Blaze Your Trail: Backyard City Secrets

Do the math: Canada’s longest web of continual city paths, totaling 460 km (Calgary), plus the largest urban green space and parks system in North America (Edmonton). To sum it up, you’ve got vibrant, easily accessed, urban outdoors you just can’t find in other cities.

Unless you’re talking about Red Deer, which is smack dab between Calgary and Edmonton and has its own remarkable parkland and pathways.

Whether you’re a visitor to the cities or a resident, there’s abundant green on your doorstep. And there’s often a café or bakery or coffee joint nearby, where you can enjoy big city amenities, even while exploring big country.

With autumn comes that flare of colours (okay, it’s brief in Alberta, so enjoy it while you can), and the coming dip in temperatures makes the climate perfect for outdoor forays.

So it’s possible to have your own urban escape without venturing beyond city limits. We’ll tell you how. Discover routes to walk, bike and hike in both cities (including some secret favourites).

Calgary Adventures

My favorite urban trail adventure in Calgary is the northwest Bowmont Park. Perfect for a mini-vacation from the whirl of the city. Walk just a few metres from the sidewalk, stride up a grassy knoll and, hey, you’re almost Thoreau.

(Warning: the next few minute’s reading is about Bowmont, so if this park doesn’t interest you, scroll a ways down the page!)

At Bowmont Park, you get steep and deep if you want it, for hiking, biking or just meandering. You can spend hours or minutes, wading through high grasses that brush your elbows, or strolling along marked and manicured walkways. You decide what activity and exertion you bring to Bowmont; it accommodates all levels of fitness.

Want water? There’s a lengthy, paved pathway along the Bow River, popular with cyclists, walkers and runners, where you can meander down to the water’s edge and skip some stones while watching drift boats float lazily.

I love the opportunity to let my dog Homer run free in the off leash areas. Did I mention that Calgary has more than 100 off leash parks?

A Few Bowmont Facts:

• A great location for either hiking or mountain biking, the Park includes escarpments, rolling hills and many fantastic views.
• Historians believe it’s the location where David Thomson of the Hudson Bay Company negotiated with the Peigan Tribe in the late 1700s.
• Bowmont Park is a part of the city’s river park system, and stretches over 165 acres on the north bank of the Bow River.
• Though Bowmont stretches some four kilometres, there are plenty of side-trips and detours so you can tailor it to your ideal length and duration.
  

Try the One Hour Special

Our usual route starts near our Varsity neighborhood, at 40th Avenue and Varsity Road, though a popular starting-off point is the intersection of Scenic Bow Road and 85th Street NW. From our drop-off point, heading west, there’s an easy walk through the hills, then down to the river to the paved pathway that you can take to the east.

After passing the quarry to the left, you head up a steep escarpment, featuring a spectacular view, before resuming your journey, heading north along the paved pathway. The entire journey can be completed in under an hour.

And if you head further west than we normally do, you’ll have a chance to take in two beautiful waterfalls.

Call in the Hired Help

No, they won’t take your walk for you, but sometimes it takes a little motivation to get off the couch and hit the trails. If that’s the case for you, you need look no further than Fit Frog Adventures.

Lori Beattie is the Queen of the Urban Hike in Calgary. She and her crew can help you choose what Calgary trails and pathways are right for you and your fitness level, and will work with you to help you achieve your goals.

Fit Frog offers many unique takes on hiking for all seasons. There are Fresh-Air Fitness City Hikes, Calgary Coffee Shop Hikes, Calgary Hiking Training and Hilly Training tours to help you get the most out of your urban adventure. Enjoy a nicely paced hike, followed by a cup of joe at one of Calgary’s nicest coffee shops, or increase your aerobic endurance by visiting the hills and trails that provide just the right slope to set your pulse racing. In a good way.

Lori’s book Calgary’s Best Hikes and Walks spent 62 weeks on the Calgary Herald’s bestseller list. I highly recommend it. (Another one of her excellent books is Calgary’s Best Bike Rides and Trails).

Beattie highlights nine of her favorite hikes on her Fit Frog website, though many more are outlined in her book. Here’s a sneak peek of her recommendations (we’ve linked below to some City of Calgary web pages):

Sandy Beach and River Park in the Southwest

Starting out from 50th Avenue SW, just past the 14A Street intersection, this hike offers a great chance to explore the Elbow River Valley, with plenty of hills adding a “wow” factor. Great views of the Elbow River and the city’s core abound.

And after you’re done…why not try the highly recommended java and home-baked goodies at Bell’s Bookstore and Cafe (14th Street and 34th Avenue SW)?

For anyone interested in training, Beattie recommends the Riley Park/Crescent Heights loop at 8th Avenue and 12th Street NW. The stairs near Prince’s Island offer an ambitious workout, and the flowers and natural beauty of Riley Park are a nice counterpoint to the great city view.

Beattie recommends an easterly route that takes you towards 10th Street after you leave the parking lot at 8th Avenue. After crossing and going under the LRT tracks, continue to 7A Street, where you’ll head east again on Crescent Road. After working your way through the hillside, you’ll be able to test your mettle on the infamous stairs. You can head back from whence you came, or do a leisurely return stroll through Kensington and Riley Park.

Other Trails to Try

Other trails definitely worth checking out either on foot or on mountain bike include the 12 Mile Coulee, Griffith Woods (the latest area in Calgary to be deemed a Natural Environment Park), Nose Hill Park, one of the largest natural environment parks in an urban centre in North America, Fish Creek Park and North Glenmore Park and Weaselhead. For those hoofing it, the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary is a great choice.

The City of Calgary has a map you can download that lists all of Calgary’s pathways and bikeways – plus smaller maps that you can view for particular areas.

This list of favorite bike paths also has some nice tips on where to hit the trail in Calgary. Remember to wear a helmet and when you’re on the pathway, ring that bell! The bike paths will take you past Calgary Zoo, the Bow River and the city’s grassy nooks and crannies. In Prince’s Island Park at the city’s centre, just within walking (or cycling) distance to the downtown core, you can stop for lunch or shop at the Eau Claire Market.

Finally, if you’re into mountain biking in the city, check out Canada Olympic Park, which is a full-service, lift-access mountain bike park. The park features freeride, downhill, single-track, dirt jump and stunt park areas for all abilities.

Edmonton Adventures

In Edmonton, the greenery stretches over 28 km on both sides of the North Saskatchewan River. In the fall, the scenery is stunning. You can ride your bicycle in safety along 225 km of designated bikeways. Like Calgary, Edmonton boasts a well-developed trail/pathway system that is ideally suited to both hikers and cyclists.

A good place to start is with the River Valley Park system. In many ways, it’s the one-stop-shopping of biking, hiking, blading and walking in Edmonton. Since it covers 7,400 hectares, there’s no shortage of space. There’s an excellent map for download that lists all the city’s trails, plus some helpful rules of the road. Er, trail.

Featuring 22 different parks spread over more than 150 km of trails, the River Valley offers many opportunities to explore the city under your own steam, and escape from the daily grind. And with the longest interlinked recreational parkland areas in North America, Edmontonians have earned their bragging rights. The North Saskatchewan River provides a spectacular backdrop for many of these routes.

Mountain bikes are allowed on all of Edmonton’s trails. As for the 450 kilometres of unimproved trails…well, as long as the trail’s wider than the handlebars of your bike, you are good to go!

Choose Your Jumping-Off Point

When it comes to walking, biking, hiking and blading Edmonton’s River Valley Parkway, the key is choosing your jumping-off point. Many recommend starting at one of the larger parks – say, Hawrelak, Rundle or Kinsmen. There are lots of amenities at these locations to help make the journey more enjoyable.

And while many hikers and walkers may confine their urban adventure to just one park, cyclists can continue on through the network of parks as long as the spirit moves them.

The River Valley Parkway begins with Terwillegar Park in the southwest, and winds its way throughout the city of Edmonton to Millcreek Ravine Park in the southeast.

For those on a mountain bike, Kinsmen Park is recommended as a great place to get started, since it’s near the centre of the city. One route recommended by Crazy for Cycling is to take the footbridge to the north side of the river, and follow a westerly trail up Mackinnon Ravine to 149 Street. From 142 Street you can bike Riverside and Valleyview Drives.

Kinsmen Park also provides access to Hawrelak Park, though the routes are a bit more challenging. If you take the footbridge at the south end of Hawrelak, you’ll have access to Terwillegar Park, which is a favorite location for many mountain biking fans. It also includes an off leash area that is sure to appeal to animal lovers.

Take the Challenge

Gold Bar Park features a number of challenging mountain bike trails. It also has a following in the winter, when its 7 km of cross-country ski trails prove a popular destination for many Edmontonians. Located at the east end of the city, near 50th Street, the hills and valleys provide a welcome challenge for both hikers and bikers.

There’s a bridge connection from Gold Bar to Rundle Park, where you can continue on your journey through the pathway system.

The experts at Canada Trails recommend biking at Terwillegar, Gold Bar and Hermitage, plus a loop from the Strathcona area of Kinsmen Park heading east.

Though spring, summer and fall offer optimum opportunities for recreational activities, there’s also cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and skating in the River Valley in the winter months, so don’t despair.

An online listing of favorite Edmonton bike paths is a good place to start planning your next urban trail adventure.

Discover Walking Tours

For those who prefer a slightly more sedate pace, walking tours offer a great chance to learn more about the city you call home. In Calgary, the Stephen Avenue Historical Walking Tour offers you a chance to see the city's core from a completely different perspective. Download the tour and do it on your own time, at your own pace.

For as little as $10 for adults, $6 for kids, take a two-hour guided tour of Edmonton’s River Valley or Old Strathcona areas. You can also get a 66-page guide, Tour of the Historic Strathcona District, to help you get the most out of your adventure.

Don't wait - explore Edmonton and Calgary's many backyard city secrets today! Go on, get your walking shoes, hiking boots, rollerblades or bike ready to tour the urban trails!

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