If you ask any foreigner to the city what their first impressions are, or what their idea of nature here is like, it probably wouldn’t be anything significant. The same could probably go for other major cities like Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, etc. If you haven’t actually been to or experienced these places for yourself, it’s hard to estimate how beautiful the scenery is. When I think of Toronto, I envision a labyrinth of skyscrapers and apartments, pollution, and masses of people. When I think Vancouver, I think of a beautiful coastline, Grandville Island, and for whatever reasons the color green (either because of nature or that it’s so damn expensive to live there). When I think of Calgary, I just see cows roaming in fields and the hockey team which so many people here seem to despise. Based on my “first impressions”, or things that first come to mind for me, you could either say it’s partially right or entirely false. Nature-wise in Edmonton though, I’m sure people have a different sense for what it's like or what it means to them; some might say it’s a luscious paradise of natural scenery, and some might argue the contrary.
Edmonton, to me, just doesn’t seem like one of those places that would strike you as being a city full of natural beauty. One of the more famous photographic captions of the city is probably the downtown skyline, as it’s usually always shown in commercials and often times for Hockey Night in Canada when there’s a game here. I always thought of Edmonton as a purely business-type city primarily for that reason when I was younger. However, if you move to Edmonton and end up living here for some extended period of time, it provides you with great opportunity to get out and explore, either to verify any pre-existing assumptions you may have had or just find out something new in general.
I can say now that I’ve been living here for the better part of twelve years, there’s much more to the nature scene than I originally gave Edmonton credit for as well. Besides the obvious along the River Valley or downtown by the High Level Bridge, there’s plenty that this city has to offer when it comes to nature and breathtaking views.
Here are a couple of my personal favorites in Edmonton:
Whitemud Creek Ravine: Who doesn’t enjoy a good bike ride through the woods in the summer? It’s not exactly flourishing with life (as most of the trees seem to be past their prime) but it’s still beautiful nonetheless. There’s good trails down there that cross over the creek, lots of historical notifications (often times you’ll see plaques engraved onto a tree, a map, or a bench explaining its history there). I’m not sure about this one either but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some beaver dams down there as well, otherwise it’s just a collection of wood/twigs that get caught up in the creek. It’s a good way to get exercise, beat the heat, and get closer to nature.
Terwillegar Park: A park that is absolutely epic to those who know it, yet strangely enough not one that a lot of people I know have been to (perhaps it’s a sentiment reserved for people on the south side). My first ever impression of the park, after you go down the massive gravel trail to the bottom of the road, was “wow, so this is what Jurassic Park was like…”. Of course not everyone would be equally as impressed, but I think it’s pretty cool. If you love dogs, it’s basically a dog haven in the summer time. A lot of dog owners will bring them to run around in the open field or to cool off in the North Saskatchewan. There’s also endless bike trails if that’s your thing. It’s another one of those places that feels so secluded from city life, that while you’re down there you can completely separate any ties with the city and just imagine yourself in a controlled kind of wilderness.What are some of your guys’ favorite places to go to experience nature in Edmonton? It’d be interesting to see how many local, natural hotspots there are based on where we all reside within the city.
Cheers,
Patrick
Patrick
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