.png)
Griffith Woods Park Hike in Calgary
- andrewsco3
- Mar 9
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 20
While we love hiking in the mountains, sometimes we just don't have the time to drive out there, or just want a short leg stretcher in Calgary, while still feeling we have gotten out of the city. For those moments, Griffith Woods Park is one of our favourite options. It's a relatively unknown park to the west of the city, in the community of Discovery Ridge, just 20 minutes from downtown. It's a fantastic park to take young kids as it is stroller friendly, dog friendly (leashed of course), and a great spot for experiencing wildlife in their natural habitat.
This is a short blog post that gives a little more information about the trail, plus some pictures to give you an idea of what you can expect. If you’re looking for kid-friendly hikes in Calgary, this one is perfect for families with children.
GRIFFITH WOODS HIKE
The Griffith Woods car park is somewhat tucked away, meaning you'll have to drive through the community of Discovery Ridge to reach it, but it can be easily found on Google Maps. The car park is large and at the trailhead, you'll find a portable toilet and information boards detailing the area's natural habitat.
Griffith Woods is a large natural environment park (93 hectares) situated next to the Elbow River. Due to its riverside location, the park is almost entirely flat, making it one of the best short hikes in Calgary. Many paths wind through the park, with several paved and stroller-friendly routes. However, there are also plenty of smaller trails, making it fun for kids to explore.
AllTrails lists three hikes within the park, but with the number of paths available, there are countless route options. Here are the three trail maps from AllTrails - we mostly stuck to the Discovery Ridge and John Sinnott Trail Loop, which is 4.2 km.
As mentioned above, we chose the Discovery Ridge and John Sinnott Trail Loop, mainly because we were short on time, but also because we think it's the most interesting option for kids.
Along the path, you'll pass several small ponds, which are oxbow lakes that provide excellent habitats for wildlife. In the summer, you will often spot animals in the park, including deer, coyotes and beavers (who are actually partly responsible for the oxbow lakes). There are many species of birds that live in the park too, and it's great spot for bird watching. Spring brings beautiful flora and fauna, including orchids and wildflowers. This rich ecosystem is why Griffith Woods Park has been designated a 'Special Protection' Natural Environment Park, highlighting the area's importance to wildlife in Calgary.
There are signs throughout the park asking people to stay on the designated trails and keep dogs leashed. Please respect these guidelines so that the park’s natural habitat can thrive and be preserved for wildlife.
After a few kilometers, you'll reach the banks of the Elbow River and a scenic viewpoint with a bench.
In the winter, you can sometimes walk onto parts of the ice, but please be careful and only do so if you're certain it's completely frozen. By March, this is definitely not recommended, as parts of the ice begin to break away. In the summer, the river is a great spot for kids to play, as there are usually some shallow areas to wade in.
The kids found some ice crystals close to the river bank.
There are lots of smaller paths to explore near the river.
A short walk past the paths that lead to and from the river, there is a bridge that crosses a smaller creek.
The kids had fun playing in the shallow water and balancing on logs. It was also an easily accessible spot for Ellie to enjoy a swim.
Continue along the path, and you'll eventually reach another fun spot for kids—a river crossing with stepping stones. With all the snowmelt, we were glad to have waterproof hiking boots! In the summer, this is a great place for kids to splash around, as the water always stays shallow and is slow moving.
After passing a few more beautiful spots, you’ll soon find yourself back at the car. With views like these, you could easily mistake this for Kananaskis - this hike almost feels like a mountain getaway without ever leaving the city.
I hope that you enjoyed reading about our Griffith Woods hike and that it inspires you to visit yourself! Whether you’re looking for kid-friendly hikes in Calgary, or hikes in the mountains, we are always happy to answer your questions - feel free to reach out.
Comments