Exploring with Kids: Sherwood Park Natural Area

When it comes to exploring with little kids, we like versatile trails like the Sherwood Park Natural Area that are easy enough to run along – but that also have a few ‘shortcuts’ to reduce the time, just in case you’ve got to cut it short.

Sherwood Park Natural area is off of Cloverbar (Located between Township Road 520 and 522 on Range Road 231), with a small parking lot that you might drive by if you’re not looking for it. You can check out the map and head left or right into the trail, which takes us about an hour to loop around with the little kids.

The trail loop from the parking lot is 2.7 kilometres in length, with benches for sitting along the way, and a few ‘off trail’ exploring areas where kids can find frogs, birds and big trees to climb over.

Tip: If you want to shorten the trail, you’ll hit an old wagon road. Take that road, and you’ll find it intersects with the loop that leads back to the parking lot. This cuts about half of the time off of the trail.

Is it a stroller friendly walk? Bikes aren’t allowed on the trail, and there are a couple of fallen trees on the trail that would make it hard to traverse with a stroller as you’ve got to climb over, so leave the stroller at home. We’ve been easily doing the trail with a three year old, there’s enough to explore, and enough benches along the way for quick rests, to make it doable.

Bring water – and enjoy!