Fall is another super short season here in the Foothills, but it’s one that many families have come to cherish. While the beautiful autumn colors can come and go in only a few days, there are plenty of warm and sunny days to enjoy before the chill of winter sets in! Here are some of our favorite activities to enjoy outdoors and indoors in the fall around Calgary.
1. Have some fun at Winsport. Try the mountain bike park, with 25km of open and single-track cross-country trails, bobsled, zipline and more. For more information, visit Winsport.ca
2. Check out a skatepark. Wheeled sports, like bike riding and skateboarding, are ‘unstructured’ recreation activities that are affordable, accessible, and naturally encourage free play
and physical activity for family members of all ages. Our city has several permanent skateparks to encourage active, healthy, and creative living:
Shaw Millennium Park (1220 9 Avenue SW)
CKE Skatespot (1015 73 Avenue SW)
Deer Run Skatespot (2223 146 Avenue SE)
Huntington Hills Skatespot (Centre Street and 64 Avenue NW)
Mid Sun Skatepark (50 Midpark Rise SE)
New Brighton Skatepark (5801 130 Avenue SE)
Southwood Skatepark (11 Sackville Drive SW)
Bowness Skatepark (4324 77 Street NW)
NE Community Skatepark (7555 Falconridge Boulevard NE)
Carrington Skatespot (Carrington Boulevard and 140 Avenue)
According to the City of Calgary, it is estimated that there are more than 35,000 skateboarders in Calgary. The City is building three more skateparks (at Bowness, at the Genesis Centre and at the Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge) as part of phase one of the skateboard strategy implementation.
3. Ride at a bike pump track. Bike pump tracks are progressive circuits where riders use an up and down pumping motion to propel the bike forward instead of pedaling. Increasingly popular among Calgarians, pump tracks are perfect for practicing balance, learning skills and improving confidence on a bike. Check out a local pump track in the following locations:
South Glenmore Park (3520 90 Avenue SW)
Fairview (7800 Flint Road SE)
Inglewood (7 Avenue and 20 Street SE)
West Confederation (southeast corner of West Confederation Park near 19 Street NW)
The origins of the pump track are rooted in the hardpack BMX tracks of the ‘70s and ‘80s, and recently, in the backyards of Australian downhill racers who created some of the first pump tracks around 2002. The first new era pump track on North American soil was built in 2004 at The Fix Bike Shop in Boulder, Colorado, by pro downhiller Steve Wentz.
4. Scale the walls at a Calgary Climbing Centre location. Calgary’s biggest indoor climbing facilities with friendly staff, varied terrain and beginner lessons for all ages. Calgaryclimbing.com
5. Try bouldering at Bolder Climbing Community. 5508 1 Street SE. Calgary’s premier bouldering gym. Bolderclimbing.com
6. Challenge obstacles at Breathe Parkour. Offering programs for kids as young as six years old. Old or young, fit or deciding to get fit, Parkour is for everyone! No experience necessary. Breathepk.com
7. Become a ninja warrior at Fitset Ninja Calgary. Whether you’re a longtime Fitset Ninja member, or you’re just starting to dip your toe into the sport, open gym is the perfect opportunity to explore your ninja skills and put them to the test. Calgary.fitsetninja.com
8. Take a walk through the Medicine River Wildlife Centre. The center provides care for injured or orphaned wildlife with the aim of returning them to the wild. Medicineriverwildlifecentre.ca
9. Visit the Cochrane Ecological Institute and Cochrane Wildlife Reserve. This reserve has the only breeding colony of the Swift Fox (endangered in Canada). The reserve also provides care and rehabilitates injured wildlife. Ceiwildlife.org
10. Say ‘hi’ to the dogs at Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary. Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary offers a variety of tours to the public to educate the public on wolfdogs and raise awareness regarding wolf conservation. Yamnuskawolfdogsanctuary.com
11. Visit the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory. Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, U of C. One of Canada’s largest telescopes patrolling for killer asteroids. They are open to the public during special events. Ucalgary.ca/rao
12. Enjoy the view at the Calgary Tower. Get a bird’s eye view of the river, the mountains, downtown and beyond. Calgarytower.com
13. Try virtual golfing at LaunchPad. You’re never too young to start playing golf, LaunchPad welcomes kids of all ages and is a great place to start learning! Launchpadgolf.com
14. Get ready for skating season at the Olympic Oval. The Olympic Oval typically offers more than 50 recreational public skating sessions per month on their 400-meter oval ice. Skate and helmet rentals are available. Oval.ucalgary.ca
15. Race at SPEEDERS Go Karts. Speeders Calgary is a five-star entertainment venue, offering an adrenaline-filled racing experience perfect for challenging drivers of all skill levels. Speeders.ca/calgary
16. Take a wander through Fish Creek Park. Visitor center at 15979 Bow Bottom Trail SE. Only a hop, skip and a jump from Calgary’s southern suburbs, Canada’s largest urban park covers more than 20km of protected river valley.
17. Take in the view at Nose Hill Park. Visitor center at 6465 14 Street NW. A unique natural environment park located in Northwest Calgary, just 15 minutes from downtown.
18. See migrating birds at Ralph Klein Park. Visit the learning center at 12350 84 Street SE. The constructed wetland was designed specifically to improve stormwater quality before it enters the Bow River system.
19. Find wildlife at Beaver Dam Flats. Located at 62 Avenue SE and 16 Street SE. Beaver Dam Flats is surrounded by various natural habitats that attract beavers.
20. Feed the fish at Bow Habitat Station. Bow Habitat Station is made up of a visitor’s center, the Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery and the Pearce Estate Park Interpretive Wetland. Bowhabitat.alberta.ca
21. Find muskrats and beavers at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Located at 2425 9 Avenue S. Over 250 bird species and a variety of mammals call these 32 hectares of natural area home.
22. Enjoy a prairie vista at Haskayne Legacy Park. The park is adjacent to the Bearspaw Reservoir with the Bow River to the west and south. Traditional western ranchlands come alive with spectacular mountain and prairie views at the Haskayne Legacy Park, located at the northwestern edge of the city of Calgary.
23. Take a drive to the Royal Alberta Museum. Located in Edmonton. The Wild Alberta gallery takes visitors across, over and under Alberta’s diverse landscapes. Royalalbertamuseum.ca
24. Make a weekend trip to West Edmonton Mall. West Edmonton Mall is a ‘must-do’ for any Albertan! Stay in a themed room at the Fantasyland Hotel, enjoy the slides at the World Waterpark, and check out the rides at Galaxyland, the mall’s indoor amusement park. Wem.ca
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