McKinnon Flats

McKinnon Flats
Bow River, Alberta
November 15, 2025
Distance: 8.0 km (5.0 mi)
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 172 m (564 ft)

For a change, Dinah and I ventured east instead of west, and instead of going up a mountain, we went down to a river. McKinnon Flats, 30 minutes southeast of Calgary, offers more than just a riverside walk.

McKinnon Flats is likely busy in summer, but now, due to chilly temperatures and a seasonally closed road, it was quiet even on a Saturday. The road to the lower parking lot is closed between November 1 and April 15, but there is parking up top. We took a path that loops down to the river and back up.

We followed the trail west through grassland. At the west end, it turns sharply and heads east, following the rolling slope. It resists descending until it passes above hoodoos. It drops down to the delightful rocks before descending to the Bow River.

After following the riverbank, the trail ended at a huge parking lot, eerily empty. A brief walk up a quiet road brought us to the start of the east trail. The trail passes the remains of the McKinnon homestead, which dates back to the early 1900s. After hiking back up to the top, we saw more history before finishing the trip. We were amazed to see a de Havilland Chipmunk, a plane dating back to the 1940s, fly over us.

KML and GPX Tracks

The trail follows undulating landscape above Bow River

It runs under hydro lines stretching across the river

At the west end of the loop, the trail doubles back to the trails seen in the centre

Reaching the end of the loop

The trail stays high until it gets above the hoodoos seen in the centre

Heading down to the hoodoos and the river

Looking west from the hoodoos

After the hoodoos, the trail drops down to the river

Looking back

The trail follows the riverbank

What is probably an island on the left in the spring and summer, is now accessible

We passed through an empty parking lot and boat launch

Map at the parking lot

We walked up the road to the path running up the slope

The trail leads to an old tractor seen in the centre

A close look at the tractor

The Government of Alberta bought the McKinnon ranch in 1983

Remains of the McKinnon homestead

Looking back at the tractor and the homestead

The trail stays low before climbing

We left the low trail and headed back up

We passed through a thicket of berry bushes

Looking back at the Bow River

Heading back on the topside trail

On our way back to our car, a vintage plane flew over us, one of 1,283 de Havilland DHC-1B-2-S5 Chipmunks designed and built in Canada between 1946 and 1958

82 I/13 Calgary Southeast

Hikes | Canada | Home