Bobsleigh, Zip Line, and Luge Oh my! Yes, you can have all these adventures at Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park! Calgary, Alberta was home to the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Millions of people looked on as Canada’s most beautiful province was introduced to the world and it didn’t disappoint. Home to the Rocky Mountains, the Badlands and the rolling foothills of Cowboy Country, Alberta really showed us what it’s got.
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10 Activities at Canada Olympic Park
Calgary has kept the Olympic spirit alive over three decades later. Just a short drive from Calgary, Olympic Park is a fantastic way to spend a day trying adrenaline activities and family adventures.
Winsport Canada Olympic Park still has the giant ski jumps standing and the bobsleigh track is still running. It’s an Olympic training facility for ski jumping and bobsledding and tourists and visitors get the chance to try them out for themselves.
1. Zipline the Monster
The Calgary zip line is the steepest and fastest in North America!” And the kicker is, you leap off the top of the ski jump and ride down right over the ramp! You may also like The 52 Best Things to do in Alberta, Canada – The Ultimate Guide
About the Zipline at Canada Olympic Park
Reaching speeds of 140km per hour, you are going to feel a jolt when you hit the bottom and you need to slow down somehow.
We took the elevator to the top of the jump at a height of 110 meters (360 feet) and peered out over the ledge. The view is amazing but if you have any fear of heights, this is the place you don’t want to be.
The top of the ski jump is actually the highest vantage point in all of Calgary. This line is 510 meters long (1673 feet) and was so fast my stomach lurched ever so slightly.
Within seconds, I was whizzing at top speed. I had to keep my head about me though because I was told to throw my parachute out at the last pole before the tower. I threw out my chute and instantly felt myself slow down. We had one more zip line to bring us down to the bottom and for this one, they encouraged us to hang upside down which we happily did.
2. Freefall
If all of this sounds a bit too tame for you, give the Freefall a try. It’s like a bunny jump only different It’s a freefall from 8 stories high with a slow descent to the ground. And the cool thing about this activity is that you get two jumps! We didn’t do this here but if you want an adrenaline rush, we have done a bungy jump and it’s a thrill!
3. The Bobsleigh
Calgary has one of the few bobsled training centres in the world and teams from all over the planet come here to train for the upcoming season. The best thing is the bobsleigh track is open to the general public for rides.
Our driver Heath Spence competed in the 2014 Olympics for team Australia. He works all day taking tourists down the track and then spends the evening training.
How Does it Feel to Ride a Bobsleigh Track?
After one run on the track, Dave and I both felt a little woozy and I couldn’t believe that Heath goes up and down all day doing run after run and doesn’t feel a thing. The body really gets jolted around and you feel it in everything.
The athletes are rock hard though and every muscle is holding bones and tendons in place so they can take the jostle much better than we little people.
In Calgary, you get to do the whole bobsleigh run from top to bottom, I kept thinking it was about to end, but we just kept on going. We were tossing and turning through bank after bank. We felt the effects of 3Gs and it was wild to feel the snap going around those high corners. The Bobsleigh runs both summer and winter.
4. Winsport Olympic Park Luge
Our next adventure at Canada Olympic Park was the luge. Don’t worry it’s not the actual luge like the Olympics, this is more like a go-cart ride downhill. So it is one activity that is fun for the whole family!
This was a fun ending to the day as we could go as fast or as slow as we wanted. You can take a leisurely spin down the track or you can let it go full-tilt boogie. We did a bit of both.
We let her rip for a bit and then slowed down to take some photos and enjoy the ride. It reminded us of the Jamaican bobsled in Jamaica which is ironic because it was here at the 1988 Calgary Olympics that the Jamaican Bobsled team made their debut. They became so famous that the Movie Cool Runnings starring John Candy.
5. Mini Golf
Speaking of fun for the whole family, Canada Olympic Park also offers an 18 hole mini-golf course in the summer. It has a great view of the Canadian Rockies and is a fun way to spend the days outdoors with the kids.
6. Mountain Biking
If you want to hit the trails, there’s also mountain biking at Olympic Park during the summer months. You can take a chair lift up to the top and then spend the day exploring its 11 trails. There are trails for serious downhill riders and easier beginner trails. It’s a great way to try mountain biking without having to climb up an epic hill to begin like we so often do in Ontario.
7. Scenic Chairlift
If you just want to go to the top for some scenic views of Calgary, Winsport lets you ride the chairlift. This is a nice activity for anyone at any age and a great option if you don’t want to take part in the more adrenaline type of activities. For more beautiful views of Alberta check out: The Most Beautiful Places to visit in Alberta
8. Canada Sport’s Hall of Fame
A visit to Canada park is a blend of history and adventure. While you are there, be sure to stop in at the Sport’s hall of fame A day at the Canada Olympic Park outside of Calgary is a must when visiting Alberta.
Canada Olympic Park in Winter
We visited Olympic Park in the summer, but the winter is when Canada Olympic Park really comes alive. After all, it is where the winter Olympics took place. You may also like: The Most Beautiful National Parks in Canada
9. Snowboarding and Skiing
Being so close to Calgary this is a great option for skiing or snowboarding. It has two chair lifts and 4km of slopes reaching an elevation of 1,246 m. It also has a world-class superpipe. Check out 15 Top Ski Resorts in Canada For Winter Fun
10. Snowtubing
If skiing seems a bit too adventurous for you, hit the slopes and give snowtubing a try. There’s no skill necessary. All you have to do is show up and sit on a tube. Gravity does the rest!
11. Ice Skating
If you are visiting Canada, you can’t miss trying our favourite national sport, hockey. Okay, you don’t have to play hockey, but you really should get on the ice, and at Winsport Canada Park, they offer public ice skating. It’s a safe place to give it a try for beginners. Helmets are mandatory and the rink is indoors.
Winsport Canada Olympic Park is a short drive out of Calgary. Book your Bobsled, Zipline Package at their website, Winsport Canada.
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Canada Olympic Park is not “a short drive out of Calgary”. It is within Calgary’s city limits, on the west side of the city.
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Sounds fun. Last time I saw someone do the zipline, they got stuck between the start and finish. Apparently the line was not taut. Somebody had to push them the rest of the way with some sort of contraption.
Oh no! That would suck. I’ve hit the spring too hard and been whipped back thus getting stuck a few meters out. That was hard enough having to pull myself in. I couldn’t imagine having to push from half way. Now that’s an adventure!
looks like so much fun!
It is so much fun, you gotta do the bobsleigh when you go to Calgary. What a hoot!
I have always heard that zip lines are a breathtakingly high adrenaline rush but never tried. I will add this to my next to do list of my many planned adventures.
They are definitely high adrenaline. Especially ones like this one. Fast and high and crazy! It’s a bit of a scare once you step off the edge, but once you are flying through the air, it’s a total thrill. I hope you get to try it one day too!
Its really awesome, I will try my best to visit there and enjoy every moment. Travelers can also seeBeautiful Bangladesh
What an amazingly fun day!! I love zip lining and I have always wanted to try the bobsleigh!
It was a fun day. The zipline was awesome as usual, but the bobsleigh is always something that is out of this world. we did it once before in Whistler this past winter and it was just as much fun in Alberta during the summer. I can tell, it’s a thrill wherever you go!
I also want to try that. It is indeed one hell of adrenaline rush! Haha.
Yes indeed, definitely an adrenaline rush. I love that they have packages too, so you don’t just go and do one bobsleigh ride and it’s over. You can spend the entire day there.
How much fun! I’ve always wanted to try bobsledding.
You have got to try it! It’s an entirely different experience from anything because you feel the G-force. Crazy fun!
How much fun! I’ve always wanted to try bobsledding.
I grew up in Calgary so seeing this post makes me miss my hometown! I must try the bob sledding on my next visit, very cool that you had someone competing in the Olympics actually taking you! Looked like a great day. x
So cool eh! We’ll be rooting for Heath and the Australian team during the next Olympics. Sorry to my Canadian pals, but now that we know a real true Olympian, our loyalties have to change and go with him. What a great guy!