Parks & Gardens

Bowmont Park -- Wildlife and rare plant species abound in this 383-acre park in the city's NW. Running along the bank of the Bow River between Home Road and Nose Hill Drive, Bowmont is cleaved by three major ravines with deep forestation, as well as grassy slopes. Access: Silver Valley Blvd. NW or Silver Crescent Dr. NW.

Bowness Park -- Bowness (8900 8th Ave. NW) became a civic park well over a century ago, and families still flock to it as a favorite picnic spot. A lagoon offers the opportunity to rent canoes and paddleboats; in winter, it's an ice rink (boat and skate rentals are available at the Parkside Café, in the park; tel. 403/286-8668).The park is also the starting point for the annual Calgary River Raft Race (www.calgaryriverraftrace.com) every August. A nice, hot day sees thousands of spectators on the banks as racers, in any manner of homemade flotation device, vie for the finish line as they drift through downtown to Prince's Island Park.

Carburn Park and Beaverdam Flats -- Along the east shoreline of the Bow River, on either side of the loud, multilane Glenmore Trail, are lagoons, hiking paths, and picnic facilities. Great blue heron, osprey, and kingfishers can all be found filling up on fish here. The paved pathway around the lagoon, at 3km (1.8 miles), is a favorite for in-line skaters. 62nd Ave. and 16th St. SE.

Edworthy Park -- Just west of downtown, Edworthy sits on the south shore of the Bow River and is a popular spot for kids. Inside the park is the Douglas Fir Trail, a short (4km/2.5-mile), delightfully un-urban hike just outside the city's heart. Here, you'll find a forested trail that winds along cliffs above the river to a stand of Douglas fir trees -- some of them more than 400 years old. Coyote, rabbits, and woodpeckers all make their home here, and deer pass through on occasion as well. Edworthy is also brimming with history: variously serving over the past few centuries as a buffalo kill site and tipi camp for Native Canadians, a commercial market garden, and a brick factory and a sandstone quarry that supplied the material for downtown's many sandstone buildings. Four playgrounds, covered cooking areas, and open-pit barbecues make modern Edworthy an ideal spot for family outings. At Bow Trail (9th Ave.) and Spruce Drive SW.

Fish Creek Provincial Park -- Fish Creek (www.tprc.alberta.ca/parks/fishcreek; tel. 403/297-5293), at the city's southern end, is the only urban provincial park in Alberta. At 1,400 hectares (3,460 acres) it's also among the largest urban parks in all of North America. Fish Creek hosts about 2 million visitors every year, many of them drawn to the 50km (31 miles) of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Simone Lake offers swimming, and the park contains a historic site as well, the restored 1800s Bow Valley Ranch House.

Two river valleys -- the Bow and Fish Creek -- intersect here, making the park abundant in bird life. Mule and whitetail deer roam free as well; muskrat, beaver, weasels, and coyotes are also abundant. The park's varied habitat explains why: West of Macleod Trail, the valley walls are heavily forested with spruce and balsam trees; East of Macleod, the valley broadens into the open basin of the Bow Valley. Fish Creek itself is a spawning stream for rainbow trout.

The park's cultural resources run deep, particularly regarding the history of the Aboriginal peoples in the region and the ranchers who came to displace them. You'll find ancient tipi rings and buffalo jump sites at the western end of the park. Shaw's Woolen Mill site is near the center, and ranch sites are at either end. An archaeological interpretive center provides a wealth of information dating back 8,000 years.

The park opens every day at 8am, and closes at dusk. The Bow Valley Ranch visitor center (Mon-Fri 8:15am-4:30pm) provides maps and information on various sites in the park. Here, you can also join walking tours or slide presentations from park staff interpreters. Maps and information can also be found at the Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre (tel. 403/297-7827; Mon-Fri 8:15am-4pm). Bow Bottom Trail will take you to the east entrance, and the Bow Valley Ranch visitor centre, 37th St. SW at 146th Ave. SW, will take you to the park's west entrance and the Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre.

Glenmore Park, Glenmore Reservoir, and Weaselhead Flats -- The Glenmore Reservoir is the source of many Calgarians' drinking water, and a strict no-swimming law is closely observed. However, there are still many opportunities for recreation on or around the water. Glenmore Park, at the south end of Crowchild Trail SW, surrounds the reservoir on the north and south shores. It has cycling paths and tennis courts, as well as ample green space. On the north shore you'll find the members-only Calgary Rowing Club (tel. 403/249-2880; www.calgaryrowingclub.com), which has some lessons and public programs, and the Calgary Canoe Club (tel. 403/246-5757; www.calgarycanoeclub.com), which rents canoes on the reservoir for C$30/day (C$20 for a half-day). On the south side of the reservoir is the Glenmore Sailing Club (tel. 403/238-2044; www.glenmoresailingclub.com), which operates a sailing school. It's also members-only, but some public programming is available.

At the south end of the reservoir is Weaselhead Flats (www.weaselhead.org), a mostly untouched expanse of foothills wilderness abutting the Sarcee Indian Reservation to the south. A favorite for birdwatchers, there are more than 70 species to be found here. A paved bicycle path winds down into the region on its way around the reservoir, which is one of the best ways to spend an active day in the city. Glenmore Park is reached by taking Crowchild Trail S until it ends at the park entrance.

Nose Hill Park -- Just off 14th St. NW, between John Laurie Blvd. and Berkshire Blvd., is Canada's biggest chunk of natural prairie grassland -- 1,092 hectares (2,698 acres). Created in 1973, it's been left in its natural state. Native people used this for hundreds of years as a vantage point to watch the meanderings of the buffalo. Look for old tipi rings or hunt for large, smooth boulders called glacial erratics. The city skyline looms in the valley below -- a majestic urban view.

Prince's Island Park -- Food fairs, music festivals, cultural events, outdoor theater -- Prince's Island functions almost as Calgary's communal backyard. You can run, walk, or cycle here, dine at the River Café, or just lounge in the grass under the shade trees and watch the world go by. The river burbles by on both sides for a relaxing audio backdrop. You can reach the park via a footbridge either from Eau Claire Market from the south or Memorial Drive near Kensington from the north.

Stanley Park -- This park is close to downtown, nestled along the Elbow River at 42nd Ave. SW, just west of Macleod Trail. Picnic tables and barbecue pits are set in a lovely, riverfront setting. Wade in the river, cycle along the paved paths, or just lounge in the sun.