South Glenmore Park

South Glenmore Park — the high side of the reservoir

Spread across 347 hectares along the bluff above Glenmore Reservoir, South Glenmore trades traffic noise for open water, white sails and the wooded delta of the Weaselhead below. Few parks in Calgary manage to hold an inclusive playground, a purpose-built music garden, a national-calibre sailing school and genuine wilderness within a single afternoon’s walk.

Highlights

• Reservoir lookouts — the bluff-top pathway frames sails out on the water and the delta forest spreading out below.
• Glenmore Sailing School — the largest sailing school in Canada, teaching to national CANSail standards right through the summer.
• Weaselhead Flats — 237 hectares of wetland, oxbows and spruce, entered on foot from the park’s western end.
• Quinterra Legacy Garden — eleven playable outdoor instruments ringing a nine-metre stage, Calgary’s first dedicated music garden.
• Variety Children’s Park — an inclusive playground rebuilt in 2021, sitting right beside a free spray park.
• Bicycle pump track — two asphalt loops of 110 and 204 metres, one for beginners and one for confident riders.

What you’ll find

Facilities cluster near the parking areas at the top of the bank; from there paved pathways run east and west, high above the water.

• Paved regional pathway, part of the 16-kilometre loop right around the reservoir
• Inclusive playground, a smaller traditional playground and the Variety Spray Park
• Sailing school with 420s, Lasers, Optimists, a Catalina day cruiser, canoes and kayaks
• Tennis courts, a polo field and the two-loop bicycle pump track
• Picnic areas, a bookable covered shelter, water fountains and seasonal washrooms
• Off-leash areas near the lots and City-set cross-country ski trails in winter

Things to do — and who it’s for

• Runners and cyclists — the 16-kilometre reservoir loop is almost entirely separated from traffic.
• Beginner sailors — CANSail lessons, week-long camps and boat rentals run from May into October.
• Birdwatchers — more than 200 bird species and 300 plant species have been recorded in the Weaselhead.
• Families — inclusive play, spray park, shade and washrooms all sit within a few steps of each other.
• Young riders — the shorter track’s seven berms and nineteen rollers make a gentle first pump track.
• Anyone needing quiet — the music garden’s benches face long views west, out over the delta.

Getting there & practical

The park lines the reservoir’s south bank alongside the Bayview, Palliser and Oakridge communities. Bus routes 56 and 304 stop close to the main entrances, and Heritage station on the Red Line is roughly a half-hour walk away. Parking and entry are both free, and the park is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Allow two hours for the playground, pathway and lookouts, or a full three if you drop down into the Weaselhead and climb back.

When to visit

The reservoir usually opens to boats around 1 May, once the ice has cleared, and the sailing season runs into October. Summer adds the spray park and long northern evenings on the water. Autumn is the photographer’s season, when the delta’s aspen and willow turn gold and migrating flocks come through. Winter brings cross-country ski trails set by the City and a quiet, snow-muffled walk along the top of the bank.

Good to know

The dam was completed in 1932 and began supplying Calgary’s drinking water on 19 January 1933, which is why swimming has never been permitted here. Below the park, the Elbow River fans out into the city’s only river delta — the Weaselhead, a name recorded in this valley since the 1890s and given to a steel bridge built across the river in 1900. The flats were finally protected as parkland in the early 1980s.

Visitor tips

• Bikes and dogs are restricted to the paved regional pathway; the Weaselhead’s dirt trails are for walkers only.
• There are no washrooms inside the Weaselhead, deliberately, to protect the reservoir — go before you head down.
• The descent from the bluff is steep and the return climb is longer than it looks, so carry water with you.

Questions & answers

Can you swim in the reservoir? No. It is Calgary’s drinking water supply, so swimming is prohibited year-round.

Can I rent a boat? Yes — sailboats, canoes and kayaks, plus a Catalina day cruiser seating up to six adults.

Is the playground accessible? Yes. Variety Children’s Park was rebuilt as an inclusive playground in 2021.

Are dogs allowed? On leash on the paved pathway, with designated off-leash areas near the parking lots.

What is Quinterra Legacy Garden? A memorial music garden opened in 2020, with eleven playable outdoor instruments.

How long is the pathway loop? About 16 kilometres for the full circuit around the whole reservoir.