Sandy Beach Park improvements
Sandy Beach Park – now open!
Sandy Beach Park is nestled in Calgary's southwest along the Elbow River and below River Park. We made improvements to Sandy Beach Park to pave the access road and add new vehicle parking spaces, improve regional pathway connections, upgrade landscaping and more.
Construction for the Sandy Beach Park improvement project resumed spring 2025 and we are excited to share that the work is now complete. We will be returning to complete minor adjustments to fencing along the regional pathway, and planting in the spring.
What’s complete:
- Road paving.
- New overhead entrance signage and wayfinding.
- New picnic shelter and public gathering space.
- Regional pathway realignment and paving.
- New vehicle parking spaces.
- Landscaping and rehabilitation work.
- Water utility connections for future amenities.
What’s next
- January 2026: Minor adjustments to fencing and guardrails.
- January 2026: Temporary construction fencing remains in some areas (this will not affect public access).
- Spring 2026: Planting and landscaping.
To stay up-to-date, please check back to our website or subscribe to our newsletter. Thank you for your cooperation, we appreciate your patience while crews are working in your area.
Click image for full size map.
Timeline
About the project
Sandy Beach Park is located in southwest Calgary, along the Elbow River, nestled in the community of Altadore. The park is situated below River Park, and contains numerous playgrounds, fire pits, pathways, and picnic sites. Sandy Beach Park is also surrounded by three nearby off-leash areas (River Park, Riverdale, and Britannia).
The Sandy Beach Improvement project is part of the Established Area Growth and Change Strategy. This program provides funding to support short-term (1-3 years) public space projects in established communities where growth and change are happening. The Strategy connects planning, financial and investment decisions to provide the assistance that established communities need to support the growth that is currently taking place.
This work will improve the public realm and support safe, easy, and accessible travel for residents and visitors to Sandy Beach Park.
The project promotes a vibrant outdoor green space with the existing dog park, public river access, and enhanced park and recreation upgrades.
Project benefits
This project will provide the neighbourhood, local businesses, and visitors with an improved public realm for safe, easy, and accessible travel. Also, the project will promote a vibrant and desirable outdoor green space in the park with the existing dog park, public river access, enhanced park and recreation amenities and reduce speeding in the community. This project will include the following:
- sidewalks, pathway, and bikeway improvements,
- traffic calming and pedestrian safety enhancements,
- park and recreation amenities and upgrades,
- activating public spaces
- additional parking
Your input
The project team met with the community in November 2021 and public engagement was held online from November 29 - December 15, with two virtual open house events. The project team shared the overall designs and participants provided feedback, which can be found in the What We Heard Report.
Stay connected
Sign up for email updates on this project and others happening in the community through our West Elbow Community Improvements newsletter.
Have questions or concerns about project construction?