Yodel Loop is a short trail in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, just 15 minutes from the edge of NW Calgary and 10 minutes from Cochrane. It is a lovely loop with approximately 90 metres of elevation that take visitors through the foothills overlooking the Bow River. While Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is beautiful year round, it was especially nice to come visit in the fall, with the yellow and orange leaves blanketing the valley.
Occasionally, cattle are grazing through different parts of Glenbow Ranch. Certain trails may be closed due to cattle in the area, so check the Park Foundation website before you go. When we walked Yodel Loop, there were cattle grazing south of the hill, which gave us a view of the cows.
Yodel Loop Summary
- Difficulty:Â Easy
- Distance:Â 3.8 km round trip
- Elevation:Â 89 metres
- Trail type:Â Loop
- Time:Â 45 minutes to an hour
- Trailhead:Â Glenbow Ranch Parking Lot
Start the trail from the main parking lot. Take Tiger Lily Loop south from the parking lots and connect with Glenbow Trail at the park office.
Detailed Trail Description
Yodel Loop itself is a 2.1 km gravel path just southeast of the visitors’ centre. The loop climbs a hill with two scenic outlooks that provide signage detailing the historic and natural features of the landscape in the Bow River valley.
To reach Yodel Loop, you must follow Tiger Lily Loop trail south from the parking lot towards the visitors’ centre. As you pass through this section, notice a picnic area to your right. Here, you can find the Morris Home, where two chimneys, one of brick and one of stone, still stand. There are also picnic tables available if you’re spending longer at the park.
To continue towards Yodel Loop, keep walking south until you pass the visitors’ centre, about 300 metres from the parking lot. From here, follow the path to Coyote Junction, where Tiger Lily Loop meets Glenbow Trail. Follow Glenbow Trail south. This is a mixed use trail, paved with a yellow line for cyclists. Be aware of cyclists in the area and move right if they need to pass.
You’ll reach Yodel Loop just under a kilometre from the parking lot. It branches east off Glenbow trail. This part of the path is gravel, not asphalt. Cyclists are allowed on the backside of the loop, but not permitted on the hill.
We walked the loop in a counter-clockwise direction, starting with the hill. The hill has a short series of shallow switchbacks, but the climb isn’t too difficult. From here, walk along the ridge towards the east. You’ll get panoramic views of the Bow River valley to the south. If you’re lucky (like us), there may even be cattle grazing below.
We brought our dog on the walk, and he heard the cows for the first time. He was a little confused by the noise as the cattle were far enough away it may not have been clear to him. At the end of the hill, the path loops north and back down. We followed the path around north and west to complete the loop, but the trail also connects to Scott Trail, which passes by one of the oldest building in the park. If there are no cattle in this section of the park, you can continue your walk this direction.
We completely the loop through aspen and grasslands before meeting back up with Glenbow Trail. From here, we retraced our steps back to the parking lot. In total, the walk took us 56 minutes. It was a nice peaceful way to spend an autumn afternoon.
