Whatever route you take, rafting requires two vehicles: one is left close to your end point and the other takes you to your starting point.
For the first time rafter – there is no need to fear the Bow River. The river moves at a relatively slow pace and can be navigated easily with paddles. Along the way you will travel east on the Bow River through both wilderness areas and beautiful neighborhoods. There are a number of parks along the way so you can pull over and have a picnic. The normal procedure is to park your vehicle at our location across from Prince’s Island Park on Memorial Drive and 3rd Street N.W. Take a second vehicle to one of the parks that is your starting point. Blow up your raft with the pump provided and hop in the water- the river does the rest. This relaxing adventure is fun for the whole family or groups.
If you choose the Elbow- For a nice, lazy journey coming in at under two hours, drop your retrieval vehicle in the vicinity of the intersection of 4th Street S.W. and Elbow Drive, then drive the second vehicle to Sandy Beach at River Park (4500 14A St. S.W.). Make sure you drive all the way down from the off-leash area at the top of the hill to the park area below. If you’re an early bird, you might score one of the prime parking spots, otherwise, unload the raft and gear then park by the off-leash zone. Sandy Beach has a nice shallow access point, making it easy for kids and adults alike to get in and get settled. From there, the river winds through some of Calgary’s poshest neighbourhoods, before running parallel to Elbow Drive. The 4th Street bridge end point is easy to see coming and the drive back to River Park takes about 10 minutes.
The average length of time from each location to Lazy Day Raft Rentals is:
Bowness Park to Lazy Day Raft Rentals 3-4 hours
Shouldice Park to Lazy Day Raft Rentals 2.5 hours
Bowness Park to the ZOO 4 -5 hours
