Glory Hills Ski Trails (maskihkîy meskanaw) [FINAL EDITING]

[FINAL EDITING]

Back to North West Quadrant – YEG-Ville.

The Glory Hills Environmentally Significant Area refers to a micro-region west of Edmonton and North of Spruce Grove and Stony Plain. The area is in a transition zone between the boreal and parkland ecosystems and contains species from both ecosystems. This stretch of rolling hills covered with aspen parkland interspersed with many lakes is still forested largely with aspen but with some balsam poplar, paper birch, and white spruce.

The Fast Facts

Looking Back and Forward in All Its Glory

About 12,000 years ago the last great ice sheet began to melt and retreat northward. Once covered by glaciers, the Glory Hills is an area where a great deal of glacial till was left behind. Wetlands on the property are part of a chain that help filter and protect the water supply. Today, the forest is being converted to acreages and the City of Edmonton continues its steady march westward.

Low to High Beginner Trails

A trail guide can be downloaded [1 and 2, adapted]. Access into the system requires a descent down a narrow trail that will become increasingly icy over the course of the season. Cleats are required for this section. Once in the area, there are a few kilometers of both easy and more difficult trails.

If you follow the fence line of the property, the trail is undulating through a series of ravines. Care should be taken particularly later in the season as it becomes icy. In contrast, the trail along the lake is wide and with little difficulty.

Trail following the fence line of the difficult trail in Glory Hills.
Hills on the outer trail of Glory Hills
  • Name/Owner:: Glory Hills Ski Trails / Edmonton Area Land Trust
  • Is it Worth It and Why Go Here?: [PENDING]
  • Map Reference, Location and WGU:
    • Central Alberta Backroads Map Book, p. Edmonton (p. 45), Cell A4.
    • 53′ 38″ -114′ 01″, 1017 Township Rd 540, Onoway, AB T0E 1V0
    • Wayne Gretzky Driving Time & Distance: 38 Min(s) & 45 Kilometers
  • Rating and Description:
  • Links: (See notes and references below).
  • The Drive Out:
  • The Other Shoe: Only foot traffic is permitted.
  • Kid Rating: [PENDING]
  • Frank’s Trip Notes: First done: 2021-01-04.

Notes and Reference

  1. Thomas, Mary, and Hacienda Consulting. “Nature Tour.” Town of Onoway. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://www.onoway.ca/visitors/nature-tour.
  2. Edmonton & Area Land Trust. “Glory Hills.” Accessed December 10, 2020. https://www.ealt.ca/glory-hills.

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