Nature Calgary Bird Study Group Birding Locations Lawrey Gardens and The Douglas Fir Trail

The mountain-like vegetation of the Douglas Fir Trail and riparian woodland of Lawrey Gardens at the eastern end of Edworthy Park help to concentrate a locally unique mixture of bird species. Stretching along the south side of the Bow River in northwest Calgary the area contains a steep north-facing escarpment, grasslands, floodplain and ravines just minutes from downtown.

From the north, the Douglas Fir Trail can be accessed by parking at the Harry Boothman pedestrian bridge, near the intersection of 16 Ave. NW (Trans Canada Highway) and Bowness Road. Follow the footpath across the bridge and the railway, then turn left (east) towards the conifers. Visitors from the southwest can find parking areas by leaving Bow Trail at 45 St. SW and turning west at Spruce Drive, which then enters Edworthy Park. Parking is available at the Pumphouse Theatre, at the west end of 9 Ave. SW, for those who wish to visit Lawrey Gardens from the east side. And alternative parking area, closer to Lawrey Gardens, can be reached by following 20 Ave. west, under the Crowchild Trail bridge, to its very end, then turning right along the lane behind the first row of commercial buildings and proceeding slowly, on a rough track that can be muddy, to a parking area on the south side of the railway tracks.

The 1.5 km Douglas Fir Trail is an occasionally steep pathway along the escarpment. The area contains one of the most easterly stands of Douglas Fir in Alberta; some of the trees are more than 400 years old. To bird this area effectively during migration, find an open area in the forest (especially with a trickle of water) and wait there. Note: The Douglas Fir Trail is closed in winter due to hazard caused by frozen seepages.

Update Aug. 20, 2009 (thanks to Massey Jones)

For those who are short of time or cannot access the Douglas Fir Trail in its enterity, there is an entrance off a small park on Wildwood Drive (close to the "W" of Wildwood on the map above, note the dotted line). You can take Calgary Transit Route #17 to get there, for those who do not drive.

Once on Wildwood, you can then hike for about 5 minutes through a small park into the woodland, coming directly in line with the main Douglar Fir Trail observatory, overlooking the Bow River for a considerable distance. There are benches there to rest. Hikers then have the option of turning right or left, following the Dougles Fir Trail, either to Edworthy Park or into Lawrey Gardens. The alternate is straight down quite a few (steep) stairs to the bicycle pathway next to the Canadian Pacific railway tracks. At or near the area is a railway crossing and a small island nearby (inaccessible on foot), where further birding can be carried out.

In fact, taking the above shortcut will cut foot travel on the Douglas Fir Trail by approximately half, when time is of the essence.

The Dougles Fir Trail is definitely not recommended in its entirety in the winter or early spring. It is closed in winter due to hazard caused by frozen seepages. Some portions are very steeep and muddy a good deal of the time because the area only gets morning sun. Hiking shoes or boots are a must.

Edworthy Park map closeup

The Douglas Fir Trail lookout is at the bottom of the map (see link to Edworthy Park closeup). Observers will find lots of parking on both sides of the Bow River if they visit Edworthy Park first. The bridge shown on the map is a footbridge. Observers can then proceed to the lookout It's a hike not recommended for those not in shape, as there are stairs.. stairs... and more stairs to climb to the lookout. They zig-zag almost straight up the escarpment! To reach the stairs from Edworthy Park, follow the (paved) bike path for about a thousand yards, more or less. At Edworthy park, other than the actual tended area, the rest is mostly scrub trees, lots of them.

When in the Edworthy Park freight trains are frequent and heavy (110 - 150 cars both ways), so observers should keep quite clear of the tracks. Trains are not allowed to blow the whistle in that area.

Some history of the area:

John Lawrey

John Lawrey settled in this area as a neighbour to the Edworthy Family in 1882 and established the successful and well-known market garden. This garden market suppied railway crews and homesteaders with fresh fruit & vegetables and played an important role in the early development of Calgary. John Lawrey died in 1904 at the age of 66 leaving his property to two nephews who farmed the land until World War I.

Edworthy Park was once a part of the Cochrane Ranch and was eventually purchased by Thomas Edworthy in 1883. Along side his neighbour John Lawrey, Edworthy established a profitable garden market that supplied fresh fruit and vegetables to railway crews and homesteaders. In later years, after discovering sandstone on his property, he operated sandstone quarries for the construction of many buildings in Calgary. The land was purchased by the City in 1962 for the development of a park.

Linked below are some pictures of the observation area. One (of the park) shows the way in (where the people are - it also shows the sidewalk of Wildwood Dr., at the bottom left of the photo). As you can see, there is a wide vista.

Edworthy Park; Douglas Fir Trail lookout#1; Douglas Fir Trail lookout#2; Douglas Fir Trail lookout#3; Douglas Fir Trail lookout#4; Douglas Fir Trail lookout#5.

The Bow River Pathway, a paved trail at the base of the escarpment, provides access to an area of riparian woodland. More used by joggers and cyclists than by birders, Lawrey Gardens has recently gained a reputation as a good alternative to Inglewood Bird Sanctuary for finding migrating passerines in May, August and September.

A small shallow backwater at the eastern end of Lawrey Gardens often has small numbers of ducks and shorebirds. In fall, this stretch of the river is worth checking carefully for a variety of gulls and migrant waterfowl.

The Quarry Road Trail is a dirt pathway which extends along the escarpment south of the railway tracks, from the 10 Ave. parking lot, parallel to Lawrey Gardens, featuring shrubbery and poplars rather than conifers, for most of its 1 km length. It can be very good for vireos, warblers and sparrows during migration.