Crosspost from the City Discussion forum
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The City of Calgary covers a very large area, as a unicity, so there are a number of distinctive topographic features within city limits.
The first thing to note about Calgary is that the city is right at the boundary of the foothills and the prairie. The line runs right through the city, and the east side of the city is much, much flatter than the west side.
Downtown Calgary itself is located on a floodplain at the meeting of the Bow and Elbow rivers. Although not as steep or as high as the walls of the river valley which downtown Edmonton overlooks, Calgary's city centre is nonetheless surrounded by cliffs and bluffs. There are elevated spots where you can get a good look at the Calgary skyline from virtually any angle.
focus(ed) by
DJHuber, on Flickrv
The most prominent feature in the city is undoubtedly Nose Hill, in the city's north. A city park which covers over 11.29 square kilometres (4.36 square miles), the hill rises several hundred feet over the 12 communities that ring it. Nose Hill has been left largely untouched, and access road and parking lots, and showcases natural grassland and coulees.
Untitled by
Y^2, on Flickr
Other major (named) hills in the city include Signal Hill and Broadcast Hill. The city's far northwest is especially hilly. and you cannot see the downtown from the outskirts like you can in the far southeast.
In Calgary's deep south, you can find the opposite type of feature as Nose Hill -- Fish Creek Provincial Park. The valley, much more parkland than grassland, widens and narrows as it winds around suburban communities. Fish Creek covers about 13.56 square kilometres (5.23 square miles)
Late Summer in Fish Creek by
djking, on Flickr
Finally, if you get bored of topography in the city, the mountains are about 45min-1hr to the west and the badlands are 1-1.5 hours to the east.
Lower Kananaskis Lake by
RemotelyBoris, on Flickr
Dino Park Pano 1 by
RemotelyBoris, on Flickr