Easy hikes and walks around Area E (Chilliwack River Valley)

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.

This short trail takes you from the roadside to an 800+ year old Douglas Fir that is the largest within Cultus Lake Provincial Park. If you're not staying at one of the campgrounds you need to park at the nearby Spring Bay parking area.

If you're visiting Cultus Lake Provincial Park for the day this is the place to use as your base of operations. From here you'll have access to the trails, a nice picnic area, and a beach along the lakeshore. There are two nearby campgrounds for those looking to stay a little longer.

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.

Where Chipmunk Creek Forest Service Road and Chilliwack Lake Road meet, there is a pullout with yellow gates. Here, look for parking signs. Once parked, walk down Chipmunk Creek Forest Service Road to access the Iron Curtain Cave Recreation Reserve.

Chipmunk Caves are a series of limestone caves accessible by ladders and by climbing to the cave mouth, then traversing through and out another entrance. Bring along a headlamp and sturdy shoes if you choose to explore the caves with caution. Scientists have studied hundreds of bacterial types in this cave, and some strains of bacteria were sampled by scientists for the first time in history. It is an interesting site and can become busy with hikers and explorers during good weather.