Snagmore Hill Loop

This hiking adventure happens in the extensive Bragg Creek Trail Network near Calgary. How convenient that it’s just a hop, skip and jump away from the big city! The route is comprised of a number of different trails pieced together to form a nice loop that goes up and over lowly Snagmore Hill near the end. If done clockwise, as shown, the best part is left for last. There’s the occasional viewpoint here and there, but mostly it’s a walk in the woods, like that’s a bad thing.

If visiting on a summer weekend it might be busy with cyclists (mostly) but other days you might just have it yourself, or mostly so. This was our experience. It’s was gloomy and depressing this day, not just due to cloud cover, but smoke from distant forest fires. The haze cleared up briefly after a short downpour, then returned soon after. Even with sombre skies, the forest is an uplifting clear-your-head kind of place and always good for a recharge.

It begins at Allen Bill trailhead along Highway #66 in the Kananaskis foothills. Take Elbow Trail, on the east side of the lot, which is often used to access any number of diverging routes, but rarely hiked in its entirety. On our visit this was the only busy section and it seems most people were here to take in Fullerton Loop, which heads off to the left soon after a bridged creek crossing. Then came the peace and quiet.

Continue on and note Snagmore coming in from the right at a three-way (Sugar Momma/Mama, left) and this is where you’ll loop back eventually. Elbow was once a logging road and is one of the older hiking trails in the network. It goes back to the 1980s at least and we ourselves recall hiking it as far back as twenty years ago. It’s a wide swath of grass and busiest in winter when it’s used by XC skiers. In summer it’s for accessing other trails.

The route winds this way and that and rises and falls, but never steeply. It simply follows the lay of the land. Ignore any side trails until you come to Boundary Ridge soon after a hard bend left, and then turn right. The trail drops down to a creek (with a bridge) then meets up the Iron Springs on the far side, where you turn right again.

Is this route too long? There’s an optional shortcut using the Iron Springs Connector one junction earlier, but we like to extend the fun. If you get spun around, there’s plenty of maps at strategic points to help you along. The network can be confusing, if you let it, but a challenging and fun maze otherwise.

Iron Springs bends east to avoid a swampy area, before doubling back on the other side of a little valley. It too is an old logging road and similarly a popular XC trail in winter. A hundred metres before trending left, that shortcut route mentioned earlier comes in from the right. At this point Elbow and Iron Springs are a stone’s thrown from each other and just look at our GPS track to see evidence of that.

You’ll pass some old logging cutblocks from time to time marked by trees much shorter than those in the surrounding forest. They still log in the area and everyone seems to get along and accept that coexisting is the most level-headed approach. Leave Iron Springs behind and take Snagmore to the left. So far the route has been pretty flat, but much of the day’s elevation is yet to come. But it’s never steep nor difficult, oh and be sure to watch for fast descending bikes along here.

While there’s picnic tables at certain junctions, we find suitable bench made of a downed trees, and next to a cutblock, which to enjoy our lunch. That was about half way up the hill.

Wine and cheese in the woods can’t be beat!

Near the top of the hill the trail turns right and every once in a while, at an opening the trees, there’s a nice little viewpoint. We’re not that far from Calgary, yet the view with rolling hills in every direction and forest as far as the eye can see suggests otherwise. Close to the city? Not buying it!

Begin the descent, but it happens slow and easy, so you hardly notice. The old North of 60 set comes into view at an overlook high above the Elbow River. So it wasn’t filmed way up north in the Territories as the story claimed? Shame! This place was the setting for a popular CBC Television series for years, starting in the 1990s, but has been used for other productions since.

There’s free range cattle roaming the area, come summer, so watch for them and their always present calling cards. It’s not a bear…it’s a cow…and that’s cow poop on you boots.

Drop down to met up with Elbow Trail and retrace your steps back to the car, and while another adventure is soon to end, smile knowing another could be just around the corner. Right? Get out in the woods and have fun by searching Hikes & Summits on this website for ideas.

Interesting observation: we bump into grouchy people all the time out on the street, but in the woods, the ratio drops considerably. Everyone we passed was nice and friendly. Hmm, we wonder if there’s a correlation?

Know more about this network (new tab): Bragg Creek Trails.

Happy trails to you and stay tuned for more C&C hiking adventures in the coming months!

They’re saying…

”…Thanks for doing what you do.” Wayne Bengtsson.

More hikes in the area…
Merlin View.
Sugar Daddy/Sugar Momma – Sweet!
Moose Mountain.

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

Date of adventure: October, 2021.
Location: Elbow River area Kananaskis, AB.
Distance: 11km loop.
Height gain maximum: 170m (we double checked – some trip reports put it as much as 300m).
Height gain cumulative: 200m-ish.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own) – the system is obviously flawed.
Technical stuff and notes: it’ll be busy with bikes on a summer weekend.
Reference: West Bragg Creek Trails Association and Kananaskis Trail Guides by Gillean Daffern.

Adventure in the Bragg Creek Trails Network.

Ranger Hill in the west.

Thank goodness for maps.

A bridged creek crossing ahead.

Along Iron Springs Trail.

Easy going along this section.

A picnic stop option, but we’d wait till later.

Transferring to Snagmore Trail proper.

It’s an easy climb.

Rolling hills and cutblocks.

Another opening in the trees.

Somewhere close to the high point.

Yet we’re not that far from Calgary.

Just a pleasant outing.

Overlooking the North of 60 set.

A broader view.

Almost like cobblestones.

Dropping down at a switchback.

The cows roam freely.

The Elbow River below.

Fullton Loop off to the right, but keep left.

Almost back at the trailhead.

Close to 12km of fun!