6 Hikes That Are Less Than An Hour Away From Calgary & You Can Even Summit A Mountain
Look at those views! 😍
Someone at Prairie Mountain. Right: Someone at Fullerton Loop.
Hiking season is underway and of course, Alberta has some incredible hikes with mountains, lakes and waterfalls to explore deep in the wilderness. However, there are also a ton of great trails that can be found a stone's throw from Calgary too.
If you need to escape the city life for the day, these are perfect.
From easy hikes within the city limits to summiting a nearby mountain, these are some of the best hikes you can get to in under an hour from Calgary.
Prairie Mountain
Address: Highway 66, Bragg Creek, AB
Why You Need To Go: Just outside of Bragg Creek, you can actually summit Prairie Mountain. As you hike the 6.6-kilometre trail, you'll get amazing views of the Prairies, the City of Calgary and the Kananaskis mountains.
Fullerton Loop
Address: Highway 66, Bragg Creek, AB
Why You Need To Go: This trail has stunning views of the Elbow River Valley as well as Moose Mountain. Hikers recommend taking the loop in a counter-clockwise direction for the best views.
Powderface Ridge
Address: Highway 66, Bragg Creek, AB
Why You Need To Go: While it's definitely a more challenging route, Powderface Ridge offers incredible views of the Elbow River and you'll need to hike through meadows of wildflowers to get there.
Douglas Fir Trail
Address: 5050 Spruce Drive S.W., Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: This trail proves you don't even need to leave the city sometimes to get some amazing views. The trail starts in Edworthy Park and is lined with stunning Douglas fir trees and it has impressive views of the Bow River Valley.
Brown-Lowery Provincial Park
Address: Millarville, AB
Why You Need To Go: At just under an hour's drive from Calgary, Brown-Lowery Provincial Park has a ton of gorgeous hikes to take, including a 6.6-kilometre trail around its perimeter where you can see the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains, wildflowers and tons of wildlife.
Twelve Mile Coulee
Address: Tuscany Boulevard N.W. & Stoney Trail N.W., Calgary, AB
Why You Need To Go: This Northwest Calgary hike is packed full of history with over 15 known archeological sites on the route. You can spot tipi ring sites, and a large base camp left by Indigenous people who had been hunting and camping on the site for over 8,000 years.