The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Hillkeep Regional Park

Meadow Loop Trail descends from the entrance through the forest before reaching a marshy pond around the halfway point. The trail has a few short climbs and descents, with occasional peeks of the Fraser River through the trees and lovely open meadow areas. It’s a roughly 2-kilometre loop on gravel and dirt trails, with a few junctions along the way that cross the loop for a shorter option. Otherwise, you can keep right to continue enjoying the full route to explore this quiet side of the park.

Hillkeep Regional Park sits on top of Chilliwack Mountain, on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish, S'ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Stz’uminus and Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group. The land was generously donated by local residents Pat and Paige Woodward, intended as a nature reserve for the public to enjoy. Two short trails explore the park, with one leading to a viewpoint over the Fraser Valley and the other looping through a meadow. Both are easy to complete together in under an hour, making this a convenient spot for a short walk close to town.

Reachable via a wide gravel road and a set of wooden stairs, this elevated viewpoint sits at the top of Chilliwack Mountain on a wooden platform overlooking the expansive valley toward the mountains surrounding Cultus Lake. The view is partly obstructed by trees in a couple of places, but still opens up to a fantastic lookout worthy of capturing a few photos while you’re here. It’s a short climb from the parking area and is a great place to take in the vast scenery before heading back down the trail.

Browne Creek Wetlands is a small, protected marsh and riparian habitat along Browne Creek. The area is key in filtering water and is easy to explore via a network of flat gravel paths and wooden boardwalks. Visitors come here for birdwatching, strolling, running, or biking.

The Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve spans 325 acres across a protected wetland habitat for one of the area’s largest colonies of great blue herons. Visitors can explore the reserve on flat gravel trails and raised boardwalks. This beautiful marshland and wooded area are open year-round, with educational programs and volunteer stewardship.

The Vedder River flows along the southern edge of Chilliwack, beginning at Cultus Lake and running northwest until it joins the Fraser River. The river is famous for salmon fishing during fall salmon runs. Besides fishing, visitors like to swim, tube, kayak, and raft.

Dyke Road is less of a formal hiking trail and more of a wide dirt road used by walkers and bikers. If you want to walk side by side with a friend, this is the perfect trail. This road traces the top of the flood-control dike, across farms, fields, and sloughs. There is almost no elevation gain and loss, very flat the whole way, and keep your eyes open for all sorts of birds along the wetlands.

Nicomen Slough is a side channel and wetland area connected to the Fraser River, spanning 14 kilometers. The slough is very important to waterfowl under the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture because it is an important migration area for wintering and breeding of many kinds of birds.