Best Trails for Hiking in Calgary

Calgary is fully of great outdoor activities including plenty of hiking trails. If you want to find the right trail for your next hiking trip, you need to know where to go. Here are a few of the best trails throughout the area.

Old Castle Lookout

Take the trail to the Castle Lookout for a view that won’t disappoint. It is a fairly easy trail at first that turns a bit more difficult towards the end. Stay with it and you will be rewarded with a view from the base of Castle Lookout, which also serves as a great place to picnic.

Nose Hill Park

Home to many different hiking trails and plenty of off-leash areas for your pets, this park is one of the best in the city. It's located off 14 Street NW and provides a great environment for those looking to spend time outside. Twelve different residential communities surround the park making it very convenient for anybody living close by.

Lake Agnes

For stunning views and a tasty treat, try out the Lake Agnes trail. It’s on this trail that you will see the delightful shop of the Lake Agnes Tea House, which is always a welcome treat on any hike. If you continue on this path you will see a previous Parks Canada fire lookout, which means you get a dazzling vista of the forest.

Douglas Fir Trail

Found in Edworthy Park, this trail is one of the best in the city. It's found along the Bow River and provides a great place for enjoying wildlife and the large Douglas-fir trees. These gravel and dirt trails provide you with plenty of great hiking, along with beautiful views of the Bow River Valley.

Whether you're looking to escape the city or you just want to enjoy walking the trails, you can any time the park is open, free of charge. It's closed in the winter, however, so be prepared to make plans for spring, summer, or fall.

Larch Valley (Near Lake Louise)

A favourite pastime for fall lovers is looking for Larch trees. They are the only coniferous tree that sheds its needles the way regular trees shed their leaves, which means the Larch tree will change to a vibrant golden hue. Larch Valley is the ultimate place to be in the fall if you wish to see this display of beautiful trees.

Fish Creek Provincial Park

As one of the largest urban parks in Canada, hikers can come out and enjoy the many pathways and the single-track trail. These pathways and trails run throughout the entire park with the Bow River close by. Many picnic sites are found throughout the park and you can spend plenty of time enjoying the outdoors as you hike through the park.

Other than its miles of trails, visitors can use the boat launch ramp from April to October to enjoy the water, spend time at one of the five picnic sites, enjoy the fire pits or swim at the Sikome aquatic facility from June 15th to September 2nd. The Ranche Restaurant is also located within the park and provides regional cuisine for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Another dining option found within the park is Annie's Bakery & Cafe, which features homemade soups, sandwiches, desserts and coffee.

Glenbow Ranch

Enjoy beautiful vistas along the Bow River Valley by hiking through this park. They are a total of nine trails all with gorgeous views that Autumn has to offer. You can go on foot or participate in a golf cart tour.

Burstall Pass Trail

This trail is gorgeous any time of the year, but Autumn lovers will really enjoy the views in the fall. You can catch the wide array of views including the beautiful mountain views.

These are just a few of the best places for hiking. Many of the parks in Calgary provide great hiking trails for those looking to enjoy the outdoors. The city is full of great parks and the ones listed above are known as some of the best by locals.