12 Mile Coulee Park is one of Calgary’s natural environment parks. We begin this walk on the Rotary/Mattamy Greenway, a pathway system that encircles the city and links parks, natural areas, greenspaces, and river valleys. As you head south along the path, the coulee (small valley) slopes down toward the Bow River. Here, you’ll find a mix of native grasslands, balsam and aspen woodland, and shrub communities, all playing an important role in this park.

Remember to be a responsible park visitor

• Stay on the designated trails and pathways to protect vegetation and wildlife.
• Place litter in garbage cans.
• Leave behind what you find for wildlife and other visitors to enjoy.
• Let the birds and other animals find their own food.

This park's two most common forests are trembling aspen and balsam poplar. Here, you see a stand of trembling aspen ahead on your left. As you walk, notice the young trees' long, slender white trunks and how the heart-shaped leaves flutter in the slightest breeze. This “trembling” action is how the tree earned its name.

Look up to see the aspen stretch to reach the sun. A forest canopy is made up of tall trees that need the most light. Below the canopy is an understory of smaller trees and shrubs that can survive in its shade. You’ll find wild roses, silverberries, and Saskatoon in the understory.

If you gently rub the trunk of a trembling aspen, you’ll likely discover a white powder remains on your palm. This powder protects the thin bark of young aspen from the hot sun. You can rub the powder on your skin for a natural sunscreen, just as Indigenous people have been doing for many years.

Take a moment on this viewing platform to enjoy nature with all your senses. Stop, look, listen and breathe deeply. Surrounding you is silverberry, a native shrub commonly called wolf willow. If you are here in the spring, you likely smelled its fragrant yellow flowers even before you saw them. In the summer and fall, the silvery sheen of the leaves catches the eye. And in the winter, after all the leaves have fallen, this shrub’s silver-white berries stand out against the white snow and bare branches.

Blackfoot First Nations created beautiful necklaces by stringing together the hard, striped seeds found inside the silver berries. Strong bark baskets may have been used to collect these berries. First Nations people also used Berry powder to thicken soups and stews.

Trembling aspen, balsam poplar and white spruce are commonly found in moist, shader areas of the park. Aspen and poplar are deciduous trees that lose their leaves each fall. Spruce trees are coniferous, producing cones and evergreen needles that remain on their branches year-round. These trees provide nesting sites, shelter and food for birds and other wildlife.

Can you see all the cones hanging from the high branches of the tall spruce tree on your left? Birds like red-breasted nuthatches and black-capped chickadees will find lots of cone seeds to eat here. If you see a tiny bird climbing down a tree head first, you’ve spotted a nuthatch!

Black-capped chickadees can flitter around just about anywhere with trees and shrubs. If you hear a cheery “chicka-dee-dee-dee-dee,” look for this friendly songbird calling out its name.

Most birds migrate south when the weather gets too cold, but these little songbirds stay in Calgary all winter.

Transport yourself back in time. Imagine what life was like thousands of years ago in this sheltered valley. An open flat area is on your right, midway up the hillside. Imagine a tipi set up on this terrace, the family selecting this spot for a spring camp, taking advantage of the warming sun and dry land above the running water and springs below. They could see animals and people moving through the valley through the ridge here. Perhaps they would see the light of another group’s campfire on the Paskapoo slopes to the south.

Archaeologists, as storytellers of the past, study the remnants left behind by ancient people. It’s a bit like being a detective, trying to put together a puzzle with lots of missing pieces. The 12-mile Coulee area, with its 15 known archeological sites, is a rich source of stories about our ancestors who have been hunting and camping here for over 8,000 years. These sites, including tipi ring sites, a kill site, and a larger base camp, offer fascinating insights into the lives of our distant predecessors.

Bison, the largest mammal in Canada, is often referred to as buffalo and can weigh up to a staggering 1,000 kilos. Their sheer size and strength made them a formidable presence on the plains, where Indigenous people frequently used coulees for trapping and hunting them. After a successful hunt, every part of the bison was utilized for survival and daily living: the meat provided essential food, the bones were fashioned into tools, and the hides were transformed into clothing and tipis.

The discovery of animal bones and evidence of tools, ancient camps, and campfires in the area tells us that the people who camped here hunted various animals, including antelope. However, with its immense historical significance, the bison was their primary food source. The evolution of hunting styles and weapons is evident from the various tools found at these archeological sites, helping us identify the different time periods when people lived in 12-Mile Coulee.

The stones in front of you tell a story of the people who camped here over 2000 years ago. The heavy rocks at the outer edge of this preserved archeological site held down a tipi to keep it warm and dry. When the camp was moved, they were rolled off, leaving this circle of stones called a tipi ring. The pattern of stones and other items found here suggests that the entrance to the tipi was on the south side, with separate sleeping areas to the right and left. Inside the entrance was the hearth, or campfire, location. And beyond that, a family altar — considered a place of honour and ceremony.

See if you can use the photo from the original excavation to find the entrance, hearth and alter stones. Close your eyes and imagine life in this tipi 2,000 years ago: can you picture someone preparing a meal over the hearth, another sharpening stone tools in the light of the fire, perhaps a child preparing for sleep on a cold winter night?

The findings here suggest this was a winter camp. Near the base of the coulee, this spot offers shelter from wind and cold. And a south-facing doorway would provide extra protection from harsh conditions and allow the low winter sun to warm the tipi.

Across from the row of boulders is a stand of balsam poplar. These trees are common in the park, with a balsam poplar forest running along the creek at the bottom of the coulee. Notice the leaves on this tree are larger and longer than the trembling aspen’s smaller heart-shaped leaves.

Growing under the poplar here are wild rose, Saskatoon and buffaloberry shrubs. In late summer, you can’t miss seeing clusters of bright red berries on the buffaloberry. Its leaves are quite unique also - gently turn one over to see its rusty brown spots and feel its soft fuzzy hairs. Many First Nations peoples made “ice cream” by whipping up these berries with water, creating a frothy cream treat.

Ahead of you is a cool canopy of trembling aspen. As you walk through, notice all the standing dead trees, called snags. Snags are a valuable part of any forest because they provide homes, nesting spots, food and hiding places for birds and other small animals.

Tall snags also provide good lookout towers for birds of prey like the red-tailed hawk. These raptors hunt mostly from tall perches, preying on small mammals such as mice and squirrels. They are excellent hunters and can spot a mouse from 30 metres (10 stories) in the air. 

Look for red-tailed hawks, Swainson’s hawks and northern harriers circling above the coulee as you walk along the pathway.

Other birds to watch and listen for in the park are nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, warblers and vireos in the trees, and native sparrows in the grasslands.

Enjoy a rest at the bench as we come to the end of our guided walk. Did you spot any wildlife on your walk today? The grassland, trees and shrubs in the park are home to a variety of wildlife, such as birds, deer, coyote, porcupines, pocket gophers and squirrels. We often don’t see them, but they leave clues behind for us to find: animal tracks in the soft soil and snow, feathers dropped from above, nests and holes in trees, and animal scat (poop) on the ground. Check around this bench for mounds of dirt, it's a sign that a pocket gopher tunnelled under. What other animal evidence have you uncovered today?

Visitors to this park occasionally spot moose wandering through. These majestic giants can weigh up to 450kg. Despite their size, moose can move very quietly. The word “moose” is an Algonquin First Nations’ term meaning twig-eater. Because they are so tall and have difficulty bending down to eat grasses, moose feed on the leaves, bark and twigs of trees and shrubs. With aspen as one of their favorite foods, it’s no wonder they like visiting this park!