Most people do not get an opportunity to walk in a grazing pasture with cattle and calves. It could be intimidating, as well as being an experience to learn how to share nature’s landscape. Not too many know that Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, besides being an incredible park, is a working cattle ranch. Situated between Calgary and Cochrane along the Bow River, Glenbow Ranch spreads out over 3,300 acres. The park is co-managed by Alberta Parks and the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation. Cattle grazing is an essential and integral part of maintaining a healthy biodiverse grassland ecosystem. However, ensuring visitors and cattle can co-exist in a park is a fine balancing act. Read More
Most people do not get an opportunity to walk in a grazing pasture with cattle and calves. It could be intimidating, as well as being an experience to learn how to share nature’s landscape. Not too many know that Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, besides being an incredible park, is a working cattle ranch. Situated between
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Most people do not get an opportunity to walk in a grazing pasture with cattle and calves. It could be intimidating, as well as being an experience to learn how to share nature’s landscape. Not too many know that Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, besides being an incredible park, is a working cattle ranch. Situated between Calgary and Cochrane along the Bow River, Glenbow Ranch spreads out over 3,300 acres. The park is co-managed by Alberta Parks and the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation. Cattle grazing is an essential and integral part of maintaining a healthy biodiverse grassland ecosystem. However, ensuring visitors and cattle can co-exist in a park is a fine balancing act.
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People like to have access to all the trails and cattle need to have access to good grazing areas and water. There are circumstances when it is best to keep the two groups apart for the safety of both. Therefore, there are times of the year and areas of the park that are closed to visitors. One of those times is early spring when cows are giving birth to their calves. The moms are overly protective and will aggressively defend their newborns. This is a high-risk period, and the cattle will be in an area of the park that is fenced off. This year, the off-limit areas were Yodel Loop and Scott Hill, and visitors were prohibited from using the trails within these areas.
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By June, the calves are old enough to be branded and the herd is moved to the corral area where the main artery, the Glenbow Trail, crosses. The complete closure of this area is disruptive to hikers and cyclists wanting to travel from one end of the park to the other. This year, a detour was provided by way of the north section of the Yodel Loop Trail. Cyclists were allowed on this gravel trail which is a relatively flat section through a quiet aspen forest.
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Normally, once branding is over, the herd is pushed northeast and has little interference with visitors and hiking trails. However, this year was different. It has been eight years in a row of below-normal precipitation. This created a drought situation in which water was scarce, and the grass was eaten down and not providing many nutrients. The cattle had to be moved west of the Visitor Centre where conditions were more favourable. This decision created a major problem for park visitation. Cattle loved the idea; visitors not so much. The entire west end of the park was closed to the public for at least the last two weeks of June. Tiger Lily Loop, the Pond and Badger Bowl were closed. Tiger Lily Loop and the Pond are two very popular areas with school groups and families. Badger Bowl hadn’t been grazed within the past three years, and the grass was in great condition.
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