I would not listen to the other reviews that say Ha Ling Peak "is for everyone!" or that it's…read more"easy". This trail is definitely difficult for a multitude of reasons -- and yes, there are families on the trail but to actually complete the whole trail (which is what my review is about) there is a scramble at the summit which can be terrifying for those afraid of heights and/or inexperienced hikers, especially with the wind (and hail, when we hiked it) blowing at you. Regardless of the fact that we did this hike because we saw other reviews saying it was a trail for everybody, beginners included, we were able to complete most of it. We were a group of 5 (with our parents) who needed some breaks along the way and so our total hike time ended up being 4 hours. It was a great workout with some unparalleled views so I'd attempt at least a portion of it if you can. I'd just say to really watch for the weather forecast before you go. We had a 30 percent chance of rain at a time earlier in the day but we ended up being pounded with hailstorms at the top of the summit where there was literally zero cover. As long as you time your hike correctly, in terms of the weather, I think it'd be a very pleasant experience! Even so, the hail made it an experience that I will never forget. We didn't see much wildlife coming up, probably due to the fact that it's a pretty popular hike. It's also super dog friendly which is wonderful!

To get to Ha Ling Peak: - Drive to Canmore, then drive up…read morehighway #742 (the Smith-Dorrien-Spray Lakes Trail) towards Canmore Nordic Centre. - On Highway #742 pass the Nordic Centre and continue on the gravel road until you reach Goat Creek Parking Lot on the right hand side (there is a sign that says Goat Creek Parking Lot). - Park at Goat Creek Parking lot and cross the gravel road, cross the little bridge and you will find the trail head. Labelled as a moderate / Intermediate hike... I'm outta shape so I found it to be more than moderate as the hill is steep ALL the way up and down, plus there is the scramble at the top! but I made it and so can you! Endurance is your best friend here as you will be walking up a mountain on an incline the WHOLE time with not many (if any) flat areas. With that said, there were grandmas and grandpas, kids, dogs, and even parents carrying babies in backpacks on the trail!!! Wow!!! Be sure to wear layers as you will sweat and get hot while in the trees, but once past the tree line it is windy and chilly....so...tank top, t-shirt, wind breaker, grippy gloves (for scrambling), and a toque! (haha - wish I had brought mine!). Bring a backpack with water and lunch and enjoy the view! It took us just under 5 hrs (round trip) to complete (with my MANY stops and VERY leisurely pace!! Plus lunch near the top). The view was spectacular and well worth the hike up. Once at the top you have a view of the town of Canmore, plus a 360 view all around!! My toes and knees did hurt coming down as it is steep... and I even had good shoes on! So definitely wear good shoes (preferably hiking ones) and bring walking sticks if you have them. Highly recommended! p.s. once called "Chinaman's peak"

Grassi Lakes are amazing!!!! Truly emerald color and crystal clear waters. Since the easy trail was…read moreunder construction and closed, we took the difficult trail, which was much more steep. Totally worth the climb. Loved it.

So grateful for the recommendation we received from a local Calgarian Canadian to try this trail!…read moreThe views are absolutely spectacular!! This hike is located near a residential area in Canmore. Follow your GPS navigation which ultimately will take you down a single road, surrounded by tall evergreen trees, and a small dirt lot on the left for parking before you embark on the trail. A few recommendations: Park on the street as the lot fills up quick, bring sunscreen, and take the harder trail. Initially when starting the hike there will be two signs for the "Easy" and "More Difficult" trail paths. Trust me when I say the more difficult path is worth the extra strenuous steps. We had no idea that halfway through the path you stumble upon a gorgeous waterfall and incredible views of a giant lake surrounded by beautiful mountains. Then as you continue on this trail, you'll ultimately come to a clearing with emerald and turquoise lakes which is the perfect spot to stop, indulge in a quick snack, and soak in all those spectacular views. All in all if you take the not so easy trail you'll complete the entire thing within an hour and a half, including those moments where you stop and contemplate just gorgeous this country is. One final tip: bring Bear spray and attach bells to your hiking gear. The last thing you want to do is startle a bear and end up in a frightening situation. Luckily we did not see any bears on the trail, but we did see a Black Bear crossing the road as we were leaving the parking lot! We heard from locals that Canmore has a lot of Bear sightings so just plan ahead, be aware of your surroundings, and enjoy your fantastic hike on this beautiful trail!

A lovely, easy hike with a HUGE beautiful pay off at the end! It's a family friendly stroll with…read moreplenty of parking at the trailhead and it's easy to do in a couple of hours at most. The elevation is easy, and the stroll through the forest is leisurely and beautiful. In the winter you may want cramp ons or hiking poles since the packed down snow can get slick, but they're not necessary. At the end you'll find the beautiful Troll Falls. In the winter they're frozen the most miraculous bright blue and ice climbers have a great time climbing it's relatively easy verticals. Unlike the Johnston Canyon hike in Banff National Park, the Troll Falls hike allows you to get right up to the water falls, which makes for a truly special experience. Check my photos for proof!

In the mountains and wanna go hiking, but need a spot that's not too difficult and also…read moreentertaining for wee kids? This is it. We were looking at different trail maps and unsure where to take our two year old for a hike that would grasp her attention span and also would be able to drag her along in a sled if she gets tired from all the walking. When Troll Falls popped out and had everything e were looking for. It's right at the bottom of the ski slope so if you find yourself driving up the mountain, you've gone too far. There is a decent sized parking lot by the entrance to the trail. The secret weapon for kids entertainment (aside from nature chats) are the hidden Troll Dolls around. Fun for everyone to try to be the first to spot them along the way! Even in December this was a fantastic crisp walk to do and at the end you come to a frozen waterfall. It was the most amazing thing to see, and to be able to walk on the frozen river. Just breathtaking! My husband is a geologist so he gives me all the geology chat along the way too. Really fantastic walk, I can't wait to do it again in summer and have a totally different experience. We seen a wolf run across the main road as we drove down to the trail so remember to stay safe when you are out there!

When they say this is a difficult hike they mean it!! Steady incline all the way up to the heli…read morepad. Beautiful meadows along the way. If you are doing the summit (if you made it this far you may as well do it all) be sure to wear hiking boots! I saw too many people in running shoes which is not safe when climbing scree & struggling to make their way back down. We were warned about a grizzly in the meadows just below the heli pad but had no run ins.

First time being on this mountain and in the winter!! The climb started off freezing in -18…read moreCelsius with high wind, and was pretty intense heading up to the helipad, even with snowshoes, but warmed up further into the trees.... our group didn't quite make it there due to poor weather and heavy snow near the top area, but still great vantage points nonetheless! I look forward to coming back in the summer and challenge it again!

When you're driving into Edworthy Park, if you jig to the left instead of jagging to the right, you…read moreenter the offleash park area. There are 3 parking lots (that I know of) in case the first one is full. Just keep driving! There are rarely bags here - so be sure to bring your own. I like this park for the hills and trees... there are a number of different paths you can travel along, which makes it a more interesting experience than those parks with only one main path. It's not fully fenced but it's never been an issue for me. The people are friendly and there are some great views of downtown - even benches if you want to take a breather and just relax. The hills can get icy in the winter, especially the tree-protected ones near the first parking lot, so be careful and wear proper footwear. I don't come here often but when I have it's never been overly busy, which is nice. Sometimes a crowded park can feel a little overwhelming. (Yelp Kicks Butt Challenge 2/10)

This area has alot of tall grass…read more It has different terrain (hilly), some lightly wooded area, and seems peaceful. There are some benches and a picnic table if you and your dog want to chill out. It is a popular place for dog owners and professional walkers.

Baker Park holds one of the most visited disc golf courses in Canada, and it's easy to see why…read more Baker Park is located right along the Bow River, affording lovely views and access to paved multi-use trails. The start of disc golfing is located at one end of the park, and we were able to find it easily using directions online. There are also public washrooms at the beginning of the course. The holes here are varied and a good medium difficulty, I especially enjoyed some strategically placed trees. We didn't have any problems finding the holes, as there were nice arrows and clear signs. At the end of our visit we found a food truck in the parking lot to grab some ice cream. We only finished the first nine holes so I'm looking forward to returning to finish the course.

I've been here about a dozen times and I've been meaning to write a review, but on the other hand I…read moredon't really want to mention it too much because it's a hidden gem and much less busy than Bowness Park across the bow river. I like the fact that I can always find parking so maybe I shouldn't even write this review. It's a beautiful beautiful park especially in the spring time when all the apple trees are in blossom. Also I really appreciate the gardening staff they planted thousands of dollars worth of petunias that were all eaten by the rabbits but somehow they quickly replaced them and the new ones are not being eaten so take a look at the photos

Wonderful Spot to bring the whole Family together and enjoy the Canadian Rockies and so many other…read moregreat places like the trails and the Amazing Restaurant in Exshaw just a 10 minute drive from the Willow Rock Campground The Canadian Rockies Surrounding it are Just Magnificent

I wanted to give this review 2 stars based on my personal experience, but Bow Valley earns one more…read morestar for the potential I saw there. About 15 minutes before hitting Canmore on the way from Calgary, 10 minutes off the highway Bow Valley is a Provincial Park camp ground and day use park. A winding road took us toward the camp site, with great mountain views, a lake and picnic areas. $31 / night per lot, and another $23 for a second unit (tent) on the site. We arrived and checked in, met our friends there and got to setting up. Our site was pretty much in a field, NOTHING was level anywhere, rolls and dips, and a steady slope heading toward the back of the site. The overhead view on the website looked much nicer than the reality of the site. We were told that we can not set up anything on the grass, everything had to be on the gravel.. not very comfortable. So our tent had to go on a gravel slope? No thank you, we got our $23/night back and stayed in our friends trailer. Not a great start to the trip, but cold beer made the evening better. One big plus they have, is a very well maintained and clean bathrooms and showers. Much better than other sites we have gone to. So for the extra star, we walked around the site and made our way down to the river. The sites along the water are amazing! Lots of trees, well landscaped, and water access. IF we go back, it would have to be one of those sites. So great potential if you get the good spots. Basically from what we saw, half the sites were amazing, treed in proper camp sites, and the other half were in a field with landscaping done to resemble the surface of the moon. 2 Star personal experience, but one bonus star for potential! Either way, it is 45 minutes outside of Calgary, and a weekend getaway with friends is always good!

Calgary, this is your best kept secret…read more Now, please understand that part of me, wants to keep it that way; the other parts want to share with you... the nature that exists within the confines of the city limits. The Weaselhead Natural Reserve (natural area) is truly, a remarkable place. First and foremost, it lays over a map area that is the delta to the Glenmore Reservoir. It's meandering Elbow River flows through a changing channel that has left deep clefts in the surrounding hillsides and marked it's way across the eskers that exist below Calgary. Whether ye be a biker, a hiker, a runner, a dog walker, a stone skipper, a tree lover, a calm river flowing reveller or any number of combinations of said activities and the inclusion of your own, this place runs the realm on all the above. I've been visiting the Weaselhead for over 20 years. I've seen it change and am still amazed at how, with each visit, it brings me to a new place... most times, within the same places; down the same paths, only to discover something entirely new. And for me, to see the changing face of a natural space over time, is much like understanding one's own life... And indeed, the Weaselhead, is capable of assisting with these types of meditations; in as much as it is capable of showing you what "the now" looks like. Spend an afternoon, evening, early morning... all will do, and you may find yourself, drawn back, much like I was... mythical within reality.

Beautiful park. We took the road less traveled and walked through the small forest trails rather…read morethan the paved biking trails. Look up Jack Rabbit Trail for directions. Gorgeous, relaxing, not too strenuous. Tip though - there are tons of Mosquitos in August, so bring bug spray!