Calgary Walks: Nose Hill Park provides touch of nature within the city
Calgary's Best Walks Nos. 28, 29, 30
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Navigating Nose Hill can be challenging. Pay attention to landmarks like the power lines that extend from the far north end of the hill, from the Berkeley Gate parking lot to the Edgemont parking lot. If you can see the airport, you are on the 14th Street side of the hill. In the southeast corner, an antenna is visible, located near the Medicine Wheel and the 14th Street and Calgary Winter Club parking lots.
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At 11 square kilometres, Nose Hill Park is one of the largest municipal parks in Canada. It is also Calgary's highest point, so be prepared for spectacular views. Once on top of the plateau, look around and you will see that Broadcast Hill (the hill where Canada Olympic Park is built) is also flat and at the same elevation as Nose Hill. Hills south of the city near Priddis are the same. These plateaus are the remnants of a 60-million-year-old, swampy, forested landscape into which the Bow and Elbow rivers, and the glaciers that followed their valleys, have incised by 175 metres.
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The three walks interconnect. Walk 28 begins in the southern part of the park and climbs to the plateau where stunning downtown views from the Siksikaitsitapi Medicine Wheel are your reward. Built in 2015 by members of the Blood Nation, this modern landmark is a tribute to the historical and spiritual connection between people and the land, and it marks Nose Hill as part of traditional Blackfoot territory. This new circle was arranged beside a half-buried circle of stones that was left behind by Indigenous scouts thousands of years ago. Medicine wheels represent the interconnectivity of all life, the various cycles of nature, and the spiritual belief system of the Indigenous peoples who created them. Walk 29 travels from east to west through meadows to mountain views, while Walk 30 explores the hilly north end, dipping and climbing into shady aspen-filled coulees with panoramic plateau views.
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From April through October, hundreds of flowering plants colour the hill's landscape. Amongst the prairie grasses that dominate Nose Hill, you'll also find mushrooms, mosses and many animals. Wildlife is abundant on the hill, and I often see coyotes, groups of mule deer and the occasional waddling porcupine at dusk. Dogs love the extensive off-leash areas, and birders should be excited to hear that over 170 bird species have been seen on Nose Hill – bring your binoculars.
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All the walks offer superb views. And depending on where you are on the hill, you'll see the front range of the Rocky Mountains and the foothills, the prairies stretching out to the east, the compact downtown rising prominently in the south and flights arriving and departing from the airport. Enjoy the solitude of this wilderness wonder in the heart of the city.
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Calgary Herald
a day ago
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Calgary Walks: Nose Hill Park provides touch of nature within the city
Article content Calgary's Best Walks Nos. 28, 29, 30 Article content Navigating Nose Hill can be challenging. Pay attention to landmarks like the power lines that extend from the far north end of the hill, from the Berkeley Gate parking lot to the Edgemont parking lot. If you can see the airport, you are on the 14th Street side of the hill. In the southeast corner, an antenna is visible, located near the Medicine Wheel and the 14th Street and Calgary Winter Club parking lots. Article content Article content Article content At 11 square kilometres, Nose Hill Park is one of the largest municipal parks in Canada. It is also Calgary's highest point, so be prepared for spectacular views. Once on top of the plateau, look around and you will see that Broadcast Hill (the hill where Canada Olympic Park is built) is also flat and at the same elevation as Nose Hill. Hills south of the city near Priddis are the same. These plateaus are the remnants of a 60-million-year-old, swampy, forested landscape into which the Bow and Elbow rivers, and the glaciers that followed their valleys, have incised by 175 metres. Article content Article content The three walks interconnect. Walk 28 begins in the southern part of the park and climbs to the plateau where stunning downtown views from the Siksikaitsitapi Medicine Wheel are your reward. Built in 2015 by members of the Blood Nation, this modern landmark is a tribute to the historical and spiritual connection between people and the land, and it marks Nose Hill as part of traditional Blackfoot territory. This new circle was arranged beside a half-buried circle of stones that was left behind by Indigenous scouts thousands of years ago. Medicine wheels represent the interconnectivity of all life, the various cycles of nature, and the spiritual belief system of the Indigenous peoples who created them. Walk 29 travels from east to west through meadows to mountain views, while Walk 30 explores the hilly north end, dipping and climbing into shady aspen-filled coulees with panoramic plateau views. Article content Article content Article content From April through October, hundreds of flowering plants colour the hill's landscape. Amongst the prairie grasses that dominate Nose Hill, you'll also find mushrooms, mosses and many animals. Wildlife is abundant on the hill, and I often see coyotes, groups of mule deer and the occasional waddling porcupine at dusk. Dogs love the extensive off-leash areas, and birders should be excited to hear that over 170 bird species have been seen on Nose Hill – bring your binoculars. Article content All the walks offer superb views. And depending on where you are on the hill, you'll see the front range of the Rocky Mountains and the foothills, the prairies stretching out to the east, the compact downtown rising prominently in the south and flights arriving and departing from the airport. Enjoy the solitude of this wilderness wonder in the heart of the city.
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