Calgary enjoys the most extensive network of urban pathways and trails of any city in North America. As shared on the city’s website, Calgary is home to 1000 km of regional pathways and 96 km of maintained trails. With this in mind, it’s not hard to find beautiful parks in Calgary for a nice stroll or scenic bike ride.
As a Calgarian who has lived in all 4 quadrants of the city, here are some of my favourite parks in Calgary to go for a walk or ride organized by region.
Jump to a specific region of Calgary:
NW Parks in Calgary
Bowness Park / Baker Park
Bowness and Baker Parks sit either side of the Bow River on the west side of Calgary. The two parks are connected by the Stoney Trail pedestrian bridge and the 85th Street NW Bridge which create a nice loop to walk.
Bowness Park offers additional amenities such as the Bowness lagoon which offers boat (paddle boat, kayak, and canoe) rentals during the summer and skating during the winter. Baker Park has a disc gold course that is free to access (just bring your own discs). Both parks offer picnic sites.
The pathways along the river on both Bowness Park and Baker’s Park sides connect to the Trans-Canada Trail as well as other bikeways and pathways in the area.
Edworthy Park
Edworthy Park sits at the south end of Shaganappi Trail NW, but the majority of the parkland is on the southside of the Bow River. This park offers lush wilderness, picnic sites, and connects to the Trans-Canada trail for cyclists, runners, and others to enjoy.
Check out the Christmas Tree Trail, the Douglas Fir Trail, or climb the hill for a view of the city. Grab something to eat of drink at Angel’s Café on the northside of the river. You may even try geocaching — a fun activity that can be done in any of Calgary’s parks.
Nose Hill Park
One of the most notable natural landmarks in the north of Calgary is Nose Hill. Rising above the surrounding landscape, Nose Hill park is one of the best parks in Calgary for walking, biking or even urban hiking. This 11 square kilometre park is the second largest in the city, after Fish Creek Park in the south.
Nose Hill Park has its own network of trails that visitors can navigate to create their own route. As well, there are multiple designated off-leash areas. If you bring your dog, make sure to follow the designated areas, pick up after them, and only allow them off-leash if they have strong, reliable recall. Many wild animals make Nose Hill there home, so there is a high possibility of coming across deer, coyotes, and other animals.
There are many different parking lots available, making the park accessible from Shaganappi Trail, 14th Street NW, John Laurie Boulevard and MacEwan Glen neighbourhood.
NE Parks in Calgary
West Nose Creek/Confluence Park
West Nose Creek, also called Confluence Park, is found in the central north region of Calgary, just a few blocks east of Centre Street. The park borders Deerfoot Trail (Highway 2) to the east and Beddington Trail to the south.
The Nose Creek parkway winds through West Nose Creek Park, following the West Nose Creek to its confluence with Nose Creek. The Nose Creek Pathway can be followed south all the way to the Bow River. The park is known for its glacial erratic, “Split Rock,” as well as its ideal beaver habitat. It is a nice, natural area to walk through during the day or evening, or can be part of a cycling route along Nose Creek.
Laycock Park
Laycock Park lies south of West Nose Creek Park, connected by the Nose Creek pathway. This park is bound by Deerfoot Trail to the east and 64 Ave NE to the north. It is a small park with two baseball diamonds, an off-leash dog park area and a children’s playground.
Laycock Park is a nice spot to go for a stroll near Nose Creek and maybe catch sight of a beaver. We used to live in this area and walked here regularly. There was a beaver dam we watched for regular progress on our evening walks through the park.
Central Calgary Parks
Pearce Estates Park
Pearce Estates Park is found at the bend of the Bow River where Harvie Passage attracts whitewater enthusiasts. The park is near the trendy neighbourhood of Inglewood, and can be combined with a walk around the Confluence area. Schools might visit the Bow Habitat Station and Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery in the park.
In the summers, it is common to see families enjoying the calm eddy at Barley Point to wade in the water, while thrill seekers practice their whitewater skills upstream. I prefer walking from Pearce Estates to the Confluence or Prince’s Island Park for a 10 km loop. However, with many trails and options to choose from, it is easy to create the perfect walk. Keep your eyes open for wildlife. Visitors will likely see waterfowl like ducks and geese. I have also seen beavers in the slower waters near St. Patrick’s Island.
Prince’s Island Park and St. Patrick Island (the Confluence)
Prince’s Island and St. Patrick Island parks sit along the Bow River adjacent to Calgary’s downtown core. These parks are great for Calgarians who live downtown, but they are also beautiful areas to visit if you live in the suburbs. The Confluence (formerly Fort Calgary) sits on the south bank of the river across from St. Patrick’s Island. Altogether, these three areas provide a fantastic place to walk, bike, or skate. I sometimes combine a walk in this area with Pearce Estates Parks which is accessible if you cut through a small section of Inglewood.
St. Patrick’s Island Park sits at a very geographically unique point in the city as it sits right at the confluence of the Elbow and Bow Rivers, Calgary’s most significant water sources. Half of the island is accessible to the public, with walking and bike paths, a boardwalk through the wetland, and an area to safely wade in the water. The other half if home to part of the Calgary Zoo, which sits on both St. Patrick’s Island and the adjacent north shore of the Bow River.
Prince’s Island Park, about a kilometre upstream of St. Patrick’s Island, is central hub for downtown Calgary. Its grassy fields are used in the summers for picnics and community events such as outdoor yoga. It also hosts Calgary’s Canada Day celebrations and Folk Festival. In the winter, visitors can cross country ski, ice skate, or play crokicurl. It is connected to the surrounding Trans-Canada pathway and other local paths via the Bow River Pathway bridges.
SW Parks in Calgary
Griffith Woods
Griffith Woods is a natural environment park on the SW border between Calgary and Tsuut’ina land. The Elbow River acts as a natural boundary for the south end of the park. A walk through Griffith Woods feels like a stroll through the forest — not just a path in a city park. It’s location and tree coverage makes visitors feel like they’ve left the city.
Walk from the parking lot west to the wetlands or east to the stormwater retention pond. The park is home to diverse wildlife and its location on the edge of the city means it is more common to see large mammals like deer and moose. It is even possible to see bears, so take general precautions and most importantly pack out any garbage so animals are not attracted to the area for an easy lunch.
The City of Calgary has a self-guided walk published and connected to Google Maps for those interested in learning more about the wildlife and features of the park. Cyclists can access the area through pathways along 69 Street SW or connect to the nearby Rotary-Mattamy Greenway.
North Glenmore Park and Weaselhead Flats
The Glenmore Reservoir offers a beautiful place to walk or cycle in South Calgary. North Glenmore Park sits just south of Lakeview, near the junction between Crowchild Trail and Glenmore Trail SW. It offers many picnic sites, playgrounds, BBQ stands and fire pits, as well as access to the Glenmore Pathway and Weaselhead Flats Natural Environment Park.
The Glenmore Pathway circumnavigates the reservoir, with a connection through Eagle Ridge to bypass Heritage Park. This pathway is great for cyclists, but longer than most walkers would be interested in. Weaselhead Flats, on the other hand is espcially nice to walk in, as the natural park has many possible paths leading through the area.
SE Parks in Calgary
Fish Creek Park
Fish Creek Park is the largest park in Calgary, and classified as a Provincial Park. It extends across southern Calgary. Although the majority of the park falls in the southeast, there is also parkland in the southwest.
Fish Creek has 13 distinct Day Use areas, 3 Group Areas, a visitors centre and other amentities. It is a cyclists dream with multiple paved paths crossing through the park. The Trans-Canada Pathway cuts through the park running north to south and intersects with the Rotary-Mattamy Greenway in Cranston. Those interested in mountain biking can access the skills park near Burnsmead Day Use.
Visitors can also enjoy other activities such as birding, fishing, boating, picnicking, walking, swimming, and cross country skiing or snoeshoeing in the winter. I have spent lots of time walking around the Glennfield and Votier’s Flats areas. I also Mallard Point, which seemed to be quieter than the other spaces. The visitor’s centre is located at Bow Valley Ranch at the south end of Bow Bottom Trail.
Sue Higgins Park
Sue Higgins is known for having the largest fenced, off-leash dog park in Calgary. In the park, visitors can see Deux Chiens Assis, two bronze statues crafted in the late 1800s by a French artist. These statues were moved here from the Devonian Gardens.
It is also a great place to see ducks, woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds, geese, and more. The park sits along the bank of the Bow River and includes some marsh land which is suitable habitat for amphibians and beavers as well as waterfowl.
Cyclists may make Sue Higgins a stopping point along the Trans-Canada Pathway route, before heading further south into Fish Creek Park.
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