The Trail Through Alberta: Moments That Move Us

Rediscovering movement — and memories — on the Trail 

For Kelsey Olsen, a travel writer from Cochrane, the Trail became a way to reconnect — not just with nature, but with her own history. 

Visiting her hometown of Lacombe, Kelsey invited her mom to join her for a ride on the Trail that connects Lacombe to Blackfalds — a route she’d cycled many times as a teenager. 

“As we cycled through my hometown to get to the Lacombe County trailhead, we passed the trail I used to walk every day to get to grade school, which is also a section of the Trans Canada Trail,” she writes.  

The ride wasn’t just a workout. It was a memory lane made real. Kelsey and her mom stopped at Kuhnen Park, explored the Lacombe Research and Development Centre, and even rode through the Abbey Centre in Blackfalds — the only indoor section of the Trans Canada Trail in the country. 

“As we pedalled, I thought about how this eight-kilometre section of the Trans Canada Trail between Lacombe and Blackfalds not only connects rural communities, it also connects people,” Kelsey says. “I felt grateful for the time my mom and I spent together, and the simplicity of a day out enjoying nature.”

Photo: Lacombe County | AB — Kelsey Olsen   

Riding farther, noticing more 

Leigh McAdam, a Calgary-based adventure writer and cyclist, has spent years exploring the Trail in and around the city — often without even realizing she was on it. 

“I don’t know how many times I’ve biked the Trans Canada Trail in and near Calgary without even knowing it,” she writes. “The routes are easy to navigate, incredibly scenic, and right in our backyard.” 

Her go-to rides include the Elbow River section of the Trail in Calgary, where suspension bridges and wildlife sightings are part of the regular rotation, as well as pathways along the Bow River, which offer everything from fast urban stretches to quiet moments by the water. 

One of her favourites? The Rocky Mountain Legacy Trail — a 26-kilometre paved route between Banff and Canmore with views of the Three Sisters and Cascade Mountain. 

Photo: Waskasoo Park | Red Deer, AB — Leigh McAdam

A walk becomes a wellness reset 

For Jacqueline L. Scott, a scholar and writer from Toronto, a birding walk along the Trail in Canmore was more than a break — it was a way to reset both body and mind. 

Jacqueline visited the Trail while attending a conference, choosing to swap out a hotel meeting room for the sound of the Bow River, the quarrel of Black-billed magpies and the delight of spotting new species. 

“I saw something that was new to me — a pair of grey-bodied, white-headed, dark-capped birds with large black eyes. The birds looked so happy, they made me smile,” she writes. “I checked my e-bird guide and identified them as Canada Jays.” 

Jacqueline’s walk also offered a deeper moment of recognition — not just of birds or beauty, but of history. The Trail in Canmore passes through traditional territories of many Indigenous nations, including the Stoney Nakoda, Blackfoot Confederacy and Tsuut’ina Nations.  

She also reflected on the lives of John and Mildred Ware, who were among the first Black families to own a farm and ranch in Alberta in the 1880s.  

As she walked the Three Sisters Pathway, she passed kids skipping stones, paddlers laughing in inflatable rafts, and dogs trotting alongside their humans. 

“A nature break along the Trans Canada Trail had worked its magic — both spirit and body were refreshed,” she reflects. 

Photo: Canmore | AB — Jacqueline L. Scott