Thrilling Summer Adventure Day Trips From Calgary

Adventure is easy to find in a city like Calgary. It is even easier to find when you venture out of the city for the day.

A day trip with thrills and adventures can mean many different things. These ideas and inspirations for an adventurous day trip form Calgary cover it all: nature trips, sightseeing, immersive experiences, sports, recreation, attractions, and wildlife. Many of these day trip ideas from Calgary are also well-suited to family adventures.

Mountain Biking & Cycling Trails

Thanks to the local terrain, many of Alberta’s best mountain biking and cycling trails are west of Calgary. Several trail systems wind around on the north and south sides of Highway 1, including the Kananaskis area, and parks further south. The trails will bring your adventure trip from Calgary to the rolling foothills or the tougher parts of the Rockies.

• The Banff Legacy Trail makes for 20km of cycling one-way between Canmore and Banff with excellent views along the entire bike ride. The ride is fairly level and even with a few smaller hills.
• Summers at Canmore Nordic Centre PP are dedicated to mountain biking! Plus, the Canmore Nordic bike trails connect at some points to the Banff Legacy Trail and are divided into difficulty levels like ski runs. The green loop is the easiest bike trail at 2km; the ratings then go up to the Blue (1.5km), Orange (7.5km), Yellow (7km & 1550m elevation gain), Black (15km & 1580m elevation gain, technical features), or the Red loop (4.5km with many technical features).
• One of the closest parks and locations is the Sheep River Provincial Park, with trails that extend out into the Bluerock Wildland.

Kids’ & Family Adventures

These family-friendly adventures will include thrilling experiences for all ages, or enough kids’ activities to give parents time to enjoy other parts of the attractions. These adventures provide inspiration for all sorts of kids and their different interests.

• Calaway Park offers an adventure for every age, especially for kids. The theme park is open seasonally and is a quick drive to the edge of the city.
• The Sylvan Lake Aqua Splash will be one of many things to enjoy at the lake this summer, along with swimming, boat rentals, beach time, or lazy floating. The Aqua Splash is a massive inflatable playground set on the water.
• Bring the kids for a series of fun and scenic hikes through Brown Lowrey Provincial Park. It is a great chance to explore the easier trails, the wildlife and birds, while creating an outdoor adventure for the younger ones on the trip.
• The Calgary Farmyard is a short drive from the southeast corner of the city and is open spring-fall,  with the programming changing for each season. The farmyard is home to several small but adventure-filled attractions for kids, like rides, games, a concession, and pony rides.
• Blackshale Creek Suspension Bridge in Kananaskis Country is a thrilling trip for any age, as the forest opens to a large canyon with the Blackshale Creek below and the trees all around.
• Visit the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site to explore underground tunnels and ride a narrow-gauge train.

 

Kayaking or Canoeing

Whether you want to go it alone for the next boating adventure or need a guide to help you through the day, there are many ways to create a kayaking or canoeing adventure close to Calgary.

• Some of the smaller, simpler-to-navigate Banff lakes that permit canoeing or kayaking include Two Jack Lake, Bow Lake, and Herbert Lake.
• Banff Canoe Club Tours make exploring the Rocky Mountain waters a little easier with guided trips on the Bow River.
• Take your paddling east of Calgary and hop on a slower and narrower part of the Bow River. Wyndham Carseland Provincial Park has a nice area for simpler paddling and clear places for getting in and out of the river.
• The Chain Lakes Provincial Park day use area offers a place to launch canoes and kayaks, as well as electric motorboats. There are many scenic foothill views to enjoy while paddling the long shoreline, as well as types of wildlife for which to keep an eye out. The park also operates a concession from May to September.

 

Power Boating & Rentals near Calgary

The thrill of power boating around a large Alberta lake for the day can be enjoyed by those, obviously with boats already, but also for those who can tow a rental. Within Calgary, there are places to stop and pick up a rented power boat, including   Sports Rent.

• The Ghost Lake Reservoir on the Bow River has a small marina and boat launch area on the south side of Highway 1A. It is a perfect option for anyone already with a boat, or for those who rent in the city.
• The Lake McGregor PRA southeast of Calgary gives boaters an expansive area to explore with enough room for adventures like waterskiing, tubing, or seadooing, and enough room and wind for sailing.
• McGregor Lake has a dam on the south end to create the Traverse and Little Bow Reservoirs. Use the Little Bow PP on the west side of the reservoir for the boat launch.

River Tubing

As the Bow River approaches Calgary, the waters become calmer and easier to navigate on an inflatable boat. Many tubers and floaters will begin after the Ghost Reservoir and float to the riverside parks in Cochrane. Similarly, the float can start in Cochrane and finish in one of Calgary’s northwest riverside parks. These are full-day river trips.

Whitewater Rafting near Calgary

The thrill of whitewater rafting is easily accessible from Calgary. The many mountain rivers rushing from west to east, and the tour operators, all help to make the area a haven for whitewater rafting adventures. And these are easily done within a day!

• Chinook Rafting take boaters out onto the Bow River and Horseshoe Canyon, Kananaskis River, or the Kicking Horse River.
• Wild Water Adventures takes thrill-seekers out on the Kicking Horse River for Exciter trips, Gentle trips, or Traditional trips.
• The tours from Canadian Rockies Rafting are offered as Whitewater, Riverboarding, or Surf Trips. These take place on the Kananaskis and Bow Rivers.

 

Aspen Crossing Train Excursions

Aspen Crossing schedule their train excursions for May to October, including a special Christmas train ride. The station is only about an hour from Calgary. The train excursions follow a variety of different themes, with some for families and some for adults only. The rides also include meals or snacks, drinks, and entertainment. Their season kicks off each year with the Mother’s Day Excursions (with a train robbery event included!).

 

The Most Challenging Hikes Near Calgary

Great hiking trails are all around Calgary and can be found in any direction you choose to travel for your day trip. These challenging hikes near Calgary receive their classification either from length, elevation gain, or a combination of both.

• Exploring the trails of Horseshoe Canyon may be simple on the way down, but it will prove more challenging on the way back up the path and stairs. There are about 5km of hiking trails below the viewing area.
• The Glenbow Ranch PP trails are a great way to get kids out on a longer hiking adventure. The park offers places to picnic, great views, and historic sites to visit.
• Head west to the foothills and Rockies for the ultimate in challenging day-hikes. Many more challenging multi-use trails lead to the Sibbald Lake PRA. The hiking area is a short drive south of Highway 1, and east of Highway 40.
• Many more challenging trails cover the eastern parts of the Rockies near Calgary in the Sheep River Provincial Park. These trails also lead into the Don Getty Wildland and the Bluerock Wildland.
• There are plenty of challenging hikes in Kananaskis Country, including Pocaterra Ridge, Nihahi Ridge, and the Arethusa Cirque Route.

Guided Fishing Tours

No need to try out fishing on the Bow River alone for the first time! These expert guides and tour operators, all west of Calgary, bring you or your group out on the water with all the knowledge and equipment needed for a successful day of fishing.

• Explore the Bow River and its many fish with the Canmore Fishing Adventures day excursions. Other adventures include stream fishing, lake fishing, and alpine lake fishing via helicopters or ATVs!
• Learn fly-fishing on the Bow River with the River People Guides. Excursions are available as full- or half-day trips.
• Take your pick between a number of packages offered from Bow River Fly Fishing Company: family float trips, walk and wade trips, or half- and full-day fly fishing trips.

 

Red Deer Adventures

Fill a day trip with all the family-friendly adventures available in Red Deer. The city and its river offer opportunities for a variety of outdoor fun from spring to fall. This includes unique attractions, natural areas, and educational opportunities.

• The Canyon Ski Resort in Red Deer offer two reasons to make a stop for some adventures: they operate both a summer pipe ski coaster and a summer tubing hill.
• The Kerry Wood Nature Centre and Gaetz Lake Sanctuary provide riverside trails to follow while watching for several types of birds and wildlife.
• Discovery Canyon is one of Red Deer’s other summer destinations with a beach area, natural tubing area, wading pool, playgrounds, and picnic spots.
• Bower Park Ponds is a good way to end a day of adventure. The riverside park has a large lagoon on which you can take rented paddleboats.

Drumheller & Adventures in the Badlands

Make a day out of exploring the beauty of the badlands east of Calgary. It doesn’t take long while driving until the prairies become the large hills and rocky valleys. The adventures in and around Drumheller begin on the highway, with all the viewpoints of the badlands and rest areas to check out. Beyond that, the small city and natural areas have much to offer for a day of adventure.

• Spend the day with a picnic at the Midland Provincial Park, a visit to the Royal Tyrell Museum, and a stroll along the museum’s short outdoor interpretive trail.
• Drive along to see the incredible viewpoints at Horsethief Canyon, Horseshoe Canyon, the Orkney Viewpoint, and Dry Island Buffalo Jump.
• Explore the ghost town of Rowley; the historic area has been well-preserved by locals to give it a true ghost-town feel.
• Hike around the Drumheller hoodoos located east of town. The geological formations are cool to see up close, and easy to explore with the trails and staircases set up around them.

 

Ideas for Mountain Adventures

Not everyone’s idea of an adventure day trip will be the same. Some may prefer the more extreme side of adventures and adrenaline rushes, while others may prefer something with less thrills. These mountain adventures offer something for both levels of thrill-seekers and can each be completed in a day with time for more adventures.

• The ski resorts west of Calgary keep their chairlifts and gondolas open to help visitors take in more accessible but still incredible views of the Rockies. These resorts include Lake Louise, Sunshine Meadows, and Mt. Norquay.
• Taking on the challenge of the Mt. Norquay Via Ferrata is one of the bigger adventures you can make in a day from Calgary. This incredible attraction and activity have visitors climbing all the way up the mountain. Different adventure levels and packages are available.

Wildlife Fun

Simply driving through the foothill and mountain areas west of Calgary may create a wildlife viewing adventure. Commonly viewed animals from the highways include big-horned sheep, deer, moose, elk, mountain goats, and bears. These tours will give you a safe environment and group setting for getting a chance at wildlife viewing around the city.

• Yanmuska Wolfdog Sanctuary is a short drive west of Calgary in Cochrane. The conservation group offer chances to walk through the wolf dog sanctuary, or Interactive Tours (for adults).
• Canmore Trails and Tales offers a variety of guided hikes through the Banff and Canmore areas. Tours run from 1-2.5 hours.
• Kick up the adventure with White Mountain Adventures, which offers everything from guided nature hikes to thrilling heli-hiking.
• Explore Discovery Wildlife, a family-owned sanctuary and campground, offers lifelong refuge to orphaned animals while educating the public about wildlife challenges.
• Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation offers a fun day out where you can take part in interactive or educational experiences and birds of prey flying demonstrations.