We went on Saturday late afternoon and it's was crazy packed. Parking was a little rough. There are…read morekids literally everywhere so be prepared to be surrounded by families. The lake is pretty huge and we stayed in the initial sandy/grass area. Once you're in the water, there's man-made steps that can be pretty slippery. Its deceivingly deeper than you would think.

This beach is somewhere to go when you need a fast good cold down in the NE. Mostly used by small…read morekids and their families who live in Chestermere. The water and drop is fast there are steps to walk down into the water. Yeah.. There is some seed weed that floats on the water but no big deal. Enough space to park at the community hall from the beach. It's better to bring your food and picnic here... Sometimes there is a truck to buy cold drinks and slush. It's a place for a cool down when there's nothing else...

Unbelievable company. If anyone needs camping gear (or anything else they carry) this is the place…read moreto go. Haven't encountered a company like this in 30+ years. When I ordered the wrong air mattress pump (needed a wall plug in - not a camping end) they drove all the way to my home 20 minutes outside of Calgary, to bring me the right pump. Lovely people and unbelievable customer service. I would HIGHLY recommend this company!

This place is awesome! So many gears you can rent for summer and winter sports and prices are great…read moretoo!

An inexpensive place to grab sports rental equipment of all sorts, and they have a range of…read moreequipment calibre available. Stock depth is moderate, so it helps to reserve ahead of time, especially for specialized or high demand equipment such as touring skis or rafts respectively. A good tip is that if you rent equipment over a long weekend, you often get a day for free, since they are not open for returns on the stat holiday. This is more than just a rental shop...the facility also has a well-used climbing wall. Another aspect to this place is the wide assortment of courses on offer, from beginner climbing, to snowshoe intro, to paragliding, to organized sea kayaking trips on the West Coast. Pick up a program guide or check out the Web site for the seasonal offerings.

the walkway system along bow river pathway feels like one of the features that quietly defines…read moredowntown calgary. despite running directly through the core of the city, the pathways create an atmosphere that often feels calmer and more open than many urban waterfronts. during my visit, there was a soft breeze coming off the river that made the entire area feel noticeably cooler and more relaxed compared to the surrounding downtown streets. even with office towers nearby, the pathways had a slower rhythm to them. runners, joggers, cyclists, and office workers on lunch breaks moved steadily through the space, but it never felt overly crowded or frantic. the area is clearly designed to function as both recreation space and everyday public infrastructure. there are playgrounds, public washrooms, plenty of seating areas, and multiple access points woven throughout the riverfront, making it feel genuinely usable rather than simply scenic. one of the more surprising details is how resort like parts of the riverwalk can feel during summer. sections with sand, bright yellow patio umbrellas, and pool deck style chaise lounges create an atmosphere that feels almost beach inspired, an unexpected contrast against the downtown skyline and surrounding office buildings. the wildlife presence adds another layer to the experience. i saw several goslings along the riverbanks, all impossibly fluffy looking while extremely protective parent geese kept close watch nearby. despite being in the middle of the city, the pathways still retain moments where urban life and nature overlap in a very visible way. that connection to nature is part of what makes the bow river corridor stand out at a larger scale. the pathway system stretches for hundreds of kilometres throughout calgary, linking together parks, neighbourhoods, bridges, wetlands, and green spaces across the city. it functions less like a single riverside trail and more like an interconnected urban park network. there are also ecological restoration and pollinator friendly areas integrated into parts of the river corridor, including bee friendly habitat zones and native plant spaces designed to support urban biodiversity. i think i may have even seen a beaver dam along the riverbank. another thing worth noting is how clean and maintained the pathways feel overall. even with heavy public use, the riverwalk manages to retain a sense of order and accessibility. signage, landscaping, bridges, seating areas, and surveillance presence all contribute to making the space feel comfortable and safe for both locals and visitors. what ultimately makes the bow river pathways memorable is the balance they create between urban energy and environmental calm. surrounded by downtown development, traffic, and office towers, the river corridor still manages to feel restorative, a place where people are not only commuting or exercising, but genuinely slowing down to enjoy the city around them.

I like it! Came here after dinner for a quick walk. There were quite a lot of people walking and…read morejogging at the River Walk. It can be a long walk from one end to another. Its beautiful. Yes its a very relaxing walk. Great to be able to take pictures. Also the walk is quite easy because there are hardly any elevation. Will head over to the River Walk more often, since I live within 3 mins walking distance from it now.

I don't think I can write a review about Calgary and leave out this very important geographical…read morevein. The Elbow River gets its water source from Elbow Lake located 7000 feet above sea level. The lake is 150 m from Hwy 40 at the Elbow Pass. The ER is part of the Bow River Basin and is an important source for Bragg Creek, as a source of water, transportation, irrigation and household use. It runs 25 kilometres and eventually runs into and merges with the Bow River. I write about ER, because just as important as a park, this river provides Calgarians with one of its most enjoyable services ... recreation. There was not a hot day that went by this summer that I didn't see dozens of dots of inner tubes, rafts and umbrellas floating beneath my mother's balcony. Families, large groups of friends, couples, dogs, and rafts attached to other rafts, inner tubes acting as bars... all floating by. It was one of the most beautiful spectacles I have ever seen here in Calgary. I had just moved from a long stint in Mexico, where finding a water area that is clean is so very rare, so moving back to Canada and witnessing the joys of Canadians just mindlessly floating down the river made me oh so proud. We have it so good here eh!

It's the weekend and it's hot. You and your friends are looking for a way to cool off. If you've…read morebeen in this city for any amount of time, rafting should be the first thing that's comes to mind. There are a few different spots you can embark on your rafting adventure down the Elbow, on the weekend we happened to start out at the Glenmore Resevoir. It was a leisurely float, the river wasn't all that high, but there were a couple of decent deep spots to jump out for a quick swim. I prefer the Elbow to the Bow for floating... Better scenery and a little less scary when there's a lot of runoff. Rafting tip: Make sure your bottom is well cushioned, preferably with a nice big floaty. Floating down a shallow river can get a little rocky otherwise.

Very fun place to take the kids on a hike Natural park…read more Water spring water Trails Natural woodsy park Me Trial trees are planted there too

Hike in the woods along the stream and then climb the hill up to the flower fields. The hill is a…read morelittle steep but do able. Finish off with a picnic at the picnic tables right when you enter.

This is kind of a surprise, but the City of Calgary runs what may be Canada's largest sailing…read moreschool, based on the Glenmore Reservoir. They have dozens of boats, and they offer affordable courses that run all sumer and into the fall. It's a great place to learn to sail, or to rent a boat for a few hours or a day.

This was one of the first lakes in Calgary and is therefore the oldest…read more It is very big and beautiful though. I am a big fan of this lake. They also have a room that is great for hosting events. In addition, they also have an ice cream truck that comes to the lake. The lake has boats you can rent such as paddle boards or peddle boats. Very fun and nice lake.

One of the best places to be during a hot summer day in Calgary!…read more For Mckenzie lake community residence or guests of a community resident. The lake is a nice size for people to cool down in and they have free rental equipment like life jackets, balls, paddle boats, etc. Multiple playgrounds, tennis courts, and lots of beach to tan on and plenty of big trees for shade!