Three Meadows Loop

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UofA Access Road Gate Hike Length: More Than 10 Km Route Type: Loop Difficulty: Expedition

Hike route: Three Meadows Loop

Hike Details

Trailhead:	UofA Access Road Gate
Hike Length:	12.8 km
Route Type:	Loop
Difficulty:	Rated 168: Expedition 168 / 223
Difficulty:	^{ⓘ Ratings Explained}

Description
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Like the “Five Meadows Loop ”, this hike route takes you from the Waskahegan Trail through three “off-trail” hay meadows. But beware: the middle section of this hike may look like a sly shortcut compared to the “Five Meadows Loop,” but that shortcut is through perennially dodgy terrain where you’ll need to exercise your route-finding abilities.

Tip

Long sleeves and long pants are highly recommended for this hike.

View route colour key

Brown:
Road - easy going and the route is always clear.

Green:
Usually a well-defined trail, occasionally overgrown.

Blue:
Trail often degraded or overgrown, therefore not well-defined.

Black:
No trail, so navigation is more difficult, yet sometimes a game trail to follow.

Leg	From ➜ To	Distance	Accumulated Distance	Description
1	UofA Access Road Gate ➜ Road / Trail Intersection	1.5 km	1.5 km	After parking at the "UofA Access Road Gate" start down the hill and wind your way towards Williams Lake. Once you arrive there, you'll want to take in the nice view at "Red Chair Lookout", named after a red folding chair that was carted out to the viewpoint and remained there for years.
2	Road / Trail Intersection ➜ Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE)	1.1 km	2.6 km	At the "U of A Access Road / Waskahegan Trail Intersection" waypoint, bear right off the road onto the well-worn single-track trail through "The Enchanted Forest". Make your way to the "Turn onto farmer's road" waypoint and turn right, following the road. At the "Intersection of Farmer's Road (N) / Waskahegan Trail" waypoint veer left to the shaded, spruce-lined trail. Continue until you reach "Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE)"
3	Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE) ➜ Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (SW)	450 m	3.05 km	Now you need to make your way straight ahead to the far end of the field to the east. Use the waypoints "Shinjuku Meadow 1" and "Shinjuku Meadow 2" to guide you.
4	Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (SW) ➜ Road meets meadow 1 (N)	436 m	3.486 km	Follow the wide trail to the right, up the hill When you reach the bottom of the small hill, bear right to follow the wide trail / road. We're leaving the Waskahegan trail at this point, but this hike plan has us looping around back to this place via the Waskahegan from the south. Use the "Road meets meadow 1 (N)" waypoint to get you started
5	Road meets meadow 1 (N) ➜ Meadow 1 (S) meets farmer's road	300 m	3.786 km	Once into the meadow proper, keep the trees to your right as you round the corner. Make your way to a narrow gap at the end of the field to the "Meadow 1 (S) meets farmer's road" waypoint.
6	Meadow 1 (S) meets farmer's road ➜ Farmer's Road Meadow 2 (N)	267 m	4.053 km	This is the first of a number of connector roads that allows the local farmers to transport haying implements from one field to the next.
7	Farmer's Road Meadow 2 (N) ➜ Meadow 2 (S) meets farmer's road	171 m	4.224 km	Keep the trees on your left as you make your way to the far end of the meadow.
8	Meadow 2 (S) meets farmer's road ➜ Game Trail Through the Bush	165 m	4.389 km	Note: Since the trail on this leg is usually very obvious, there are a number of waypoints combined here. Another short connecting road makes the going easy here toward Meadow 3 at waypoint at "Farmer's road meets Meadow 3 (N)". Coyote Camp: This smaller Meadow 3 presents the opportunity for a detour to "Coyote Camp" for a rest break. There's often a game trail through the grass toward the north that leads to Coyote Camp. At this writing, the origin of Coyote Camp is unknown. There's a sign that announces the name of the place and a well-used fire pit. Continue to "Meadow 3 (S) meets farmer's road" and then the nearby "Farmer's road meets Meadow 4 (N)". Now you'll need to look to your left along the treeline to find the game trail that will take you "cross-country" toward the Fire Tower. Use the "Meadow meets game trail" waypoint to guide you.
9	Game Trail Through the Bush ➜ Trail meets gully	307 m	4.696 km	The trail rating for the next three legs of the hike are blue and black for a reason: together they may test your route-finding abilities. Do your best to follow the provided track. Follow the game trail to the "Trail meets gully" waypoint.
10	Trail meets Gully ➜ Meadow meets gnarly game trail	171 m	4.867 km	This leg will likely involve some basic "sight and go" orienteering. Use the "Meadow meets scant trail" waypoint to make sure you're heading in the right direction.
11	Meadow meets gnarly game trail ➜ Waskahegan Trail Intersection	962 m	5.829 km	Much of this leg will involve moving along a game trail lined with thick scratchy bushes. But the trail is usually quite discernible. Use the "Trail / Waskahegan Trail intersection" waypoint to guide you in case the trail suddenly grows too faint.
12	Waskahegan Trail Intersection ➜ Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (SW)	1.8 km	7.629 km	Now we're back on the well-marked Waskahegan Trail. Keep on this trail, perhaps stopping for a well-deserved rest at the Ministik Firetower. Make your way back to the "Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (SW)"
13	Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (SW) ➜ Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE)	462 m	8.091 km	Use the waypoints "Shinjuku Meadow 2" and "Shinjuku Meadow 1" to make your way across the meadow to the "Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE)" waypoint to continue on the Waskahegan Trail.
14	Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE) ➜ Road / Trail Intersection	1.1 km	9.191 km	Follow the Waskahegan trail back to now-familiar "UofA Access Road / Waskahegan Trail Intersection".
15	Road / Trail Intersection ➜ UofA Access Road Gate	1.7 km	10.891 km	Now follow the road back to the "UofA Access Road Gate" waypoint.

Leg 1

UofA Access Road Gate ➜ Road / Trail Intersection

Distance: 1.5 km

Accumulated Distance: 1.5 km

Description

After parking at the "UofA Access Road Gate" start down the hill and wind your way towards Williams Lake.
Once you arrive there, you'll want to take in the nice view at "Red Chair Lookout", named after a red folding chair that was carted out to the viewpoint and remained there for years.

Leg 2

Road / Trail Intersection ➜ Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE)

Distance: 1.1 km

Accumulated Distance: 2.6 km

Description

At the "U of A Access Road / Waskahegan Trail Intersection" waypoint, bear right off the road onto the well-worn single-track trail through "The Enchanted Forest".
Make your way to the "Turn onto farmer's road" waypoint and turn right, following the road.
At the "Intersection of Farmer's Road (N) / Waskahegan Trail" waypoint veer left to the shaded, spruce-lined trail.
Continue until you reach "Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE)"

Leg 3

Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE) ➜ Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (SW)

Distance: 450 m

Accumulated Distance: 3.05 km

Description

Now you need to make your way straight ahead to the far end of the field to the east. Use the waypoints "Shinjuku Meadow 1" and "Shinjuku Meadow 2" to guide you.

Leg 4

Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (SW) ➜ Road meets meadow 1 (N)

Distance: 436 m

Accumulated Distance: 3.486 km

Description

Follow the wide trail to the right, up the hill
When you reach the bottom of the small hill, bear right to follow the wide trail / road.
We're leaving the Waskahegan trail at this point, but this hike plan has us looping around back to this place via the Waskahegan from the south.
Use the "Road meets meadow 1 (N)" waypoint to get you started

Leg 5

Road meets meadow 1 (N) ➜ Meadow 1 (S) meets farmer's road

Distance: 300 m

Accumulated Distance: 3.786 km

Description

Once into the meadow proper, keep the trees to your right as you round the corner.
Make your way to a narrow gap at the end of the field to the "Meadow 1 (S) meets farmer's road" waypoint.

Leg 6

Meadow 1 (S) meets farmer's road ➜ Farmer's Road Meadow 2 (N)

Distance: 267 m

Accumulated Distance: 4.053 km

Description

This is the first of a number of connector roads that allows the local farmers to transport haying implements from one field to the next.

Leg 7

Farmer's Road Meadow 2 (N) ➜ Meadow 2 (S) meets farmer's road

Distance: 171 m

Accumulated Distance: 4.224 km

Description

Keep the trees on your left as you make your way to the far end of the meadow.

Leg 8

Meadow 2 (S) meets farmer's road ➜ Game Trail Through the Bush

Distance: 165 m

Accumulated Distance: 4.389 km

Description

Note: Since the trail on this leg is usually very obvious, there are a number of waypoints combined here.
Another short connecting road makes the going easy here toward Meadow 3 at waypoint at "Farmer's road meets Meadow 3 (N)".
Coyote Camp: This smaller Meadow 3 presents the opportunity for a detour to "Coyote Camp" for a rest break. There's often a game trail through the grass toward the north that leads to Coyote Camp.
At this writing, the origin of Coyote Camp is unknown. There's a sign that announces the name of the place and a well-used fire pit.
Continue to "Meadow 3 (S) meets farmer's road" and then the nearby "Farmer's road meets Meadow 4 (N)".
Now you'll need to look to your left along the treeline to find the game trail that will take you "cross-country" toward the Fire Tower. Use the "Meadow meets game trail" waypoint to guide you.

Leg 9

Game Trail Through the Bush ➜ Trail meets gully

Distance: 307 m

Accumulated Distance: 4.696 km

Description

The trail rating for the next three legs of the hike are blue and black for a reason: together they may test your route-finding abilities. Do your best to follow the provided track.
Follow the game trail to the "Trail meets gully" waypoint.

Leg 10

Trail meets Gully ➜ Meadow meets gnarly game trail

Distance: 171 m

Accumulated Distance: 4.867 km

Description

This leg will likely involve some basic "sight and go" orienteering. Use the "Meadow meets scant trail" waypoint to make sure you're heading in the right direction.

Leg 11

Meadow meets gnarly game trail ➜ Waskahegan Trail Intersection

Distance: 962 m

Accumulated Distance: 5.829 km

Description

Much of this leg will involve moving along a game trail lined with thick scratchy bushes. But the trail is usually quite discernible.
Use the "Trail / Waskahegan Trail intersection" waypoint to guide you in case the trail suddenly grows too faint.

Leg 12

Waskahegan Trail Intersection ➜ Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (SW)

Distance: 1.8 km

Accumulated Distance: 7.629 km

Description

Now we're back on the well-marked Waskahegan Trail. Keep on this trail, perhaps stopping for a well-deserved rest at the Ministik Firetower.
Make your way back to the "Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (SW)"

Leg 13

Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (SW) ➜ Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE)

Distance: 462 m

Accumulated Distance: 8.091 km

Description

Use the waypoints "Shinjuku Meadow 2" and "Shinjuku Meadow 1" to make your way across the meadow to the "Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE)" waypoint to continue on the Waskahegan Trail.

Leg 14

Trail meets Shinjuku Meadow (NE) ➜ Road / Trail Intersection

Distance: 1.1 km

Accumulated Distance: 9.191 km

Description

Follow the Waskahegan trail back to now-familiar "UofA Access Road / Waskahegan Trail Intersection".

Leg 15

Road / Trail Intersection ➜ UofA Access Road Gate

Distance: 1.7 km

Accumulated Distance: 10.891 km

Description

Now follow the road back to the "UofA Access Road Gate" waypoint.

Interactive Route Map
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To see all route waypoints, zoom into the map by pinching open on mobile, scrolling on desktop.

View interactive map full screen

View route colour key

Brown:
Road - easy going and the route is always clear.

Green:
Usually a well-defined trail, occasionally overgrown.

Blue:
Trail often degraded or overgrown, therefore not well-defined.

Black:
No trail, so navigation is more difficult, yet sometimes a game trail to follow.

Download Hike Route and Description
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Hike Route and Waypoints File
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The “.gpx” file contains both the hike route and important waypoints referred to in the hike description. See the suggestions for mobile apps and open the “.gpx” file in one of those apps on your mobile device.

Mobile (Offline) Hike Route Description in PDF Format
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Cell service can go from spotty to non-existent in the Ministik. The leg-by-leg route directions you see on this page are duplicated in a PDF document (".pdf") you can download here to read on your mobile device while offline.

Attachments: (Hike Route and Waypoints File (.gpx) & Hike Route Description (.pdf))

010_three_meadows_loop.gpx
(34kb)
Three-Meadows-Loop.pdf
(407kb)