CALGARY - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 456

the main office) leads through the hatchery, from the incubation room to holding tanks and
an area containing various displays and a theater. To reach the park and hatchery, take 17th
Avenue east from the city and turn north onto 17th Street SE.
Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
More than 250 species of birds have been noted in this 32-hectare (79-acre) park on the
bank of the Bow River, east of downtown. The land was originally owned by a member
of the NWMP and was established as a park in 1929. Walking trails are open year-round,
but before heading out, it's worth dropping by the interpretive center (2425 9th Ave. SE,
403/221-4500, 10am-5pm daily May-Sept., 10am-4pm Tues.-Sun. Oct.-Apr., donation) to
learn more about the urban ecosystem and to pick up a bird list. To get there, take 9th Av-
enue SE to Sanctuary Road and follow the signs to a parking area on the south bank of the
river.
Fish Creek Provincial Park
At the southern edge of the city, this 1,170-hectare (2,900-acre) park is one of the largest
urban parks in North America. Three geographical regions meet in the area, giving the
park a diversity of habitat. Stands of aspen and spruce predominate, but a mixed-grass
prairie, as well as balsam, poplar, and willow, can be found along the floodplains at the
east end of the park. The ground is colorfully carpeted with over 350 recorded species of
wildflowers, and wildlife is abundant. Mule deer and ground squirrels are common, and
white-tailed deer, coyotes, beavers, and the occasional moose are also present. An inter-
pretive trail begins south of Bow Valley Ranch and leads through a grove of balsam and
poplar to a shallow, conglomerate cave. An information display is located on the west side
of Macleod Trail overlooking the site of Alberta's first woolen mill. The easiest access to
the heart of the park is to turn east on Canyon Meadows Drive from Macleod Trail, then
south on Bow River Bottom Trail.