I suspect
that most photograph-crazy visitors to a new city want to suss out where they
can find the best views to capture their memories and to get a feel of the
lay-of-the-land during their stay.
I would venture so far as to say most locals in any city have their
favourite location that they take visitors to for this very purpose. So, if you were to be a first-time visitor to
Calgary and were to stay at our home, our default downtown viewing point would
be McHugh Bluff, without a doubt.
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| Downtown Calgary with Prince's Island Park, the Bow River and Memorial Drive in the foreground [DD] |
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| The Peace Bridge straddling the banks of the Bow River [DD] |
Calgarians
may enjoy McHugh Bluff’s offerings for several different reasons. It’s a common vantage point for observing the
Canada Day fireworks that are set off from the Centre Street Bridge. Residents living along Crescent Road NW have
multi-million dollar views from multi-million dollar homes that always stir
deep envy and intrigue in passers-by who can only wonder how “the other side”
live! Casual strollers seeking some
effortless exercise, who favour firm ground beneath our feet, may prefer to
just amble along Crescent Road NW that runs along the length of the Bluff. For the off-road running, cycling and dog
walking enthusiasts there are numerous pathyways that criss-cross this
greenbelt escarpment that drops down to the Bow River’s flood plain and the
neighbourhood of Sunnyside below. It’s
common to find the real exercise die-hards sweating themselves to the core by
doing multiple sets of the McHugh Bluff stairs that take you in a near vertical
drop from Crescent Road NW above to the parking lot adjacent to Memorial Drive
and the Calgary Curling Club below.
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| The McHugh Bluff Stairs leading from Crescent Road NW at the top to the Calgary Curling Club on Memorial Dr NW below [DD] |
The 167-step
wooden stairway certainly has the ability to shred your calf muscles and hastily
remind your lungs that you are not in a city at sea level but rather at an
elevation 1,200m closer to the heavens where the air really is thinner. However, embracing the challenge, albeit at a
slower pace, is worth checking off your to-do list as a visitor. If you’re approaching the stairs from the lower
Memorial Drive end you can take heart in knowing that there are platforms that
break the gruelling ascent every 15 steps, enabling you to legitimately take in
the emerging views around you even if, in reality, you’re just needing to catch
your breath and regain your composure!
The view from the top really does make the arduous climb
worthwhile. If you’re descending the
staircase to heaven from the Crescent Road NW end then you probably are in for
an easier experience. However, depending
on where your car is parked, what goes down, must likely come up (in this
instance), so be warned!
There are
numerous benches dotted along the length of Crescent Road NW for the public to
enjoy. Come prepared to take your time
to soak in the atmosphere and views.
It’s hard
to believe that in June 2013 the scene from this location was one of quiet
carnage. The Bow River burst its banks
with flood waters that eventually lapped their way to the very edge of McHugh
Bluff’s slopes, submerging streets, cascading into basements, flooding homes to
the ground floor ceilings, decimating Prince’s Island Park, rising to within
centimetres of bridge decks, and spilling over into the city centre shutting
down all of Downtown for 2 weeks as underground car parkades were flooded and
power had to be cut to residences and offices in this high-density area alike.
Enjoying
this view today one would never know the extent or severity of this carnage had
you not been able to see it, let alone live through it, yourself. The fact that today there is minimal evidence
of this destruction is testimony to the residents and municipality of Calgary who
gathered themselves and rebuilt with determination and pride.
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| The Bow River, Prince's Island Park and Downtown as viewed from the top of the McHugh Bluff Stairs [DD] |
Overview
information about McHugh Bluff:
- Location:
- 240 Crescent Rd NW, Calgary, AB T2M
4A3
- GPS: 51.059041, -114.067571
- Google Maps
- Access: Family-friendly; disabled
access; pet-friendly (on-leash)
- How to get there:
- LRT: no direct access
- Bus transit: northbound Centre Street N
at Samis Rd NE, Bus stop ID# 6656, Bus No. 2, 3 & 17; southbound
Centre Street N opposite Samis Rd NE, Bus stop ID# 5113, Bus No. 2,
3 & 17; visit Calgary Transit to plan your trip
- Cycle / walk: Crescent Road NW (top rim
of the Bluff); Bow River Pathway and Memorial Drive (bottom of the Bluff)
- Car: free limited time parking is
available on Crescent Road NW (top access) and paid parking at 200
Memorial Drive NW / Calgary Parking Authority Lot
59 (bottom
access)
- Cost: no access charge; payment for
parking may apply
- Hours of
operation:
- 05h00 – 23h00
- Amenities: no public washrooms available;
public benches; access stairway
- Nearby
attractions, activities & services:
- Calgary Curling Club where visitors are welcome!
- Memorial Drive
- Prince’s Island Park
- Memorial Drive Field of Crosses (November)
- Rotary Park
- Centre Street Bridge
- Eau Claire Market
- Peace Bridge
- Downtown Calgary
Views of Prince's Island Park from McHugh Bluff:
Left - October 2017; Right - during the flood in June 2013
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