City partially closes Edworthy Park’s south parking lot until 2026 for trail repair work

A busy portion of the south parking lot at popular Edworthy Park in Calgary is closing for more than a year for a trail slope reconstruction project on Douglas Fir Trail.

The part of the Douglas Fir Trail at Edworthy Park–lined with massive, centuries-old trees–has been closed since November 2023, after a temporary fix brought it back from another closure following the 2013 floods.

The city closed the portion of the trail due to unsafe conditions on an unstable slope, which is “200 feet high and very steep.”

And now, to fix the trail, a portion of the south parking lot will be closed and used as a construction staging area until Oct. 15, 2026.

The closure is concerning for some regular park users, like Katrina Watson, who isn’t a fan when outdoor spaces have to close.

“I appreciate when they are improving park spaces, but it’s unfortunate they have to close the parking lot even for a short period of time,” she said.

Denise Angell has been bringing her family to the park for a decade. She says it’s an ideal spot in Calgary if you find you can’t get out of town to enjoy the mountains and hiking trails.

“It’s close. You feel like you’re in a mountain scenery–but you’re in downtown Calgary. So the location is perfect. If you can’t get out to the mountains, you can get here,” she said.

But Heather Karasch hasn’t been able to enjoy the full trail since her family moved to the area a year and a half ago.

“I think we tried once or twice, and portions of it were closed, parts of it were open,” she said. “I think people ignore it anyway, but I think it’s not being maintained, just means that maybe it isn’t as safe.”

The city tells CityNews it has booked the gravel parking lot south of Edworthy Park as a “laydown area for the Douglas Fir Trail Slope Stabilization Project.”

And with the design work now complete, work will begin as soon as the city gets the final sign-off from the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway, since part of the project will take place on its land.

A slope stability assessment study by the city began in January 2024 to evaluate issues such as seepage, erosion and damage, and the city is expected to discuss funding to carry out any necessary work.

While volunteers in the community have been involved in helping with repairs when the trail closed a few times, including in 2016 and the early 1990s, the city says volunteer work is not possible at this time, as it’s working toward long-term solutions.

“Once the assessment is finished, we will let you know if volunteering becomes an option,” it said on the city’s website.

Meanwhile, across the bridge, the north parking lot remains open and free to users.

Early this summer, the city was forced to abandon plans to pave the lot and charge parking fees following objections by community members.