The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Fish Creek Provincial Park

One of the most convenient access points for exploring Fish Creek Provincial Park, Glennfield West has a large parking area, modern washrooms, picnic sites, and direct access to both paved and natural-surface trails. From here, it's easy to reach Fish Creek, the Rotary Mattamy Greenway, and several forested sections of the park. Despite being within Calgary city limits, the surrounding cottonwood forest and creek valley create a surprisingly natural setting that's popular with walkers, cyclists, and wildlife enthusiasts.

Flowing for almost the entire length of the park, Fish Creek is the feature that gives this provincial park its name. The creek winds through cottonwood forest, gravel banks, and wide valley scenery that feels surprisingly wild for a location within Calgary. Watch for deer, beavers, waterfowl, and other wildlife along the banks, particularly during the quieter morning and evening hours.

Part of Calgary's 140-kilometre Rotary Mattamy Greenway, this paved multi-use pathway offers one of the easiest ways to explore Fish Creek Provincial Park. The route passes through a mix of forest, open grasslands, and creek-side scenery, with picnic areas and rest stops spread out along the way. Despite being within city limits, long stretches feel surprisingly removed from the surrounding neighbourhoods, making it a popular choice for walking, cycling, and wildlife spotting.

This section of the Trans-Canada Trail hugs the shores of the Bow River, with the McKenzie Meadows Golf Club to the east. The views from this section of trail have awesome views of the Bow River, with Fish Creek Provincial Park on the other side. The entire Trans-Canada Trail stretches over 27,000 kilometres, with this section passing through the heart of Calgary.

Gaze out over the Bow River to the west, with a neighbourhood to the east. This area of the Bow River Pathway is just elevated enough to get a view over the river, and on a clear day, the Banff Mountains in the far off distance. There's a lawn that can be rested on, and a trash can as well.

Fish Creek Provincial Park has one of the most robust trail systems you're likely to find anywhere. With over 100 kilometres of trails within its boundaries it's a good idea to have your komoot maps handy so you don't get turned around and end up on the wrong trail. As for the trails themselves there really is something for everyone, you'll find singletrack and doubletrack, dirt, gravel, and paved paths, quick out and back hikes or full day loops that circumnavigate the whole park. It really is a choose your own adventure type day when you visit this park.

Fish Creek has maintained much of its natural state thanks to the large provincial park that surrounds it as it flows through southern Calgary. Providing vital habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna the creek is known for trout fishing and the over 200 bird species that have been spotted along its banks. The park that surrounds it as over 100 kilometres of trails ranging in difficulty and terrain type, so just about everyone is likely to find a stretch of trail that suits them.

This urban provincial park was set up in order to protect the vital habitat of the Fish Creek Valley. While the valley itself is mostly in its natural forested state, the park is bordered on three sides by the city of Calgary and by the Tsuu T’ina Nation (Sarcee) First Nation on the fourth side. You'll find a vast network of trails running through the park as well as a visitor's centre, picnic areas, swimming area, restaurants, and boat launches.