I love going to the promenade any time I need to clear my head or just step out for a moment to…read moreenjoy the sunshine. It has a picturesque view curving up from 100 Ave and stretching from 117 Street to 121 Street. The sidewalk is very wide which allows for a variety of non-motor activities. There is also a bike lane that runs its lengths so it helps alleviate the tension between motorists, cyclists and pedestrians; making it a very popular commuters route. In the summer if you time it right you can snag one of the benches to watch a river valley sunset which goes on my list of top free views in the city. Its a very friendly area as almost everyone you pass has a smile on their face and a spring in their step. Mostly it is walkers or joggers that live around there but my person favourite is seeing the grannies decked out in their Sundays best going for a stroll in the sunshine. I hope when I reach their age that I have that good of taste in clothes and and still able to walk with that kind of swagger. My favourite recent addition to the promenade is the Fresh Cafe which is a perfect compliment to the area just located off of Jasper and 116th in The Elmhurst Apartments. Now I have somewhere close enough to buy gelato with out worrying about it melting before I have a chance to find a bench. I hope that they continue to maintain this gem and preserve it for generations to come. I am reminded of all those who were kind enough to preserve it for me to use every time I sit on a bench and ready the plaque inscribed on it. I hope they continue this model else where in the river valley as there are not enough places for one to sit and enjoy the amazing park system that we have in this city.

Victoria Promenade is the kind of thing that's missing from a lot of our river valley. It runs…read morealong 100 Ave from 117 St to 121 St, with a nice wide sidewalk, lots of benches, and great views of the river valley. On a nice day, it gets pretty busy and is popular with walkers, runners, and those of us who get our exercise by sitting on a bench, eating gelato. I would love it if there was a little cafe around here... even just a kiosk in the summer.

A nice public park with picnic shelters which you can rent from the city. The pavillion is…read moreexcellently well maintained with washrooms, rooms for activities and rent and lots of open grassy area for activities. There's even a small park for children, decent parking, and it is located very close to the river if you wanted to go for a nice walk on the paths. It is also walking distance from downtown. There is a skating rink in the winter (which I've not visited as most of my visits have been in the spring/fall/summer) but the space is lovely for a picnic or other summer activities. A smaller park, it is often less busy than other more well-known Edmonton parks in the downtown accessible area.

A beautiful place to stop by and enjoy the river valley in the summer! Lots of trails to go for a…read morewalk/run down. In the winter, there's a skating rink where speed skaters go to practice. The ice is fairly well maintained. This year they added in the 400m Freezeway, which is an awesome starter project. The loop is still fairly short, but lots of fun to skate! There are slight slopes which make it fun, but also a little scary for newer skaters. The ice is rough. Very rough. So be careful! The areas with the lights are very pretty and are a perfect place to snap a picture. I'm really excited about this project and hope they expand it in future years! There's lots of parking to be found here, which makes it super convenient to visit. A great place to head for some free fun, a workout, or even a date!

I have a garden plot in this community garden/public park, so I might be a little biased, but I…read morereally really love this space. It was built a few years ago to fill in an empty concrete pad, and I think it's a fantastic improvement, both for gardeners and the public. Unlike other community gardens, which are designed with just the gardeners in mind, Peace Garden Park was intended to be a public park as well. There are a few benches, and a nice little fountain in the middle (it's not always running because it recycles water and sometimes runs dry between rainfalls). As a gardener, it's great to have this space so close to my apartment. I got a pretty good haul this year (despite a little theft, both human and not). It's super accessible and affordable ($20/yr for OCL members, and they have raised beds for people with mobility issues), although there is a lengthy waiting list.

This is a lovely park that feels out of the way if you're coming from Parkdale, because of the way…read moreit's tucked under an industrial area. It's recently been redone, so everything is in great condition. It's got a lot of pathways lined with plants and grassy areas to wander around. While I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a sculpture garden, there are a number of pieces. Since going to art galleries and museums has fallen on a spectrum from impossible to ill-advised, Borden Park's sculptures gave me a chance to see some art while I'm in Edmonton. The centerpiece of Borden Park is the natural swimming pool. Unfortunately, this is closed for the 2020 summer season. More importantly, the washrooms are also closed for the season. If you have a strong bladder and/or are prepared to pop a squat somewhere (there are plenty of trees and bushes for privacy) there are lots of nice picnic areas. You already have hand sanitizer with you, right? There are some very cool looking playground structures, which are open. There are groups of tables of various sizes, some of which are wheelchair accessible, as well as ample grounds for picnics while conforming to social distancing guidelines. There's a save-on-foods on the other side of the parking lot in case you don't want to carry picnic foods from home.

The park itself is nice. Lots of space so everyone can have room to themselves. Worst part of the…read morepark is the pool. Very unorganized, you have to get up and leave at the end of every session, there's no clear instructions as to how you line up. A big mix of people who booked a spot and drop-in swimmers but no way to efficiently sort them. So it's slow for people who have a spot booked, and frustrating standing in line.

Rundle Park is far from the closest river valley park to my home, but it's one that I frequent…read moreoften. Why? Disc golf! Rundle Park has the largest and most well-used disc golf course in Edmonton, and is home to Edmonton's disc golf league. For those that aren't familiar with disc golf, it's similar to traditional golf, in that you start at a tee, but the goal is to throw discs into baskets instead of hitting balls into holes. Disc golf has ramped up popularity since Covid restrictions were introduced, as it's an easy outdoor sport that has no green fees and allows for social distancing. I've played the course at Rundle many times and I still find it challenging. Some of the holes are fairly long, and have hazards like water or hills to keep you on your toes. Compared to the other courses I have played, Rundle could do a better job with signage to help players find the next hole, as some of the holes criss-cross each other a bit. The bathrooms in the family centre are open daily, and there are plenty of parking spots. Aside from disc golf, Rundle is huge. I've attended 5k races here, and they easily can stay within the park. There are playgrounds, and numerous picnic sites. On a recent Sunday, the park was full of people setting up makeshift picnic sites in the grass, and all the city-run picnic spots were fully of families. I will note that the mini-golf is no longer open, even though there are a few painted signs remaining in the park. Rundle is a wonderful place in the city to spend time with family and friends, and a perfect picnic destination.

LOVE me some Rundle Park…read more When I first moved to Canada, from Seattle, 14 years ago our townhouse was across the street. Now, the area is a bit rough but that's not Rundle Park's fault. The park itself is MASSIVE and contains the ACT pool, the clubhouse you can rent out for parties, paddle boats, lots of trails, views/access to river valley, and tennis courts open to the public for free. Not to mention the bumpy roller coaster feel of the road that will abuse your car but is oh so fun for bike riding. It's build on the old city dump so that's why the ground bubbles up all over the place! There's a golf course here though I've never had the pleasure. They also have outdoor mini golf but I've never tried that either. They also set up huge bails of hay here in the winter along the fence lines for awesome and relatively safe tobogganing! See you soon Rundle Park!

I've stopped here several times over the years when my body needs a break from being in the…read morevehicle. Tonight I sat way too long in the lineup at Peter's, so naturally I thought of this location on my way home. It was super windy and quite chilly tonight. I debated just looking at the lake from the vehicle but I wanted to see what birds were out there. So I had a fast eating kind of picnic while watching the geese at the lake, checked out the playground to see if it's worth bringing the nephews and nieces (definitely cool!) and just enjoyed watching the sun set from different angles. It's a large park with the road dividing the off leash area from where the playground is. Trees look to be the boundary to the gold course further back in the park. If you're looking for well set up group spaces for picnics that are family friendly, I'd recommend this location. Lots of parking too. Oh

This park is OUT OF THIS WORLD!…read more There are so many playgrounds here, it is easy for me to get lost! TONS of parking, at least 5 separate playgrounds including - toddler playground, big kid playground, rock wall/climbing and rope course play ground, HUGE spray park, and a freaking monkey bars playground... that's right, I said a monkey bars playground with more than 20 different types/styles of monkey bars. This park is INSANE - if you haven't been here, you NEED to come. Get up, right now and go! So pray tell, why am I only giving 4 stars rather than 5 stars? Well... Okay, compared to my family's personal have spray park, this park does not offer concessions, is not staffed during all open hours, and has a lake that little ones could run off to quickly and possibly get wet or be in a dangerous situation. So... If coming here with only big kids that you trust not to go in the lake or run out in the parking lot, then this park may become your very favourite. If you are like me with two kids under 6, this park requires a 1:1 ratio of adults to children to be certain of safety. I will most definitely be coming back here again and again and again!

I really enjoyed this park in the past but I have to say when you're less mobile, it does take some…read moresleuthing to figure out where to access things to get a better walk close to the ravine. Beautiful at all times of the year and one of my most favourite winter events is held within this park. Being that I live decently close to this park, I was surprised the 3 access points to this park I've encountered were all massive stairs but none of them had signs for any options for accessible routes. Lovely benches always nearby the top of the stairs which I've enjoyed this summer and some being near smaller open parks, I've enjoyed watching the dogs. I wouldn't recommend using the stair routes unless you're looking for good cardio in your day otherwise after a long walk in the ravine, it is quite a hike back up (speaking from past experiences!). Today, I took a neighbourhood construction detour and wondered where everyone was going with bikes and dogs. It was like the whole neighbourhood was outside! I smartly followed the dog walkers and biker groups. Finally, flatter trails and easier slope access points to the park were wonderfully revealed. There's cement paths on the upper portions of millcreek and more gravel and dirt paths on the lower levels. Some beautiful places for photos - tons of people out there today for family and engagement photos with the beautiful fall colours and the lovely bridges. I really like millcreek ravine due to the mix use. There's a good mix of on and off leash trails for dog walkers. Good trails for all sorts of bikes. Decent paved trails for young families. Nice variation of walking paths for various fitness levels. Lovely way to connect with nature without driving out of the city. I do have to say with everyone outside, I was surprised that I was one of the few with a mask on in the park. Some areas the trails are so narrow, you're almost shoulder to shoulder passing by. The path I ended on was going in the direction of the pool but due to my limited walking distance stamina, I turned around way before reaching that. Had a great but unexpected chat with friends on my way back to my vehicle which of course was much closer than I actually thought (it's easy to loose track of how far you've gone so good to remember to charge up your phone before going into the ravine so you can check distances/path maps).

It's kinda my Go-To because it's close by. Endless trails…read more Sometimes they are mucky. If you don't like dogs, stay off the lower South trail that allows off leash access. There is one porta potty in the parking lot beside the Mill Creek pool turnoff. Lots of cyclists. Most of them use their bells to give you heads up. Some will shout..."On your left!'... I shout back, "I doubt that, pal. I voted NDP". I can walk 10 km through this park which gives me a pretty nice, safe workout. I also stop and smell the roses.

I've always liked coming to Hawrelak Park. One year I was taking a summer class at UofA and I…read morewould walk here after class to enjoy the greenery and quiet space. Over the years, we've enjoyed the sites to have BBQs and gatherings. It's a spacious park and even with crowds, it never seems that busy (except during Heritage Days). Most recently I was here for the Rock Festival at the Amphitheatre. It's easy to find the white top and the walking from parking isn't far as it's central. Inside there was plenty of seating with a good view of the stage and those who brought their own lawn chairs could enjoy it from the outside where it was a bit warmer when the sun was out. There's a water fountain near the washrooms and lots of women stalls, although with this crowd, there was always a line up that moved fast. They also had porta potties. There were tents set up with vendors on one site, and food trucks on the other, and sometimes the walkway got crowded but I could walk around them. I enjoyed the event, and it got a bit chilly so I'm glad we also brought a blanket to keep warm!

William Hawrelak Park is one of Edmonton's most used parks, and used by me and my family on a…read moreregular basis. The park is named after a former mayor of Edmonton and the site used to be an old gravel pit. My, much has changed over time! The park is situated just off Groat Road with the North Saskatchewan River running by it's side. The park has many amenities available from picnic areas, public washrooms, amphitheater, playground, and of course the lake. Regardless of the time of year you go to Hawrelak Park there is always something to do - skating, cross country skiing and snow shoeing in the winter to flying kites, paddle boats, wildlife watching and chilling out in the summer. Some of the larger picnic areas need to be booked in advance and to do so you need to call the City's Parks and Rec division. Regardless of the time of year you'll see people running through the park as part of the trail system goes through it. It's also a hot spot for wedding pictures. Hawrelak Park has been the location of many events from the annual Heritage Days Festival, Edmonton marathon route, the now defunct Bright Nights Festival, Terry Fox Run, Symphony Under The Stars, sporting events and Silver Skate Festival, to name a few.

I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed spending many a lunchbreak at this park! I often meet up…read morewith a girlfriend to run the stairs and am definitely looking forward to the blooming of the donated rose bushes come warmer weather! You can connect up to Jasper Ave via the stairs at the Shaw or continue your trek across the river and over to the Muttart via the footbridge. There is even a little riverfront promenade down below with a view of the Edmonton Queen Riverboat!

At an event at the Shaw and looking for a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle? A short walk…read moresouth of the Conference Centre is the park which you can access by the doors out of the Shaw and down the stairs. It's easy to get to and away from the downtown activity and great for walkers and runners. There's the riverfront plaza and promenade where there are washrooms available. The Chinese garden is lovely and I have seen wedding parties take photos at this location. It's serene and a lovely walk on the trail beside the river. There can be a few runners but room for walkers and runners to share. You can also see the River Queen and I believe you can access it with a walk across the pedestrian bridge and then a short walk through the park on the other side. If you want to sit and relax, there are benches with the view of the river. One of the many great parks in Edmonton!

I would say this is the best dog park in the city! I love the trails and I always enjoy going for a…read morewalk there. My most favourite time is fall. Also I have been exploring all different trails not just the big loop. If you would like to walk your dog or just enjoy nature for about an hour, this is a good place to go to! :)

This place is great because it is so big and people have enough space to be able to walk around. I…read morewent on Friday with the doggies and thankfully there was a lot of space. I will say that I didn't expect there to be so many people - so something to be mindful of, although it's not hard to have space. There is a trail that goes in a circle right around the park, I find that is a great place to start! It's a great place for doggies to come and get some socialization. They have a treat truck as well that is out for snacks.