Okay, okay - I've done a loop of dog parks in the city. Another 9 this month, to be exact. I've…read moreseen them from Tuscany, to Falconridge, to Auburn Bay to Oakridge, and back. And River Park is so far my favourite in the entire city. Granted, 10 parks doesn't mean I've seen them all. Heck no - there are 149! (Did you know that?) But... - there's a river accessible but not too close to the park for dogs that like to leap before looking (like mine) - amazing volunteers who help keep the park clean - baggies available almost all the time for when you forget yours - 3 huge garbage bins - views of downtown, river valley... ahhh... I love watching people float down the river in the summer! - tons of trees, bushes, etc. making it a really beautiful park to be in during the spring, summer and fall - no "pathways" through the park, bringing a grey area to right-of-way and safety of your pet - CLOSE TO HOME! Why did I give it 4 stars before? The parking. But, compared to other parks, it's a breeze. I'll forgive the busy parking lot from the rafters for a few weeks in the summer for all the other advantages this park brings. River Park is, hands down, the best park so far. 5 stars, no doubt in my mind. (Yelp Kicks Butt Challenge BONUS 11/10)

Of all the dog parks I've taken Miki to, this one honestly has to be my favorite. It's a very nice…read moreopen non-fenced park, with a great view of the city and the river. It's also one of the cleaner dog parks too (meaning people properly pick up after their dogs, for the most part). It's also one of the bigger off-leash areas in the city. The only downside would be the parking lot and school congestion during weekdays. However, there is plenty of parking on the street. After the May long weekend, the city installs a fountain for both people and their canine companions (which is excellent in the summer).

Really nice area Love being able to walk to Cochrane city…read morelimits without actually leaving the country side I look forward to doing some running out here sometime, maybe some riding

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is a brand spanking new park just 2 km outside of Cochrane. I've been…read morereading a bit about the park online, so decided to check the park out yesterday with my best friend. There aren't any signs up yet for the park, so if you're heading out, you'll want to look for Glenbow Rd. Coming from Calgary, Glenbow Rd is on the left hand side of the highway, and Range Rd 35 on the right. Be careful, the highway is busy and there's construction as well, it looks like they're twinning it the rest of the way to Cochrane. If you want to play things on the safe side, drive on through to the first subdivision at the top of the hill in Cochrane. Then turn around and head back the other direction. Now your turn will be on your right and you won't need to cross traffic on a busy highway. Once you turn onto Glenbow Rd, follow it all the way down. Yes you're on the right track. At the very end of the road you'll come across the parking lot for the park. Drive slowly, there are plenty of twists and turns in the narrow gravel road that even going 40 around them felt a little risky. Bring your own water, there are no fountains here, at least not yet. Also, if you're in need of a washroom, your only bet is a couple of outhouses in the parking lot. Use them before you hit the park. As you descend the first hill into the park, you'll come across the Visitor Centre. There were a couple of park stewards there to answer questions and chat with visitors who stopped in. The Visitor Centre has a few artifacts and information posters about the history of the area, the park, etc. From there, the park is yours to explore! If the prairie lands and the hills and a big, blue, open Alberta sky take your breath away, be prepared to be awestruck as you make your way through the various paths. This park is BEAUTIFUL. Five stars for scenery. We passed people walking, riding their bikes, even roller blading (ok, so the bikers and roller bladers passed us...). Dogs are allowed so long as they're on a leash. There are two main (paved) pathways for those of you with wheels. For the rest of us, there are also some gravel paths to take through different areas of the park. We ended up taking the first switchback path down one side of the hill, and then decided we wanted to find our way down to the river. You can, but its a bit of a walk. At any rate, the park may be open, but it isn't quite finished yet. Some things I'd like to see as it's developed are more picnic sites further along the walking trails, washroom facilities along the way, and perhaps a few other destinations in the park, like pointing the way to one of the old camping sites marked by rock circles they mention in the Visitor Centre. Also, the park is using QR codes on some of the information plaques around the park. I scanned a couple of these excited to see what they might bring up, but all I got was the same map of the park I was already looking at. While I'll admit this did come in handy 15 minutes later when there was no plaque in front of us, while at the plaque, I was disappointed that it didn't let me in on some additional facts about the park or something else that would have been a fun surprise. What's the point of scanning something if I'm only going to see what I'm already looking at? Otherwise, the park's off to a good start. Go check it out! But remember, be wary crossing the highway traffic, dear yelpers, it's not the safest move just yet.

I was actually trying to find the dog park in Albert Park but we never managed it, so this was one…read moreof the next closest according to the City of Calgary website. Parking is a little tough to find but we finally parked on on New St (Ave?) and that worked out fine. We saw 2 dogs when first arriving and that was it for our entire visit. There are some pluses to this park... it's near the river, so if you're not nervous about your dog and the current, would be a nice place to swim them (unfortunately, mine is 17 lbs and thinks she's stronger than she is, so if I let her to her own devices she'd be floating down the Bow in no time). It's also a little hilly and has some nice trees - I bet it's a pretty place in the summer. However, it seems that you're always too close to some sort of "danger" zone... either the street, the river or the pathway. I'm a little confused about the pathway going right through an off leash park. If a cyclist were to hit my dog, who would be the party at fault: me (and my dog) or the cyclist? All in all, I can't see this being a park I visit often. Maybe I'll try again in the summer and be a little more impressed. (Yelp Kicks Butt Challenge Places 4/10)

The park is pretty, but a dog park through a bike path seems like a bad idea. There was river…read moreaccess for the dogs to swim, but after seeing two used syringes in a 5 metre span it didn't seem safe for the dogs. It's also not at all the park in the pictures of the brown dog someone posted.

This is a big park, maybe 4 acres. The service is dirt and pebbles at remarkably dry considering a…read morereal days. It's only a few minutes off the trans Canada Highway and you pass a lot of shops and restaurants between the freeway and here. There are garbage cans but no water. Park has a feel of the neighborhood park as people are gathering and talking and the dogs seem very chill.

We love this park, we take our pup there alot. We love that it is fenced in, and that the people…read morewho go there are always super friendly. The only complaint is that not everybody picks up after their pup. The bin is right by the main gate! It is easy to access, right on the river, and almost always lots of parking. If the lot is full it just means there are alot of dogs playing. It is their park, not ours, and my dog knows when we are headed there and becomes super excited.

This is one of our favourite dog parks for being by the river and having so much space to the let…read morethe dog run off leash. It has great quality path ways easy for pushing the stroller on and even when it's busy there is still plenty of room for the pups to play. I will continue using this park when ever we can it's one of the best in the city

I popped in aware that Sue Higgins Park has a big dog park, assuming I'd be able to walk and there…read morewould also be cute dogs. The cute dogs expectation was very accurate. The ability to go for a walk was not. This is not a park that allows dogs off-leash or a park with a dog park, this is very much a giant dog park. If you don't have a dog this is not a place to go for a walk. It's a super cool dog park! There are a bunch of different fenced in areas, including a huge agility course and river access. It seemed new and well maintained. The highway noise is pretty intense, but worth putting up with to enjoy letting your dog run and socialize.

McHugh Bluff is really also called the Stairs. Yes there is the long stairs there where you walk up…read moreto an awesome view. You get to see the view of downtown buildings. Great for picture taking. McHugh Bluff is kind of linked to Prince's Island Park. Great exercise here.

One enjoyable mid-day walk is to walk parts of Prince's Island Park and maybe climb the stairs at…read moreMcHugh Bluff. It's good for the calves and when I got to the top, I felt that my huffing and puffing was well earned (especially after a heavy Lunch). Another payoff is the view and the desire to go back down and try it again! The last time I made the climb, there were some pretty hard core folks working the stairs. I watched one guy time himself repeatedly as he ran up 2 of the flights at full speed. I saw another sprint the entire 167 stair length. I admired all that action and then decided on a gentler approach of wandering off on one of the other various pathway choices that the Bluff has to offer.

This area has alot of tall grass…read more It has different terrain (hilly), some lightly wooded area, and seems peaceful. There are some benches and a picnic table if you and your dog want to chill out. It is a popular place for dog owners and professional walkers.

When you're driving into Edworthy Park, if you jig to the left instead of jagging to the right, you…read moreenter the offleash park area. There are 3 parking lots (that I know of) in case the first one is full. Just keep driving! There are rarely bags here - so be sure to bring your own. I like this park for the hills and trees... there are a number of different paths you can travel along, which makes it a more interesting experience than those parks with only one main path. It's not fully fenced but it's never been an issue for me. The people are friendly and there are some great views of downtown - even benches if you want to take a breather and just relax. The hills can get icy in the winter, especially the tree-protected ones near the first parking lot, so be careful and wear proper footwear. I don't come here often but when I have it's never been overly busy, which is nice. Sometimes a crowded park can feel a little overwhelming. (Yelp Kicks Butt Challenge 2/10)

This is a nice easy walk. Lots of parking. Its connected to the dog park. Nice and flat and lots of…read moregreen. Good walk and nice scenery. It is close to highway. So you somewhat see highway view.