Biking the Nose Creek Pathway of Calgary | Budget Adventure Travel

I mostly post on travel adventures in foreign countries (I am from Canada). But today I reverse the process and present the beauty of my hometown, Calgary, to the rest of the world.

View looking south along rail tracks parallel to Deerfoot Trail (Hwy 2)

Scenic beauty is everywhere. It is sometimes this very privilege that most local inhabitants of a place tend to ignore. I remember my days living in New York City and never having visited once the Statue of Liberty (well I did but never climbed up) or giving much consideration to the historic significance when I took the elevators in the Empire State Building. Ho hum. Another local, another day. Big deal.

Well I regret not having cherished those moments then. Now I have made it a point to always admire and cherish what is around and within my day-to-day reality more than the wonders of discovering new lands and culture and attractions.

View looking westbound along Beddington Trail and Rocky Mountains in far distance

There is this nature path in the north-east part of the City of Calgary, called Nose Creek Pathway. It runs through the rolling hills on which new settlement was developed over the past 20 years. It is also located very close to the Calgary International Airport.

To me, adventure travel is defined as the walk through a path of the unknown that slowly reveals itself piece by piece like a chocolate bar being unwrapped slowly. Is it the unraveling of the piece to see the thing in entirety or the act of walking itself while the pieces unravel one by one that intrigues me the most, I do not know. I am sure it is the same with you, the reader.

The Nose Creek pathway is a long rambling trail that can be easily hiked, jogged or biked out. Given the rolling hills, this is one cross-training program no treadmill in the gym can offer.

The views are spectacular just as well. There is no greater feeling than to be lost from the humdrum of daily life and immerse oneself in the natural wonders of the landscape. I once caught myself about to tread over a field snake that was basking in the sun on the middle of the path. Good thing I spotted it in time and stopped.

Imagine holding a relic from per-historic times when the dinosaurs walked this earth (or maybe even before they arrived!). Well there are two naturally formed rock formations (actually a large boulder that was cut in half over centuries through glacial movements).

Natural rock formations survived through the “ice age”

There is an inscription nearby the boulder that explains the phenomenon of the split rock.

Once upon a time, the native inhabitants of the region used to camp on this site and herd their buffaloes. This was perhaps a great meeting ground for transitory movements of nature and man. It is amazing how steady and yet so transient nature can be.

This is Calgary.

Money Savings Tip: For those visiting the City for extended time and looking for quality accommodation can check out extended stay options like Executive Suites accommodation. These suites come fully furnished and its a great way to incorporate self-dining options by preparing and cooking your meals at home. Another way to keep it light on the wallet and on the belly. There is also a wide selection of hotels available but always shop around on the internet by checking prices on sites like Hotels.com

For more information on Calgary, visit the Tourism Calgary website.

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Tags: @calgary2012, Beddington Trail, Biking, calgary, Country Hills Village, Cycling, Deerfoot, Hiking, native indian, Nature Trails, Nose Creek Path, Scene, Southern Alberta, split rock, Tourism Calgary, Travel Alberta, Visit Calgary, YYC

Category: Budget Adventure Travel, Canada Travels, Travel Alberta