbit Trail, South Glenmore Park, SW 

 

This is a popular trail among trail runners in Calgary and it should be on your family's hiking list as well.  It's a fun hike for children because unlike most hiking trails, you don't have to slowly plod uphill for endless amounts of time just to turn around and head back down.  This trail is fun and rolling with lots of short little hills.  I like it with groups of small children who can have fun chasing each other up and down each hill.

To find the trailhead, take 14th Street South to 90th Ave.  Turn Right (West) and continue past the first sign for South Glenmore Park.  Turn at the second sign that says "Weaselhead Parking Lot."  Follow the paved access trail a short distance to a T-intersection.  If you were to go right, you'd end up at the official parking area for South Glenmore Park.  Go Left instead.  Almost immediately, you should see a natural trail leaving the paved path (there should be a sign as well that mentions the Weaselhead area).  The path will be to your right and will be down by the reservoir.  Head down to the natural area and voila, you are on the Jack Rabbit Trail.  Follow the trail for as long as you want before turning back.

There are many escape routes to your left that will head back up to the paved trail.  Otherwise, you can continue until you get to a big wide clearing and four way intersection.  (approx. 3km return.) Left would take you back to the paved trail you started on.  Continuing straight or going right would take you towards North Glenmore Park (and a long walk back.)  We like to turn around and follow our same path back. 

Follow the Leader on the Jack Rabbit Trail

Running down the Jack Rabbit Trail

Griffith Woods, Discovery Ridge, SW 

 

Griffith Woods is a secret to most Calgarians not living in the community of Discovery Ridge.  Located at the edge of the city as you take Hwy 8 out to Bragg Creek, it is a natural environment park that winds its way along the banks of the Elbow River. 

There is an official parking lot with bathrooms located at Discovery Ridge Cove SW (look it up on Google Maps before you go because it's tricky to find the first time.)  From the parking lot you can either take paved trails heading West or East but the longest walk will be in the West direction.  If you go East, you'll end up at a small lagoon where the trail soon ends.  You can take the relatively flat paved paths if you have a stroller or child learning to ride a bicycle.  With no hills in the park, it's actually a great place to practice riding a bike.  If you are looking for a more natural experience, follow the gravel paths to find hidden bridges and even a small swimming hole.  There's great signage in the park so you don't have to worry about getting lost.

End to end, the trail that runs through Griffith Woods is only 7km return so it's not a big park.  Visit a few times and you'll quickly discover your family's favourite spots.

Exploring the nature trails of Griffith Woods

The Swimming hole in Griffith Woods

Carburn Park and Beaverdam Flats, SE

Park at Carburn Park by the main lagoon, popular for ice skating in winter, and head north on the regional paved pathway towards Beaverdam Flats, a beautiful natural area. Keep a lookout for pelicans, bald eagles, and a variety of ducks on the Bow River. You can hike or bike around the park.

The trails around Beaverdam Flats are not paved but are flat wide trails easy for walking around on. There's just one big (paved) hill that you'll have to go down to reach the flats, walking or biking back up afterwards to return to Carburn Park.

Biking along the paved pathway above Beaverdam Flats

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park

 

Glenbow Ranch is located on the North Shore of the Bow River between Calgary and Cochrane.  While not exactly a hike within the city limits, it is definitely closer for those in North West Calgary than Fish Creek Provincial Park would be.  To fully appreciate the park you will have to hike down towards the river which means descending a large hill and climbing it again to reach your car.  There are no hikes in this park that get around this hill unfortunately. 

Many of the trails are paved but there are plenty of natural options as well.  The Tiger Lilly Loop is our family favourite.  For more information, stop in at the Visitor Centre located beside the parking lot.  Park Staff are always happy to answer questions, bring out a map, and tell you about the park's fascinating ranching history.

Glenbow Ranch in Spring

Fall at Glenbow Ranch

 

Big Hill Springs Provincial Park

 

While not exactly within the city limits, this provincial park is only a half hour drive or so from the NW edge of Calgary and is 20 minutes from Cochrane.  For those of us in the north part of the city, it's closer than Fish Creek in the south.  Therefore it needs to be included in this list of awesome family hikes in (and near) Calgary.

The special thing about this park is that it features a large spring and several small waterfalls that flow year-round.  Children will have fun playing in the ponds, waterfall pools, and creek flowing through the area so make sure you bring rubber boots.  While there are no fire pits here, there are a few picnic tables at the base of the spring so you can set up camp here for a few hours while the kids run up and down the trail past the various pools.  There is a loop hike of about 3km  that takes your through a forest en route to the spring at the bottom.

Big Hill Springs

One of the waterfalls at Big Hill Springs

 

Fish Creek Provincial Park

For families living in South Calgary, this provincial park is an amazing place to explore, and is fully within the city limits.

Highlights include 66 kilometres of paved pathways, 33 kilometres of granular pathways (great for introducing the children to easy mountain biking,) and nearly 20 kilometres of designated singletrack trails for mountain biking or hiking.

Sikome Lake in Summer

Fish Creek is also home to Calgary's only public beach with warm water for swimming in the summer. Sikome Lake has day use admission fees.

We also like visiting the Fish Creek Mountain Bike Skills Park located at the bottom of Bow Bottom Trail.

And no visit to Fish Creek would be complete without a stop at Annie's for ice-cream, located near the Bow Valley Ranch.

Biking at the Fish Creek Mountain Bike Skills Park

Resources

 

All City of Calgary Parks

The City of Calgary's pathways and bikeways map, available as a print or electronic copy.  There's also an interactive online version and an I-phone app.

Recommended Reading:  Calgary's Best Walks 35 Brand New Urban Jaunts And Nature Strolls