Brown-Lowery Perimeter Loop

This easy jaunt in the woods takes place at little Brown-Lowery Provincial Park not far from Calgary and using a series of interconnecting trails makes a fun and pleasant loop. It pretty much covers all four corners of the park (it’s not a big piece of land). If you do it clockwise, like here, there’s a reward near the end, a fine viewpoint taking in the front ranges of the Rockies. That is assuming there’s no cloud cover as on our visit, but even the rolling hills closer in are pretty as a picture.

Brown-Lowery is a nature lover’s dream and if you’re into flowers or birds you’ll be kept busy. There seems to be a bear (or bears) that hang around the area, so come prepared. We’ve never encountered it, but know others that have and almost every visit have seen fresh poop or prints.

The trailhead is off Plummers Road on the way to Turner Valley (also accessible south of Bragg Creek). Look for the parking lot on the south side of the road at a wooded area. Hiking is pretty much all you can do here, like that’s a bad thing. Brown-Lowery is on land donated by an oil firm in the 1960s and named after two big wheels associated with the company. It wasn’t until the 1990s before it was developed, however, and we got all this from an informative plaque at the trailhead. Now you know!

There’s a maze of trails but fortunately there’s maps at each junction. Our route is really quite a no-brainer and look at that, it keeps left at every single junction passed. That worked well. Still, check with your location once in a while in case our instructions gets you lost and on an infinite loop (I guess it could happen). Except for the viewpoint mentioned, this is an in-the-trees hike.

While the parking lot suggests it’s a busy little place, there’s enough trails that everyone’s usually well spread out. Still, the last section of this particular route, near the viewpoint, is where you’ll encounter most people (naturally).

Take the trail (the only trail) heading west-ish and down. After a boardwalk crossing a boggy area come to the first (of many junctions) and take to the Chickadee Trail left. It was was being worked on during our visit, so we proceeded on the main trail, and doubled back to a connector a couple hundred metres distant (and just beyond a bridge). The trail so far has been a bed of wood chips, but reverts to dirt track after here. In grassy areas it sometimes fades away, but the route is always clear.

The path rises and falls with the land, but it’s all easy and the clicks pass by fast. We’re no botanists but were amazed at the incredible diversity here. Lichens, flowers, mushrooms and on and on it goes. On coming to the Old Mill North Trail, keep left and soon after, just steps past another junction (Old Mill East), where you also keep left, arrive at a tumbled down cabin.

It’s said the building was connected with a sawmill that operated in the immediate area maybe a century ago and each year appears a little more fallen down. We’ve been coming here for a long time. There’s a second cabin not far away, off the Old Mill East Trail, but it’s nothing more than a nondescript pile of sticks at this point. We looked in the woods once for evidence of the sawmill, but saw nothing of note. You’d think there would be piles of rotted wood cut-offs or sawdust underfoot, but didn’t find anything like that.

Peer inside what’s left of the shack, but other than an old bed frame, there’s nothing else really left behind. Continuing east on the Red Willow Trail, come to a meadow, a rare opening in the trees as you’ll discover, cross a bridge then bend hard right. You’re very near the park boundary here. Hike along what appears to be a cutline (so an almost arrow-straight gash through the trees) and parallel a little muddy creek. There’s some spongy sections along here, so hopefully your shoes don’t leak.

Turn hard right again (you’re near the north boundary here) on to the Pine Hill Trail. More boggy areas ahead, but the worst now have boardwalks (they didn’t before). The trail goes up and over a little hill and in quick succession passes three junctions (keep left at all – it’s working like we said). Soon after start heading up again. Beside the boundary fence now, a powerline comes in from the left. Climb up on the Viewpoint Trail and bend north on topping out (again, the boundary dictates it).

While you’re atop a ridge at this point, you’d never know it due to the trees. Where as earlier, it was spruce and pine, up here there’s lots of aspen instead. This is also where you’ll see the most flowers with fireweed seeming to be the dominate species. In places it crowds the trail.

A gap in the trees offers a view to the east and while it’s said you can see Calgary from here, the cloud cover was too thick this day. Best we could do is peer at a few treed hills in that direction. To the west, there’s a much larger opening and a bench for a well deserved break. This is Eagle View. Below it’s meadows and fields and rolling hill after rolling hill, a most pleasing scene if there ever was one. You can normally see the front ranges of the Rockies off in the distance but those overcast skies prevented us seeing them. Oh well, it’s still a nice place and maybe it’ll be better for you.

Beside the boundary fence for a while, drop down and then keep left on the Wildrose West Trail. Keep left again at the next junction, ditto for the one right after, cross a few boardwalks and in moment or two you’re back at the car. We just missed the rain, but getting wet is nothing so, so whatever.

It’s not a hard hike and perhaps lacks the wow factor compared to others we do, but it was satisfying. There’s plenty of ways to mix it up in Brown-Lowery, combining this trail and that, but this route is about the longest without repeating sections, and a ton of fun to do.

Till our next adventure in the woods, we bid you happy trails.

They’re saying…

”I love the beautiful pictures that are shared in Facebook. I highly recommend this site to anyone who feels like they can enjoy new adventures through Chris and Connie.” Lori Miller.

More flat-ish hikes…
Crimson Lake Amerada Trail – Stunning in the autumn.
Jumpingpound Loop Clockwise – A great time was had by all.
Junction Creek – That waterfall!

If you wish more information about this route or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: July, 2021.
Location: Brown-Lowery Provincial Park SW of Calgary.
Distance: 7km loop.
Height gain maximum: 120m.
Height gain cumulative: 200m-ish.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Technical stuff and notes: Technical stuff? Yeah!

This informative plaque at the start of the trail.

Walking on a bed of wood chips here.

A typical view.

There’s maps at each of the many junctions.

Lichens, lichens, everywhere.

A bunch of Bunchberry.

Cow Parsnip likes moist ground.

Arriving at the old cabin.

Each year it’s a little more fallen down.

This grassy meadow is a rare open area.

Allow the Red Willow Trail.

Low lying areas (like this) can be a bit spongy.

A wild Lily seen along the way.

It’s an easy and pleasant walk in the woods.

Connie’s friend from India did this.

A (new) boardwalk over a boggy section.

Here, we’re along the Lookout Trail.

Looking east at a gap in the trees.

A well deserved break at Eagle View.

Here we’re looking west-ish.

If not for the clouds, we’d see the Rockies over that way.

Following a fence line.

Dropping down from the high point.

Nearing the end, the rain comes down.

The Perimeter Loop at Brown-Lowery.