Travel In-town: Picturesque Parks (North side)
Calgary has hundreds of parks run by Calgary Parks & Recreation (268-1304). Here are the most popular ones on the North part of the city
(see South side parks). Most of these parks are accessible by car or by bike path
( Parks maps: Downtown
| NE | NW | SE | SW )
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Bowness Park (NW)
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48 Ave @ 86 Street in Bowness
This park is best known as a starting point for Bow River rafters, as well as summer barbecues and baseball. It is also the best location spot for outdoor ice-skating with its frozen lagoon and winding creekbeds.
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Edworthy Park (NW, SW)
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From the north: south of 16 Ave NW @ Shaganappi Trail
From the South: Bow Tr to 46 St SW, just east of Sarcee Tr SW
Edworthy is popular spot for its barbecue pits and its bike path access. On hot days, there's an ice cream vendor on one or both sides of the Bow River. In summertime, the hills around the park make for challenging mountainbiking, in the winter time you can toboggan down the ramp. This park is also a popular Bow River rafting start or stop-off point (be sure to wear a life jacket).
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Shouldice Park (NW)
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Home Road, south of 16th Ave NW
This park is famous for its ball diamonds, batting cages, football fields and soccer pitches. Great for playing or watching. There's also Shouldice Pool (indoor) on one side.
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Prince's Island (SW, Downtown)
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From the North: Memorial Dr @ 3 St NW
From the South: Anywhere beside Eau Claire
Walk, bike or blade along the Bow River, people-watch from a park bench, or join a game of frisbee. Princes Island is the finishing point for most Bow River rafters. This park on the edge of downtown is very popular at lunch. Refreshments can be had at Eau Claire Market.
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St. George's Island (SE, NE)
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From the North: Memorial Dr @12 Street NE (Zoo LRT & parking)
From the South: 9 Ave SE to 12 St, north across bridge from Inglewood
This park in the middle of the Bow River is popular for picnics and barbecues. Its a short walk from Inglewood and Bridgeland (with its LRT stop) and the east end of the island has a Zoo entrance. Great view of downtown and Fort Calgary.
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Riley Park (NW)
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5 Ave between 10 St and 12 St (go into any sreet north of 5th)
This green space north of Kensington was donated to the city by Louise Riley for the benefit of cricket players. On the hilly northern edge of the park is a beautiful rock garden (popular for wedding photos) and a children's wading pool. This is a popular place to devour the products from Kensington's ice cream and coffee shops.
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Confederation Park (NW)
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10 St North, between 23 Ave and Rosehill Dr NW
This hilly and well manicured park is nestled among a series of golf courses on the city's north side. It is a popular spot for secluded picnics and for wedding photos. In the wintertime, see the huge Christmas lights display on the west side of 14 Street SW.
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Nose Creek
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This park runs along the bike pathway from the Bow River (by the Zoo) up
towards Nose Hill Park. It winds past golf courses, though open fields and picnic
areas.
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Nose Hill Park (NW)
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14 St N, about 1 mile (1.5 km) north of John Laurie Blvd
This large park, overlooking the city from the north, is a natural area with virgin shortgrass prairie. Its a natural for prairie dogs, so keep your dogs on a leash. You can mountain bike here, but only on marked trails.
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Bow River Pathway
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(Maps: NW, SW, Downtown, NE, SE)
This bike path is popular with cyclists, runners, and inline skaters. The pathway runs from beyond Bowness Park in the Northwest along the Bow River past Shouldice and Edworthy, to the center of town at Prince's Island, and then east to Fort Calgary (connecting to the Elbow River Pathway), past the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, and then south to Fish Creek Park. This pathway is generally flat with minor hills.
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Continue with South side parks...
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