Dog Hiking in a city of 1 million people? You bet! Calgary is a dog friendly town situated in the foothills of the beautiful Alberta Rocky Mountains. This fast growing town of a million people is also home to over 100,000 dogs. Calgary boasts numerous park trails as well as wide open spaces, and both on and off leash areas for your dog to enjoy.

One of the gems you will find here are what are called Natural Environment Parks or NEP for short. Some of these great areas include Griffith Woods in the southwest and Nose Hill Park in the northwest. Fish Creek is one of Canada's largest urban parks covering 1348 hectares. Forests, grasslands and wetlands are home to many species of wild animals and birds. The many trails here offer countless hours of hiking adventure for you and your dog.

A word about off leash. It doesn’t mean out of control. You must be able to recall your dog if you are going to let it off leash in these situations. Even in off leash parks, there can be people and dogs who don’t want your dog racing towards them or jumping up on them. Teach your dog to come when called before heading out to an off leash area. Please be responsible and considerate of other park users.