A GUIDE FOR URBAN HIKING, BIKING AND EXPLORATION
We are based in Calgary, home to one of North America’s most extensive urban pathway and bikeway networks. In natural environments, trails are often marked with signs, viewpoints, and interpretation. They guide you to places worth seeing.
Cities don’t always work that way. Urban spaces are layered, complex, and constantly changing. While some pathways include signage, much of what makes a city meaningful is easy to overlook.
The Urban Explorer was created to bridge that gap—using digital tools, mapped routes, photography and storytelling to highlight the places that define the city.
Our Mission
Our mission is to build an accessible, engaging resource for urban exploration.
This platform focuses on the pathways, parks, public art, heritage sites, and architecture that shape the urban environment—spaces people move through every day, but don’t always stop to notice. We encourage people to move through the city with more awareness and intention.
Through this, we aim to:
- promote community connection
- support active living
- foster a deeper appreciation of the urban environment
How to Use It
You can explore the city in a way that fits your pace and interests.
- Follow a Self-Guided Route
- Discover new areas through Mapped Experiences
- Or go deeper with a guided session by Contacting Us
- Read more about What We Do
- Attend an Event
Whether you’re visiting or have lived in Calgary for years, there is always something new to notice.
A Different Way to Explore
The Urban Explorer is built on a simple idea:
Cities are not just destinations—they are experiences shaped by movement, perspective, and connection.
This platform exists to make those experiences more visible, more accessible, and more meaningful.
Pictured: Horseman of the Plains. Unveiled in Memorial Park on June 20, 1914. The statue was the first major public art piece in Calgary. It is officially referred to as the South African Monument on the admissions card for opening day attendees. It is also known as the Boer War Memorial. Its conception was fueled by the discovery of a frozen man in 1909 in a field outside Calgary. His only identifying feature was a piece of paper indicating he had served in South Africa during the Boer War. (Credit: ValourCanada.ca)
The library opened on January 2, 1912, as Central Park Library. It was later called Memorial Park Library. This site was named a provincial historic site in 1976. The Library and surrounding park were designated a National Historic Site in 2018. Do you want to learn more about Calgary’s sandstone construction boom? Visit our page: Sandstone City Legacy and vote for your favourite building.
The Urban Explorer 