Pearce Estate Park
Pearce Estate Park is a reconstructed wetland and playground with ponds and streams. It’s located on the Bow River in southeast Calgary, downriver from the Calgary Zoo and upriver from the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.
It’s a great place to take your kids for a day of fun in nature. It also features an interpretive centre, a fish hatchery and a trout pond. A great post ahead.
Wetland
Pearce Estate Park is a city park that combines recreation, education and conservation of wetlands. It is located east of the Calgary Zoo and in a bend of the Bow River near the neighbourhood of Inglewood.
The wetland ecosystem at Pearce Estate Park is made up of balsam poplar trees and ponds that are home to numerous wildlife and birds. It is also a great place to find the Northern Flicker, which is a cavity nesting bird that builds its nest in cavities within trees.
Despite their beauty and significance, many wetlands are regularly filled in for the construction of roads and infrastructure. That’s why the City of Calgary has protected a number of wetlands throughout the city, making it one of the first Canadian cities to do so.
In 2004, the wetland at Pearce Estate Park was reconstructed, blending nature with education. It is an interpretive wetland that offers 15 hectares of trails to wander and discover the wonders of a natural wetlands area.
Playground
Pearce Estate Park is an excellent place for families to take a stroll and play. It’s a wetlands park located on a bend of the Bow River in one of Calgary’s oldest communities, Inglewood.
The park has a lot of cool playground equipment, including several swings: accessible swings, regular swings, double swings (where two kids can swing facing each other), saucer swings and baby swings. There’s also a big climbing structure and a storefront for pretend play.
There’s a gazebo-style climbing structure called “Treehouse” which has several climbing options and a slide. Underneath there are several sandboxes for playing with toys, diggers and excavators.
North Glenmore Park Inclusive Playground is a fully inclusive playground with easy ramp access, lots of slides, climbers and swings on the ground level, a giant structure in the middle and a roller tunnel for little ones. The upper tier has a large rope-y structure, musical elements and a 4-person bouncer. Visit another area in town here.
Picnic Areas
Pearce Estate Park is a big beautiful park along the Bow River in Southeast Calgary with wetlands, picnic areas, playground and lovely hiking trails through the forest and on the riverside. It is a short drive downriver from the Calgary Zoo and the white-water kayak slalom course at Harvie Passage.
The reconstructed wetland at Pearce Estate Park has interpretive signs and is home to a variety of birds, plants, and invertebrates throughout the different seasons. The 15 hectares of natural trails make it easy to enjoy the wetlands and learn about its importance as a habitat for wildlife.
The park also has a large and generously treed area with bookable picnic sites, a nice little playground and mature balsam poplars for plenty of shade. The park is well-maintained and has a number of washrooms (seasonal) that are wheelchair accessible.
Boat Ramp
If you’re looking for a day on the water, there are plenty of options in and around Calgary. You can rent rafts, kayaks and SUPs from local companies, or book a guided whitewater trip.
A popular float route starts at Shouldice Park and takes you under the Peace Bridge, through many islands and past beautiful parks. It’s a two- to three-hour float.
This popular boat ramp has a large parking lot and washrooms. It’s often busy in the summer months with float tube rental operations out of this location. Public access improvements to this site were completed under Calgary’s River Access Strategy, including an expanded staging area and short-term parking stalls. Continue reading about Stanley Park.
Driving directions from Wipe Clean to Pearce Estate Park
Driving directions from Pearce Estate Park to Stanley Park
