Okay, okay - I've done a loop of dog parks in the city. Another 9 this month, to be exact. I've…read moreseen them from Tuscany, to Falconridge, to Auburn Bay to Oakridge, and back. And River Park is so far my favourite in the entire city. Granted, 10 parks doesn't mean I've seen them all. Heck no - there are 149! (Did you know that?) But... - there's a river accessible but not too close to the park for dogs that like to leap before looking (like mine) - amazing volunteers who help keep the park clean - baggies available almost all the time for when you forget yours - 3 huge garbage bins - views of downtown, river valley... ahhh... I love watching people float down the river in the summer! - tons of trees, bushes, etc. making it a really beautiful park to be in during the spring, summer and fall - no "pathways" through the park, bringing a grey area to right-of-way and safety of your pet - CLOSE TO HOME! Why did I give it 4 stars before? The parking. But, compared to other parks, it's a breeze. I'll forgive the busy parking lot from the rafters for a few weeks in the summer for all the other advantages this park brings. River Park is, hands down, the best park so far. 5 stars, no doubt in my mind. (Yelp Kicks Butt Challenge BONUS 11/10)

Of all the dog parks I've taken Miki to, this one honestly has to be my favorite. It's a very nice…read moreopen non-fenced park, with a great view of the city and the river. It's also one of the cleaner dog parks too (meaning people properly pick up after their dogs, for the most part). It's also one of the bigger off-leash areas in the city. The only downside would be the parking lot and school congestion during weekdays. However, there is plenty of parking on the street. After the May long weekend, the city installs a fountain for both people and their canine companions (which is excellent in the summer).

Old Tom Campbell had a hill, e-i-e-i-o. And on that hill there was a dog park, e-i-e-i-o. With a…read morepup woofing here and a pooch running there. Here a pup, there a pooch, everywhere a pup and pooch. Old Tom Campbell had a hill, e-i-e-i-o. Did you know there's a park on top of that hill over by the zoo and Telus Spark? I had no idea. I've driven round the bend in the road so many times, knew the hill was there, but hadn't thought to look at what's on top. Well, I discovered it today as I was out exploring. Apparently, its known as Old Tom Campbell Hill because for a good chunk of the 1900s, there was a big billboard on top of this hill for Tom Campbell Hats. Well, there's no billboard here anymore, but there is some mighty pretty grassland and a nice view of downtown. I'm a bit in love with this one pathway lined with trees. It's straight as an arrow and leads up to an interpretive area. It's just begging for a wedding on a sunny summer day when those trees are in bloom... you'd just need to keep an eye out for any extra friendly dogs ;). You could also get a pretty gnarly afternoon of tobogganing down one of the sides of the hill if there were any snow on the ground... or just enjoy the woosh on wheels. I'd say roll down it, but being an offleash dog park, I'm not sure that's the cleanest of ideas. Who knows what's hiding under some of that longer grass? April Underdog Challenge: 3/30

Just back from some good dog play at Tom Campbell's Hill (Which I would describe as being at the…read morecorner of Centre Ave (not St) and 13th ST NW). I'd discovered this lovely little park when I lived in the neighbourhood a few years ago when I didn't have dogs with me (the locals go there to watch the Stampede Fireworks, but it's relatively unknown and out of the way. More of a neighbourhood park than a destination. We had a good romp on a nice sunny but brisk Sunday morning. Super view of the city and many nice, friendly dogs and people. There's a nice gravel path all around. and you'll need to do several circles of the park to get a workout in, but on the plus side, you keep running into the same dogs over and over. Although it's not fenced, you're a long way from any streets, so unless your dog takes off down the hill and crosses Memorial Drive, which I'm told has happened once in a while. I would definitely go back.

This is a big park, maybe 4 acres. The service is dirt and pebbles at remarkably dry considering a…read morereal days. It's only a few minutes off the trans Canada Highway and you pass a lot of shops and restaurants between the freeway and here. There are garbage cans but no water. Park has a feel of the neighborhood park as people are gathering and talking and the dogs seem very chill.

We love this park, we take our pup there alot. We love that it is fenced in, and that the people…read morewho go there are always super friendly. The only complaint is that not everybody picks up after their pup. The bin is right by the main gate! It is easy to access, right on the river, and almost always lots of parking. If the lot is full it just means there are alot of dogs playing. It is their park, not ours, and my dog knows when we are headed there and becomes super excited.

I was actually trying to find the dog park in Albert Park but we never managed it, so this was one…read moreof the next closest according to the City of Calgary website. Parking is a little tough to find but we finally parked on on New St (Ave?) and that worked out fine. We saw 2 dogs when first arriving and that was it for our entire visit. There are some pluses to this park... it's near the river, so if you're not nervous about your dog and the current, would be a nice place to swim them (unfortunately, mine is 17 lbs and thinks she's stronger than she is, so if I let her to her own devices she'd be floating down the Bow in no time). It's also a little hilly and has some nice trees - I bet it's a pretty place in the summer. However, it seems that you're always too close to some sort of "danger" zone... either the street, the river or the pathway. I'm a little confused about the pathway going right through an off leash park. If a cyclist were to hit my dog, who would be the party at fault: me (and my dog) or the cyclist? All in all, I can't see this being a park I visit often. Maybe I'll try again in the summer and be a little more impressed. (Yelp Kicks Butt Challenge Places 4/10)

The park is pretty, but a dog park through a bike path seems like a bad idea. There was river…read moreaccess for the dogs to swim, but after seeing two used syringes in a 5 metre span it didn't seem safe for the dogs. It's also not at all the park in the pictures of the brown dog someone posted.

This park has the best the best view of the infamous Giant Blue Ring of any park in the city…read more.. that I know of!! And guess what! Who cares?! It still far off in the distance, super unimpressive and my eyes visibly roll every time I see it. But hey - at least, from this park, you can actually see it off in the underwhelming distance. So the Giant Blue Ring isn't the draw to the park... what is? Location, for one. But only if you live in the area, that is... West Nose Creek is just another classic example of Calgary's ability to make you go "Woh! There's a giant park here?! I never knew!" It's not the place I'd drive to if equidistance from nose hill, but if you're in need of a close place that doesn't feel like it's in the middle of the city, where you can get your space, go for a run, ride your bike, or watch your dog run for miles, West Nose Creek is a great choice. I't s a long narrow park that follows along Deerfoot Trail. There's enough space on either side of the path so you can have your space and just go for miles (or kilometres if you prefer). The signage is a little confusing as to where is and off-leash park and where isn't. If you've got a well-behaved pooch, it seems like the kind of place noone would ever give you grief for letting them run wild. Except for Bylaw maybe, but I've never seen them around here. There is a very clear off leash dog park area, that is always filled with cute little mutts of all shapes and sizes so your dog can make new friends in a closed off area without runners and cyclists

This is basically a dog park and its sectioned off from Confluence Park. Don't know why they have…read moreseparate names for it. Also these two parks share the same parking lot.

This is the closest off leash dog park to me, after extension work it's finally all open (it does…read morelook like they might still do some work or have some electrical type things to do?) the park was half closed for the longest time but now that it's open they've made from great improvements including having more garbage cans stationed throughout the park which will hopefully encourage owners to be better about cleaning up after their pets, a dog water fountain which Maverick loves, added play areas including; a bridge and walkway, hills, sand pits, and private training areas. We visit this park several times a week and really appreciate all the work that has been put into it. Maverick gives it two paws up.

This dog park has a great location right on the edge of auburn bay. It is quite busy usually but…read morethere is plenty of room for the pups to play. It also has a dog water station by the entrance which is great for those hot summer days. They have benches and fenced in areas with in the dog park so if you want to play within the park but have your dog more contained it's a great option. All in all it's a great park and great location in the Deep South.

This has got to be the best dog park in the city... beautiful scenery combined with a great…read moreoffleash area for the dogs to run and lots of benches and tables for relaxing or a pit stop to feed the kids. There are also very few traffic access points so it is nice and safe for the dogs and walkers alike. The terrain in this park is fantastically varied with lots of flats, a couple of easy rolling hills and one long steep hill taking you from the parking lot at Sandy Beach up to River Park. You can take the paved path the whole way or add some off-trail walking to increase the adventure! If you're looking for something more, there are also BBQ areas and playgrounds - a fantastic way to spend an afternoon with a group of friends. Walk, run, jog, cycle or float... this park is a must visit for anyone in Calgary, and your dogs will love it too! -- L

I really like this off-leash park!…read more The park is big, well-located, and is a nice mix of flat and hilly areas. My dog Leopold absolutely LOVES going to this park - and that makes me happy! There are always people walking with their dogs here, and everyone is really friendly. The houses on the top of the park are super nice and fancy, so it makes for nice motivational eye candy too. A favourite for us!

I really liked this off leash park, despite the fact that my dog decided today she was going to…read moreexercise her voice and, man, does it ECHO! Finding parking is a little difficult. We finally parked at the end of 9th Ave NW, at the west end of the park. It's a massive park and, the unique part, situated on a hill. Great exercise for both the human and the dog! I like that you're not always near a road and that all the houses are fenced off so you don't have to worry about a curious dog sniffing around someone's yard. Also, if you've got two people, having one at the top of the hill (especially the one at the NE corner of the park) and one at the bottom, you can tire the dog out calling her back and forth. The park was well-used and everyone was very friendly. There's also a gorgeous view of downtown and I'd love to see this park in the summer. (Yelp Kicks Butt Challenge 3/10)

I actually used to go to Dr. E.P. Scarlett and had no idea there was a dog park here (although I…read morewalked from Braeside/Pump Hill so I knew that people walked their dogs along 14th St). It's fairly small as far as dog parks go but it's really not too bad. It's got a big hill, so if you've got a dog that will fetch you could throw the ball up the hill to wear your dog out (or have one person at the top and one at the bottom, calling the dog back and forth). There are some trees, which is nice, and it's mostly fenced. Warning: towards the turnoff from Anderson on to Macleod, the fence disappears, so if your dog does know what a "street" is you may want to recall him/her before you get too far so there are no squealing tires. If your dog likes to exercise his/her voice, as mine does occasionally, this may not be the best option... there are houses right down the hill and it echoes pretty loudly. And it does get loud on the Anderson Rd side (as if you hadn't expected that). Parking was pretty easy - there are some spots along the road that leads into the entrance of the off leash park. Review #6 of Yelp's 30 Day Challenge 2012

I visited Prince's Island Park while on a work trip in Calgary. Wow. What a beautiful park. I went…read moreon a jog from downtown Calgary where my hotel was and it is so nice to have a large park so close to the city. I think there's ~50 acres of land with plenty of well-maintained walkways for walking, jogging, biking. This seems like a perfect place to go on a date, walk around a bit during a work break, read a book on the many places to sit there, or just walk/jog like I did. There is also a cafe located near the center in the park. Unfortunately it was closed when I visited but I heard it's good!

This beautiful, 50 acre"urban park" is found on the north side of downtown Calgary by the Eau…read moreClaire neighborhood and is a fantastic place to get out in nature - even though it's in such close proximity to the city. There are paved walking paths and gravel trails - all very well maintained. We saw lots of geese and ducks and butterflies too - it was surprisingly peaceful! I imagine this would be a great place for migratory bird watching when the time is right! Lots of articles call this park the "heart" of Calgary...it certainly is popular but I can see why. It's lovely - there's tons of flower gardens, some native bee habitats, and it's surrounded by the Bow river on all sides and even has a lagoon that you can ice skate on in winter. Calgary holds lots of festivals here. There are picnic areas and playgrounds and even a cute little cafe. Several bridges connect it to downtown Calgary and one of them connects you to the other more northern side as well. It's very walkable and easy to access - I'd definitely say it's handicap accessible as a good portion of the paths are paved and flat. There are lots of info signs dotted around the island as well. Definitely a must see when visiting the city! We loved it!