A Few Hours Well Spent: A Fall Family Adventure in Southwest Edmonton

You don’t need to travel far to find a little adventure, especially when Edmonton is showing off its fall colours! For the latest edition of A Few Hours Well Spent, we headed out on a fall adventure in Southwest Edmonton, spending just a few hours discovering colourful new murals, fun playgrounds, beautiful river valley views and, of course, something delicious along the way. From public art and outdoor play to a scenic fall walk and a local bakery stop, this easy family outing was a perfect reminder of just how much there is to discover close to home.

This time, we packed five stops into our morning, mixing a few brand-new discoveries with some favourite ways to enjoy fall as a family. There was plenty to keep the whole family interested along the way, while the combination of quick stops and a longer nature walk kept the adventure feeling relaxed and easy to follow.

⏰ A Few Hours at a Glance

3.5 HOURS · 5 STOPS · SOUTHWEST EDMONTON

🎨 3 colourful murals
🛝 Playground fun
🍂 A scenic fall walk
🥐 Something sweet

📍 Westbrook → Brookview → Terwillegar → Cameron Heights→ Westridge

🎨 Stop 1: Murals & Playground Fun at Westbrook Playground

📍11915 40 Ave NW, Edmonton

We started our morning at Westbrook Playground, where we had two great reasons to stop! A beautiful new mural by local artist Cecelia Leddy (also known as Teenybotanist) now brightens the neighbouring Aspen Gardens Community League building, completed as part of the 2026 Edmonton Mural Festival, while The Very Hungry Caterpillar playground gave us plenty of reasons to stay and play! The whimsical Eric Carle-inspired space is filled with familiar details from the beloved story, along with some epic slides, climbers and sensory features that make it a fun stop for younger families. We spent about 45 minutes admiring the artwork, snapping a few photos and, of course, leaving plenty of time to play before heading to our next mural.

🦋 Stop 2: More Mural Art & Playground Fun at Brookview Community League

📍280 Bulyea Rd NW, Edmonton

Our next stop was Brookview Community League, where another brand-new piece from the 2026 Edmonton Mural Festival has transformed the building into a colourful work of art. Created by artist Jessica Semenoff, the mural wraps around the building with oversized plants, flowers and whimsical wildlife. We loved wandering around to see the different details, including the giant moth, rabbit and other little surprises tucked into the design. This was a quick stop for us, but families can easily stay longer thanks to the large playground right next to the parking lot. It may be an older playground, but there’s still plenty of space to climb, play and burn off some energy before the next stop!

🍂 Stop 3: A Fall Walk at Terwillegar Park Footbridge

📍North Saskatchewan River, Edmonton

Next, we slowed things down with a walk to the Terwillegar Park Footbridge, one of our favourite places to return to every fall. The trail comes alive with a beautiful mix of autumn colours, leading toward the footbridge and gorgeous views over the North Saskatchewan River. We parked along Romaniuk Place NW, where signage helped point us toward the trail. From there, our walk to the far end of the footbridge and back was a little under 2 km, making it a great way to spend about an hour enjoying the fresh air and fall scenery. There are several ways to access the area, so families can easily adjust their route to make the walk shorter or longer depending on little legs, energy levels and how much time you have.

🥐 Stop 4: Treat Yourself at Malina Cafe & Bakery

📍629 Cameron Heights Dr NW, Edmonton

After our walk, we had definitely earned a treat! Malina Cafe & Bakery is one of our favourite bakeries in the Edmonton area, with a delicious mix of sweet and savoury baking, coffee drinks, dine-in meals and freezer favourites like perogies. Our whole family is hooked on the Pampushka Dill & Garlic buns, and we love picking something new from the beautiful selection of cakes and pastries each time we visit. For fall, they’ve made things even sweeter with adorable pumpkin marshmallows available at all three locations to top your favourite seasonal drink. You can also find Malina in Sherwood Park and at their 124 Street cafe and bar, right in the same area we explored during our last A Few Hours Well Spent adventure!

🐺 Stop 5: One Last Mural & Playground at Westridge Park

📍505 Wolf Willow Road NW, Edmonton

We squeezed one last colourful stop before heading home at Westridge Park, where a stunning new wolf mural now covers the side of the Westridge Wolf Willow Country Club Community League. Created by Lacey Jane Wilburn and Layla Folkmann of LALA (Lacey And Layla Art) for the 2026 Edmonton Mural Festival, the larger-than-life artwork celebrates the beauty of the surrounding landscape with a wolf, wildflowers, fall colours and river valley scenery. Right next door, Westridge Wolf Willow Community Playground makes it easy to extend your adventure with another round of play. Kids can discover dinosaur bones, a safari truck, toddler and big-kid play structures and more. With picnic tables, plenty of green space and easy access to nearby ravine and river valley trails, you could easily turn this quick final stop into a much longer visit.

A Few Hours, Very Well Spent

By the time we headed home, we’d discovered three colourful new murals, squeezed in some playground fun, walked through the river valley at its fall best and treated ourselves to a few favourites from one of our go-to local bakeries.

And we’d done it all in just a few hours! We headed out around 10:00 a.m. and were wrapping up our final stop shortly after 1:00 p.m., feeling like we’d packed a whole lot of fall fun into one easy outing.

That’s exactly what A Few Hours Well Spent is about.

Family adventures don’t always have to mean elaborate plans, expensive full-day excursions or travelling far from home. This fall adventure in Southwest Edmonton was a great example of how you can pair a few free local finds with outdoor time, a favourite treat and plenty of opportunities to play.

For this adventure, our itinerary looked like this:

• 10:00 a.m. – Westbrook Playground
• 11:05 a.m. – Brookview Community League
• 11:30 a.m. – Terwillegar Park Footbridge
• 12:40 p.m. – Malina Cafe & Bakery
• 1:05 p.m. – Westridge Park

A little art. A little play. A beautiful fall walk. Something delicious. And another reminder that some of the best family adventures can be found surprisingly close to home.

Bookmark this itinerary for your own fall adventure in Southwest Edmonton, adjust the stops and walking distance to suit your family, and keep an eye out for the next edition of A Few Hours Well Spent as we share more mini family adventures and local gems in Edmonton and beyond!

We know life gets busy, and finding time for family adventures isn’t always easy. This series is all about making the most of the time you do have, even if it’s just a few hours on an otherwise ordinary day.

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✨ Looking for another adventure? ✨

 A Few Hours Well Spent: Art, Treats & Hidden Gems in Edmonton

Catch up on our first A Few Hours Well Spent adventure! We packed an afternoon with interactive art, an epic cinnamon bun, quirky local finds and a FREE hidden gem while exploring Downtown Edmonton and the 124 Street District.