What a nice park! I have gone there in winter time but this was my first time in spring. It's a…read morebeautiful place and it attracts a lot of people and runners. We had a long walk and enjoyed the weather, beauty of the park and people's energy! It's a great place for walking your dog too. I enjoyed my walk and I'm sure I'll go back there for walking again!

Maybe it's being close to the whitemud equestrian centre (after all I'm a farm kid lost in the big…read morecity) but I really enjoy the layout of the surrounding park area. The closeness to the river let's you enjoy the sound of water plus the trees and birds while drowning out the busy main roads that run past. If you have the ability to hike into other parks, I'd highly suggest taking a few hours and bring a picnic with you. It's well worth the time to loop around the river valley in a circle and enjoy a picnic at the end. Lots of randomly placed picnic areas and benches throughout. Some areas more accessible than others. If you're looking for scenic area that has a flatter path to start improving your waking distance, I'd suggest this as one of the better places in the city. I also see a lot of parents helping their kids ride bikes along the paved road over the years. Smaller parking lot at the front but that takes you directly to the main paved path which makes sense why it fills up on the nice days. If you keep driving along the loop, you'll find a few more additional parking spots. Under the bridge might be a different park but allows access to parking too. I believe there's access to a stairwell on that side (but that's the last thing I'd go looking for with my bad knees!). Newer bathroom facility that even has a bottle filing area inside. No more need to desperately try and fit your reusable bottle under the tap of warm water. If you go over the grassy hill (opposite of the path) there are outdoor arenas and further along the gravel road, the newly built equestrian arena and horse pens. There's usually a fruit stand parked on the corner during summer, which is nice to grab a snack if you're sitting outside enjoying the sun. In summer you'll also see horse trailers lined up along the grass area & dirt road. As they hold shows at this location, it can get quite busy. Signs are posted for the events well in advance, just in case you wish to walk where there's less people around. Please do remember to keep dogs on leashes and bells working on your bikes (on and off the main path), as horse riders share the paths too. It really is wonderful to see so many ages and levels of physical activity enjoying one area of the river valley. Now thinking about it more, this is probably why I find myself revisiting this park at least several times from spring to fall.

A relaxing and discreet Clothing Optional corner of Alberta, Canada's North Saskatchewan River…read more Shared respectfully be Albertan Naturalists. Cottontail corner is a half an hour hike from the public beach to a serene rocky beach. Perfect for peeling your clothes off and plunking a lawn chair down and enjoying nature as it was intended!

My entire family Absolutely LOVES CottonTail Corner! My young daughter loves playing in the mud…read moreand my wife and I enjoy the sounds of nature while we get rid of any tan lines in this gem of a clothing optional area. Only 20 minutes out of the city of Edmonton too! And they have a site on Facebook as well.

Idc wat anyone says. That was the best accident anyone could have expierenced im this city of ours…read more A beach smack dab in the middle of our river right near the downtown core. Life was very grande with that occurrence. My kids loved it, was am easy after skool trip during the week . i have zero complaints at all. I do wonder is it still there? Can we still go there?

Glad I was able to check out this potentially temporary beach! We missed the main entrance but we…read morefound a secondary one that isn't as easy to use but it did the trick. We ended up on the eastern end of the beach. The sand is quite nice around there. I saw some people had a volleyball net set up and once you comb the same for rocks and branches it was perfect for volleyball. The day we went was really windy so playing would be somewhat difficult. In the middle of the beach there's a rocky section which had more litter then other areas. I saw a family picking up some litter to keep the 'park' as clean as possible. I also saw some rock gardens previous beachcombers had created including a cluster in inukshuks that mimicked the city scape behind it. Close to the main entrance to the beach (the carved out stairs) there is a really nice sandy beach. The sand is quite fine grain that it packs hard but is still really nice on the feet. It's also raised from the river but it's closest to the construction dam that allowed this beach to exist. Now regarding the water... the rivers edge appeared to be clean and the water was quite nice but I've heard without a lot of rain recently there could be some unappealing bacteria in the water. There was a section of still water that had come off the river and it definitely had an odor that told you not to go there.

This summer 2024 been there 4 times huge get together, swim floating, snacks , the kiddos make a…read moreday of it nobody burgers u or we all socialize love it!

It was better before the big slab of concrete was put in. But you know city and park planners. They…read moredon't leave the office much and it all looks good on paper? ‍

I would say this is the best dog park in the city! I love the trails and I always enjoy going for a…read morewalk there. My most favourite time is fall. Also I have been exploring all different trails not just the big loop. If you would like to walk your dog or just enjoy nature for about an hour, this is a good place to go to! :)

This place is great because it is so big and people have enough space to be able to walk around. I…read morewent on Friday with the doggies and thankfully there was a lot of space. I will say that I didn't expect there to be so many people - so something to be mindful of, although it's not hard to have space. There is a trail that goes in a circle right around the park, I find that is a great place to start! It's a great place for doggies to come and get some socialization. They have a treat truck as well that is out for snacks.

Rundle Park is far from the closest river valley park to my home, but it's one that I frequent…read moreoften. Why? Disc golf! Rundle Park has the largest and most well-used disc golf course in Edmonton, and is home to Edmonton's disc golf league. For those that aren't familiar with disc golf, it's similar to traditional golf, in that you start at a tee, but the goal is to throw discs into baskets instead of hitting balls into holes. Disc golf has ramped up popularity since Covid restrictions were introduced, as it's an easy outdoor sport that has no green fees and allows for social distancing. I've played the course at Rundle many times and I still find it challenging. Some of the holes are fairly long, and have hazards like water or hills to keep you on your toes. Compared to the other courses I have played, Rundle could do a better job with signage to help players find the next hole, as some of the holes criss-cross each other a bit. The bathrooms in the family centre are open daily, and there are plenty of parking spots. Aside from disc golf, Rundle is huge. I've attended 5k races here, and they easily can stay within the park. There are playgrounds, and numerous picnic sites. On a recent Sunday, the park was full of people setting up makeshift picnic sites in the grass, and all the city-run picnic spots were fully of families. I will note that the mini-golf is no longer open, even though there are a few painted signs remaining in the park. Rundle is a wonderful place in the city to spend time with family and friends, and a perfect picnic destination.

LOVE me some Rundle Park…read more When I first moved to Canada, from Seattle, 14 years ago our townhouse was across the street. Now, the area is a bit rough but that's not Rundle Park's fault. The park itself is MASSIVE and contains the ACT pool, the clubhouse you can rent out for parties, paddle boats, lots of trails, views/access to river valley, and tennis courts open to the public for free. Not to mention the bumpy roller coaster feel of the road that will abuse your car but is oh so fun for bike riding. It's build on the old city dump so that's why the ground bubbles up all over the place! There's a golf course here though I've never had the pleasure. They also have outdoor mini golf but I've never tried that either. They also set up huge bails of hay here in the winter along the fence lines for awesome and relatively safe tobogganing! See you soon Rundle Park!

Visited River Lot 56 Nature Preserve FINALLY for the first time! There are multiple trail loops…read moresuitable for a 20 minute stroll or an hour long hike with a few hills. There are signs identifying animals and trees throughout. You can forage highbush cranberries into fall (super juicy and plentiful right now). Watch out for gopher holes - I'd be nervous to twist my ankle if running but the kids loved "fishing" for gophers, lol. We caught a frog and hunted for caterpillars. It's a great spot with arching tree lined trails for fall photos, too. In the winter, they maintain the trails here! Might be the perfect place to try out snowshoeing locally! I can't wait to go back! PS there is parking and it's located 1 minute south on Poundmaker's Road just a few blocks after Sir Winston Churchill ends (St. Albert) and Sturgeon County begins.

I really enjoyed this park in the past but I have to say when you're less mobile, it does take some…read moresleuthing to figure out where to access things to get a better walk close to the ravine. Beautiful at all times of the year and one of my most favourite winter events is held within this park. Being that I live decently close to this park, I was surprised the 3 access points to this park I've encountered were all massive stairs but none of them had signs for any options for accessible routes. Lovely benches always nearby the top of the stairs which I've enjoyed this summer and some being near smaller open parks, I've enjoyed watching the dogs. I wouldn't recommend using the stair routes unless you're looking for good cardio in your day otherwise after a long walk in the ravine, it is quite a hike back up (speaking from past experiences!). Today, I took a neighbourhood construction detour and wondered where everyone was going with bikes and dogs. It was like the whole neighbourhood was outside! I smartly followed the dog walkers and biker groups. Finally, flatter trails and easier slope access points to the park were wonderfully revealed. There's cement paths on the upper portions of millcreek and more gravel and dirt paths on the lower levels. Some beautiful places for photos - tons of people out there today for family and engagement photos with the beautiful fall colours and the lovely bridges. I really like millcreek ravine due to the mix use. There's a good mix of on and off leash trails for dog walkers. Good trails for all sorts of bikes. Decent paved trails for young families. Nice variation of walking paths for various fitness levels. Lovely way to connect with nature without driving out of the city. I do have to say with everyone outside, I was surprised that I was one of the few with a mask on in the park. Some areas the trails are so narrow, you're almost shoulder to shoulder passing by. The path I ended on was going in the direction of the pool but due to my limited walking distance stamina, I turned around way before reaching that. Had a great but unexpected chat with friends on my way back to my vehicle which of course was much closer than I actually thought (it's easy to loose track of how far you've gone so good to remember to charge up your phone before going into the ravine so you can check distances/path maps).

It's kinda my Go-To because it's close by. Endless trails…read more Sometimes they are mucky. If you don't like dogs, stay off the lower South trail that allows off leash access. There is one porta potty in the parking lot beside the Mill Creek pool turnoff. Lots of cyclists. Most of them use their bells to give you heads up. Some will shout..."On your left!'... I shout back, "I doubt that, pal. I voted NDP". I can walk 10 km through this park which gives me a pretty nice, safe workout. I also stop and smell the roses.

It is a nice place for city apartment dwellers to see a few man made lakes and bike paths. Plenty…read moreof parking. But I have found it always too busy, too many people. Some people fishing. What is worse is the goose poop that is everywhere, and you cannot avoid stepping on it. Forget about sitting on the grass! The city should intervene. Lots of people honking their car horns to lock their doors which takes away from the ambience (people are very inconsiderate these days). For a better experience get out of the city.

Hermitage Park is an urban outdoor lover's paradise. The paved trail that runs through it is…read moreperfect for biking, hiking, and rollerblading. Dog lovers will enjoy the hug off-leash area. The park is picturesque, with several man-made lakes, including one stocked with fish. It is also close to the North Saskatchewan River. As Jeanette pointed out, there are a lot of geese here, so in some places you have to watch where you step -- but I personally think Canada geese area beautiful and it is wonderful to see so many of them at once. Hermitage is also home to the memorial for the tornado that took place in 1987. If you head south in Hermitage, you end up passing the Rundle Golf Course and eventually ending up in Rundle Park itself. To the north is a steep hill worth the climb for the incredible view. Unless you live in the north, Hermitage can be a bit of a trek to get to, but it is worth the effort.

The best Canoe trip I have had in Edmonton. It was Hastle free and fun. After sending a Twitter…read moremessage I got a link the send an email. The booking was fast and friendly. My son and I meet Canoeheads at The Sir Wilfrid Laurier Boat launch at 8 am. We road in comfort to Devon. Once in Devon. The prep of the Canoes and other boats was fast. A briefing on water safety and what sites to watch for was informative. We were on the North Saskatchewan river before 9 am ready for an active day. Once on the river I was impressed by the quality of the canoeing equipment. The padding was easy; with nice lifejackets and paddles. The canoes were great and I always felt safe. Canoeing is an activity that I enjoy but getting out is the hard part - Canoeheads made a day out on the water easy. We saw Moose, some deer, a Bald Eagle. A Muskrat and many ducks & geese were in the water that day too. It was a great trip. Along the way we tried to take the narrow passage whenever there was an island. As we canoed past the islands that is where we saw most of the wildlife BTW. Getting out at Laurier park was easy! Canoeheads met us there and we never lifted a boat all day. We cannot stress enough how easy it was to canoe in the Edmonton River valley with these guys. It was fast to book. No Hastle to get out-of-town. No cars to shuttle or pick up after spending an enjoyable day floating down the river. Honestly were were home before dinner and really enjoyed the day. Canoeheads made the trip a wonderful experience. A real top ten things to do in Edmonton. I plsn to make this a tradition and will look forward to doing a day out activity again soon. A big THANK YOU to Jason and his team. From pick up to drop off this was a summer highlight. Oh yeah, bring a camera ( in a ziplock ) and sunscreen. ...

We have used Canoeheads for the past three years to shuttle kayaks to Devon for a day trip paddle…read moreon the river to Sir Laurier park. The service is top notch. Jason and his crew are on time, he loads the kayaks for us and is friendly. He is very knowledgable about the river and it's conditions. Takes time to answer any questions. I appreciate this since the river conditions can change in hours. His rates are extremely fair. We will continue to use this service.