Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park

A Ranch Heritage Park Above The Bow River, With Prairie Hills, Grassland Trails, The Old Glenbow Ranch Buildings, Views Of The Rockies And A Mix Of Cycling And Walking Routes. A Good Half Day Close To Calgary And Cochrane · Cochrane, Alberta

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park occupies the Bow River valley just east of Cochrane, roughly 30 km north-west of Calgary, where the prairie ends and the Rocky Mountain foothills begin (confirm distance). It was created in 2008 from a historic ranch of about 1,300 hectares, and the old ranch headquarters still stand on a bench above the river with a stone and timber look from the early twentieth century. Trails cross fescue grassland, aspen groves and river flats, with wide views west to the Rockies on a clear day. The valley once supplied sandstone for Calgary buildings, and traces of quarries and rail grades remain in the slopes (confirm details). Mule deer, coyotes, Swainson hawks and mountain bluebirds are common, and the Bow River carries rafts, anglers and paddlers in summer. There is no entry fee, though some activities and programs charge (confirm), and the park is a favourite for walkers, runners and cyclists from Calgary and Cochrane.

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, on the Bow River valley just east of Cochrane about 30 km north-west of Calgary; coordinates approximate, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada

The park is open daily all year, generally from about dawn to dusk, with trails available to walkers, runners and cyclists throughout the daylight hours. The ranch house, visitor information and any interpretive programs keep seasonal and weekend hours, so confirm times before you go. Parking lots may close at dusk. Trails turn muddy in the spring thaw, and winter ice makes the steeper slopes slick, so check local conditions before a long visit.

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