Exploring Calgary's Bowness Park, Fir Trails and Farmers Market Walks
Lori Beattie possesses extensive expertise when it comes to walking paths. She has personally traversed every trail featured in her newly updated publication, Calgary's Best Walks. In recent months, we have showcased several of the 95 walks detailed in Beattie's guide, providing comprehensive information and highlighting delightful stops along each route.
Walks 13 and 14: Bowness Park, Romeo and Juliet Trail, and Farmers Market
Today, we focus on walks 13 and 14 from the collection, which explore Bowness Park, the Romeo and Juliet Trail, and the Calgary Farmers' Market in the Bowness area.
The Historic Charm of Bowness Park
Bowness Park has served as a beloved gathering spot for families and friends since the early 1900s. Its popularity surged in 1920 when a streetcar service operated every 15 minutes from Calgary to the town of Bowness. Although Bowness became part of Calgary in 1964, it has preserved its distinctive small-town atmosphere, making walks here consistently surprising and enjoyable.
During winter months, visitors can bring their skates or rent them at the convenient rental hut to glide across the Bowness Lagoon or the skating oval, which forms a frozen outdoor maze. The lagoons are equipped with numerous fire pits, allowing walkers to warm their hands. Remember to pack a Thermos filled with hot chocolate for the perfect winter outing.
Walk 13: From Paved Paths to Natural Wilderness
Walk 13 commences with a combination of paved paths and sidewalks before crossing the Bow River into Bowmont Natural Environment Park. This area is teeming with birdlife, so keep an eye out for migrant warblers, chickadees, nuthatches, and even majestic owls and bald eagles. While the visit to Bowmont Park is relatively brief, those who appreciate its scenery can switch to Walk 17, the Bowmont Park West route from Calgary's Best Walks, to continue onward to Waterfall Valley.
Walk 14: Ancient Forests and Indigenous History
Proceeding westward through Baker Park, imagine the historical sanatorium for tuberculosis that once occupied this site, now home to a popular disc golf course. Cross under the Bow River via Stoney Trail and enter the Wood's Douglas Fir Tree Sanctuary. This sanctuary protects one of the few remaining stands of inland Rocky Mountain Douglas fir trees in Alberta, some aged up to 400 years.
As you ascend above the Bow River toward Valley Ridge, pause to reflect on the Indigenous Peoples who historically hunted and gathered medicines and natural products in this region. The Rocky Mountain Douglas fir trees were particularly valued for their elastic quality, used to craft bows. This area was known as man-a-cha-pan, loosely translated as the place where they go for bows, which ultimately gave the Bow River its name.
The Romeo and Juliet Trail Connection
Loop back from Valley Ridge and connect to the Romeo and Juliet wilderness trail. This nature trail is named after the Romeo and Juliet Inn, which burned down in 1997. It links to Walk 14 at a staircase leading to Greenwood Village Mobile Home Park. Continue your journey to the Calgary Farmers' Market in the new Greenwich community, where you can fill your backpack with fresh local produce. A highly recommended purchase is a bag of Beck's carrots from Innisfail Growers, renowned as some of the sweetest carrots you will ever taste.
Returning to Bowness Park
After visiting the market, return to explore the historic community of Bowness. Navigate its charming side streets, engage in friendly conversations with local Bownesians (pronounced Bow-NEE-zhins), and eventually connect to the Bow River Pathway, which guides you back to Bowness Park, completing a rewarding and scenic walking adventure.
