Just outside of Calgary, Airdrie, or Cochrane Alberta is Big Hill Springs Park.
The provincial park is for camping and day use only and is just a few minutes from Cochrane in the west on Highway 567 also known as Big Hill Springs Road.
From Airdrie to the east it is only a 20 minute drive.
So What Can You See At Big Hill Springs Park?
Big Hill Springs Provincial park is just a couple kilometers off the highway and when you enter it you can walk along the side of a nice stream. There is a bit of a walk around on a lower level and then you can hike up the hills around.
Big Hill Springs Park is great for kids as well as the hills are not a big hike and my 13 and 16 year olds have had no problems going around all of the park.
The video above was done in the middle of Winter and the conditions and sights are definitely different than Summer
Big Hill Springs Park is good in winter as well as summer but of course as with most out of our city parks it is not maintained at all. The parking lot seems to be occasionally cleared and plowed in the Winter but the park itself is untouched which to me is fantastic and very rustic.
The great hiking trails are covered in snow and getting around can be a little slippery but the upside is that it is really really quiet and there are still creeks and a waterfall to see.
One of the great things about Big Hill Springs Park is a waterfall and stream that are inside the park and the small waterfall is nice all times of the year.
The Summer is of course a lot busier. I think that this is the closest place that you can really get out of Calgary and into nature and people do flock there. The lower area on a summer day can be busy with kids playing in the freezing cold creek, families having picnics, and even couples getting wedding photos done.
Once you walk down the pathway a bit though it gets quieter. As with any large park anyone that goes a bit farther away from the main area is treated with quiet and nature undisturbed,
There is a long pathway that goes across the park, up a hill, across, and then back down. Probably 45 minutes to an hour long and not too tough but really pretty with lots of different trees, foliage, and even some wildlife although I haven’t personally seen more than squirrels myself 🙂
No matter what age you family is I think that you will find Big Hill Springs Provincial Park as a nice park to visit, quite quiet, and has lots of little picnic spots and trees to shield the heat and bright light of summer.
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