2000 Cascade Ave. 

Meadowbrook Natural Area Map and Regulations (PDF)

Regular hours are 6:00A - 10:30P daily

Meadowbrook Natural Area is located in west Loveland, north of Hwy 34 and east of Cascade Ave. This natural area is part of a site identified in the City’s inventory, "Natural Area Sites" (2008), due to the natural wetland drainage swale through the area.

Meadowbrook Natural Area is managed by the Open Lands and Trails Division. Site features include a 2-acre historic stock pond, wetlands, mature cottonwood trees, seeded and established native grasslands, and access from the paved City Recreation Trail. Several soft-surface trails through the property provide access along the Louden Ditch and to the pond below. The site is open to the public and is accessible from the Recreation Trail and Cascade Avenue. Bike racks, an information kiosk, and benches provide visitors with convenient locations to rest, learn about the area, and enjoy the scenic views. 

A significant function of Meadowbrook Natural Area is water quality treatment and tiered stormwater control. Improvements constructed within the site create a highly functional facility that successfully manages upstream stormwater, while improving the quality of downstream releases. An effective method of reducing the impacts of high levels of stormwater runoff is utilizing artificial or naturally occurring wetlands. The tiered wetlands and pond areas at Meadowbrook receive stormwater and natural runoff. Vegetation disperses the water’s energy, reducing its velocity. Water is contained, particulates and pollutants are filtered as the water moves through the plant communities, and flows are released with improved water quality downstream.

History of Meadowbrook Natural Area
The first two parcels acquired for Meadowbrook Natural Area were donated to the City of Loveland by developers of adjacent properties. The 19.29-acre main northern parcel, adjacent to the Meadowbrook Ridge Subdivision, was donated by Keirns Development in 2005. The 6.77-acre southern parcel was donated by Capital Pacific Homes in 2006. Keirns Development and the City of Loveland established a mechanism to transfer funds to the City to cover future costs to maintain the northern parcel, primarily for dredging the pond. Keirns Development agreed to pay a one-time fee of $335 for each lot sold in the adjacent Meadowbrook Ridge development to cover these costs.  The 1.83-acre northwest parcel was added in 2021, with funding from Loveland's dedicated portion of the 1/4-cent Larimer County Open Space Sales Tax.  

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