Summary:
- Calgary boasts one of North America's most extensive networks of bike paths and trails, offering a multitude of choices for cyclists looking for day trips.
- The day trips included on this list cover a wide variety of terrain types, including dirt trails, paved pathways, roads, and off-road sections. Scenery ranges from semi-rural rolling hills and wildflower patches to mountain vistas and ranchlands.
- While some trails are within city limits, such as the $50 million 138 km Calgary Greenway, others venture into nearby mountains and valleys, like Highwood Pass and Sheep River Valley, offering a wide variety of local and more distant biking adventures.
- Choosing the right bike for your day trip helps you stay comfortable and get the most from your experience. Find options that match your specific riding style and the kinds of trips you’re planning to take when you shop at Calgary eBikes.
If you’ve got a bike or eBike you can rely on, Calgary’s one of the easiest cities in North America to lose yourself in for a day. That’s because our fair city boasts one of the most extensive networks of bike paths and trails anywhere on the continent. Your biggest challenge won’t be finding places to go; it’ll be narrowing down the list! Luckily, that’s where we come in to help.
Our team at Calgary eBikes knows the cycling routes in and around Cowtown better than we know the backs of our hands (and that’s saying something, since we spend a lot of time staring at them while they’re wrapped around our handlebar grips!). Follow along to discover 8 awesome day trips inside—and just outside—the city limits.
Via Strava.
The Road to Nepal
Length: 55 km
Terrain Types: Dirt trails
Recommended eBikes: eMTBs, Fat Tire eBikes
Why We Love It: We’re jumping right into the deep end this time around—the first ride on our list is a long, steep climb through gorgeous, semi-rural rolling hills (although there are also a few flat sections that provide welcome breaks). You’ll find the starting point in the parking lot where Highways 773 and 22X intersect. From there, it’s a deep dive into picturesque farm country—all the way to nearby Priddis and back if you want!
Via Calgary Journal.
Calgary to Chestermere
Length: 29 km
Terrain Types: Paved pathways
Recommended eBikes: Commuter eBikes, Cruiser eBikes
Why We Love It: This diamond in the rough is largely unknown and unused, even by cyclists who know the city well. That might be because the earlier sections take you through the city’s industrial sector—but once you make it through that, you’ll be rewarded with gorgeous wildflowers and even a few places to spot horses! Start out East from the Calgary Zoo and travel along the Western Irrigation Ditch Canal (trust us, the name is misleading—this ride eventually gets really pretty).
Via CBC.
The Calgary Greenway
Length: 138 km
Terrain Types: Paved pathways, gravel, and off-road sections
Recommended eBikes: Fat Tire eBikes
Why We Love It: You’ll pass through no less than 55 different communities if you complete this ambitious loop, which winds all around the city and gives you opportunities to connect with over 1,000 kms of other pathways. This massive project cost the city over $50 million to build, so it’d be a shame if you didn’t use it! Find your access point on this map (it’s the green line encircling the city marked “Rottary-Mattamy Greenway”, which is the official name).
Via Banff National Park.
Highwood Pass
Length: 76 km
Terrain Types: Roads and back trails
Recommended eBikes: eMTBs, Fat Tire eBikes, some Commuter eBikes
Why We Love It: You’ll have to venture a little way out of the city for this one, but it’s worth it—you’ll get a skyline filled with incredible mountain vistas on a trip that takes you from the starting point at Longview through Highwood Pass, and which finishes at the King Creek Ridge Trailhead after an exhilarating downhill stretch.
Via Cochrane Tourism.
Glenbow Ranch
Length: 40 km
Terrain Types: Paved pathways and shale trails
Recommended eBikes: Commuter eBikes, some Cruisers
Why We Love It: This section of the Trans-Canada Trail winds through some of the most beautiful wildflower patches anywhere around Calgary. Start from the Glenbow Ranch Visitor Centre and take the Bowbend Trail towards Cochrane. Towards the end of the day, this trail tends to be less crowded (so go later if you want more space to yourself!).
Via Bike Cochrane.
Cochrane Horse Creek
Length: 50 km
Terrain Types: Paved roads
Recommended eBikes: Commuter eBikes, Cruisers
Why We Love It: Yes, you’ll be on the road for practically all of this trip—but it will take you through some of Alberta’s most beautiful ranchlands, so you’ll still get plenty to look at. Begin from the parking lot at Historic Cochrane Ranche and ride to Horse Creek Road along Highway 1A—you’ll spend about 20 klicks riding North on that before taking Grand Valley West back to the 1A and using that to return to Cochrane.
Via Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies.
Elbow River Valley
Length: 60 km
Terrain Types: Paved roads
Recommended eBikes: Fat Tire eBikes, Commuter eBikes, Cruisers
Why We Love It: Start in Station Flats near Bragg Creek—then ride along the wide shoulder of Highway 66, which is closed to cars during the winter but often free of snow by the start of April. You’ll get a serious workout here, since the road climbs about 500m, but you’ll also get some incredible mountain views—just look out for horse manure, since there’s a fair amount of equestrian traffic in this region!
Sheep River Valley
Length: 38 km
Terrain Types: Paved roads
Recommended eBikes: Folding eBikes, Commuter eBikes, some Cruisers
Why We Love It: Less than an hour South of Calgary by car, you’ll find Diamond Valley. Taking a folding eBike lets you park at the Main Street Community Centre in this quaint town—otherwise, you’ll either need a roof rack or you’ll have to add the distance out there to the trip you’re planning. Anyway, once you’re there, head from Turner Valley all the way to Junction Creek. You’ll get an elevation gain of 645 m and pass through a good variety of different areas (including forests, foothills, and pastures filled with livestock).
Calgary: A City Made for Two-Wheeled Day Tripping
With millions invested in bike-related infrastructure and the continent’s biggest network of urban trails, Calgary is a day-tripping cyclist’s dream. Whether you’re circling the city on the Greenway, exploring nearby towns like Chestermere, or taking off for an adventure through the nearby mountains, you’re certain to find more than enough to challenge and delight you. Make sure you have the right bike, then use the list above to plan your next all-day adventure!