Winter Sporting Activities in YYC
Best of Calgary is a celebration of the people, places and voices that make Calgary an amazing place to live and call home.
Written by: Kelsey Woods
Time to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, Calgary! With temperatures still above zero in the third week of January, we are pretty lucky to be experiencing one of the warmest winters Calgary has seen in awhile (so far!). So, let’s take advantage of it and get some outdoor exercise while we can. If you’re looking for new ideas, try out some of these fun ways to spend time in the great outdoors - whether it’s with your family, your friends or to simply to spend a few hours alongside nature!
Sledding
Yes it’s been mild so far this winter but not so warm that we don’t have a layer of snow on the ground for our regular tobogganing days! The warm weather is perfect for building those epic jumps you always dreamed about as a kid. Grab the kiddos and hit the slopes on those crazy carpets, flying saucers, GT snow racers and good, old-fashioned toboggans. Whatever the vessel, enjoy your time spent with friends and family doing fun things outdoors.
Find a full list of city-maintained sledding hills here.
Skating
A simple but thrilling outdoor activity! Calgary is blessed with TONS of indoor and outdoor skating rinks, maintained by the city, local organizations or amazing neighbourhood volunteers. You could try out a new rink every day for months if you chose too. Skating is a great way to explore new areas of the city and get your exercise in at the same time. Don’t own skates? No problem! Several rinks around the city like Olympic Plaza and Bowness Park have skates rentals available on-site so you don’t even have to stop on the way.
Cross-Country Ski
Exploring across the city, through Fish Creek Park, but particularly just outside of Bragg Creek, you’ll find cross-country ski trails like this, surrounded by trees, snow and silence. With over 50 kilometres of cross-country ski trails, West Bragg Creek is as close as you can get to mountain country without actually being there. Rent all your gear on a first-come, first-serve basis from the old-fashioned Moose Mountain General Store for a day of gliding through the snow on perfectly groomed tracks.
Snowshoe
Why hike in regular boots when you can snowshoe across great mounds of snow and not get your feet wet?! Whether you’re trekking around Nose Hill Park or driving out to Kananaskis Country, snowshoeing is a great way to explore in the winter and not let the elements get in the way. Hike up or down the mountain in these babies - we guarantee you’ll work up quite a sweat! Rent your gear from Sports Rent in Bowness or the Outdoor Centre at the University of Calgary for reasonable rates.
Tubing
Maybe you’re looking for a more extreme winter sport. Lucky for you, WinSport has one of the largest and fastest tube parks found in Canada - and it’s right in your backyard! Get ready to speed down the hill for a three hour session, flying down the tracks solo or holding on to others to increase your speed. The park is open Thursday and Friday nights as well as on the weekends with a food truck and outdoor campfires on site so plan to spend the day here!
Time to get outside and breathe in that fresh air Calgary - how will you spend your next Saturday outdoors?!
Kelsey Woods is the Content & Editorial Manager for Best of Calgary.