Tobogganing Hills in Calgary

Written by Dana Wheatley; Photo: Fotolia.com

When I was looking for great places to toboggan with my kids, I was surprised to find out that downhill tobogganing and sledding in The City of Calgary’s parks are only allowed on 22 designated toboggan hills (this does not cover private, provincial, or federal land - they are free to make their own rules regarding sledding).

It’s not as bad as it seems, though (at one point in time, there were only four approved hills in Calgary). The designation means that The City has the power to deal with unsafe sledding if it does occur and the hills on this list are safe and maintained. These 22 hills are large enough to be tons of fun, and are in safe locations free of trees and other obstacles.

Safety first!

The City of Calgary has important safety guidelines to follow when enjoying these safe and exciting hills:

• Wear a helmet.
• Don’t start down the hill until the path in front of you is clear of people and obstacles.
• When walking back up the hill, avoid areas where others are sledding.
• Avoid wearing dangling clothing, like mittens on strings and scarves.
• Don’t sled at night.
• Don’t go down the hill head first. Sit up or kneel instead.
• Get out of the way quickly when your sled stops.
• Make sure the hill you are tobogganing on is clear of obstacles, has a long run-off at the bottom, and sled on!

Here is the official list of The City of Calgary’s maintained hills:

Northwest quadrant

• Confederation Park - 2807, 10 Street NW
• Hidden Valley - 10504 Hidden Valley Drive NW
• Royal Oak - 9100 Royal Birch Boulevard NW
• St. Andrew’s Heights - 2504, 13 Avenue NW

Northeast quadrant

• Big Marlborough Park - dry pond - 755 Madeira Drive NE
• Deerfoot Athletic Park - 1503, 16 Avenue NE
• Marlborough Community Association - 636 Marlborough Way NE
• Monterey Park - 2707 Catalina Boulevard NE
• Prairie Winds Park - 223 Castleridge Boulevard NE
• Rundle - dry pond - 4120 Rundlehorn Drive NE
• St. Patrick’s Island Hill - 1300 Zoo Road NE (not under The City’s jurisdiction - sledding is at your own risk)
• Thorncliffe/Greenview - 5600 Centre Street NE

Southeast quadrant

• Maple Ridge - dry pond - 1127 Mapleglade Drive SE
• McKenzie Towne - 160 McKenzie Towne Drive SE
• New Brighton - 1750 New Brighton Drive SE

Southwest quadrant

• Bridlewood - 26 Bridleglen Road SW
• Glendale Park - 2225, 45 Street SW
• Kingsland - dry pond - 505, 78 Avenue SW (behind the Rose Kohn/Jimmie Condon Arenas)
• Richmond Green - 2539, 33 Avenue SW
• Sacramento - dry pond - 10404 Sacramento Drive SW
• Scarboro - 1737, 14 Avenue SW
• Signal Hill - 2063 Sirocco Drive SW
• Stanley Park - 330, 42 Avenue SW

Top-notch for tobogganing?

If you want a hill to be considered for tobogganing, contact 311. A site assessment will be conducted and a public engagement process will determine the site’s suitability.

Now, let’s all head to the hills for some classic Canadian winter fun!

Dana searches out the best places to play, eat, and learn with her kids in Calgary, across Alberta, and beyond. Her three kids also contribute their unfiltered opinions to her reviews. To explore more, visit calgaryplaygroundreview.com and follow her on Instagram.