Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Cypress Hills
Location of Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park in Canada
Location	Cypress County, Alberta / Maple Creek No. 111, Saskatchewan, Canada
Nearest city	Medicine Hat, AB; Swift Current, SK
Coordinates	49°34′30.69″N 110°00′23.05″W / 49.5751917°N 110.0064028°W / 49.5751917; -110.0064028Coordinates: 49°34′30.69″N 110°00′23.05″W / 49.5751917°N 110.0064028°W / 49.5751917; -110.0064028
Area	400 km² (150 sq mi)
Established	1951 (Alberta) 1989 (interprovincial)
Governing body	Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation and Saskatchewan Environment

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park is an interprovincial park straddling the southern Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary, located southeast of Medicine Hat. It is Canada's first and only interprovincial park.

The park consists of two protected areas, the 345 km² (133 sq mi) west block, that straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan boundary between Alberta Highway 41, the townsite of Elkwater, Saskatchewan Highway 615, Saskatchewan Highway 271 and Fort Walsh, and the centre block, an additional area of 58 km² (22 sq mi) in Saskatchewan, west of Saskatchewan Highway 21.

Geography

Main article: Cypress Hills (Canada)

The Cypress Hills plateau rises up to 200 metres above the surrounding prairie, to a maximum elevation of 1,468 metres (4,816 ft) at "Head of the Mountain" at the west end in Alberta,^[1] making it Canada's highest point between the Canadian Rockies and the Labrador peninsula. Eastward across the boundary is the highest point in Saskatchewan, at 1,392 metres (4,567 ft).^[2] The "West Block" of the Cypress Hills spans the provincial boundary. Battle Creek runs through the central part of the park. Although the hills seem relatively low, in a larger geographic context the plateau does rise gradually from many kilometres away so that the total elevation gain from Medicine Hat is approximately 600 metres.

Nature

Approximately 700 species of plants and animals thrive in the park, including 14 species of orchids.

The park protects the majority of the Cypress Hills landscape, which consists of three separate elevated blocks of lush forest and fescue grassland surrounded by dry mixed-grass prairie. The "west block" and "centre block" are protected as provincial parks, and are managed by Alberta Parks and Protected Areas^[3] and Saskatchewan Parks,^[4] respectively. The "east block" of the Cypress Hills, situated near Eastend, Saskatchewan, is not part of the park. The Fort Walsh National Historic Site is also located in the park's limits.

Fish species

Fish species include walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, brook, brown, westslope cutthroat and rainbow trout, burbot, common carp, white sucker, and shorthead redhorse.

Activities

On the Alberta side of the west block, key park features include Head of the Mountain Viewpoint, the highest point between the Rocky Mountains and Labrador, the Elkwater townsite (a cottage community sitting at the same elevation as the Banff townsite), Horseshoe Canyon and Reesor Lake viewpoints (offering 100 km views on a clear day), over 50 km of hiking and mountain biking trails, and Hidden Valley Ski Area. Three lakes sit on the Alberta side of the park (Elkwater Lake, Spruce Coulee Reservoir and Reesor Lake), with another four in Saskatchewan (Harris, Adams, Coulee Lake and Loch Leven).

All year long, park interpreters present education programs to school and youth groups, adult and seniors groups, and a wide range of park visitors.

There are also various rentals to be used in the park in the various months. In summertime, kayak, canoe, bicycle, and water bikes are available for rental. In the winter, kicksleds, snowshoes, and cross country skis may be rented.

History

1951 - The Cypress Hills Provincial Park was established in Alberta.
1989 - On August 25, the governments of Alberta^[5] and Saskatchewan^[6] signed an agreement committing themselves to cooperation on ecosystem management, education and park promotion.
2000 - Fort Walsh National Historic Site (located on the Saskatchewan side of the West Block) joined the collective. Together, these three partner agencies make up the park. Both Alberta and Saskatchewan provincial governments signed the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park agreement, establishing the first interprovincial park in Canada.
2001 - On August 18, Vance Petriew discovered a comet from Cypress Hills during the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party.^[7] The comet was later named 185P/Petriew.
2004 - On September 28, Saskatchewan Parks, Alberta Community Development, Parks Canada and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada signed an agreement that declared the park a dark-sky preserve.
2011 - On August 25, the Park opened the Cypress Hills Observatory and Yurt classroom.^[8]

A panorama of Cypress Hills

References

↑ Cypress Hills Provincial Park - Alberta - Geology - accessed 2013-08-04
↑ Statistics Canada - Table 15.3 Selected principal heights, by province and territory
↑ Alberta Parks and Protected Areas
↑ Saskatchewan Parks
↑ Alberta Government - Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park page
↑ Saskatchewan Government - Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park page
↑ "Newest comet named for Saskatchewan man". CBC News. Retrieved 2014-12-29.
↑ "Stargazer-friendly Cypress Hills Park to unveil observatory". CBC News. Retrieved 2015-11-08.

External links

Protected areas in Alberta

World Heritage Sites	Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks Dinosaur Provincial Park Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park Wood Buffalo National Park

National parks	Banff Elk Island Jasper Waterton Lakes Wood Buffalo

Provincial parks, wildlands & wildernesses	Canmore Nordic Centre Cypress Hills Dry Island Buffalo Jump Fish Creek Hay-Zama Lakes Kananaskis Country Lakeland Vermilion Willmore Wilderness Writing-on-Stone more...

Urban parks	Calgary Zoo Devonian Gardens Edmonton Valley Zoo Edworthy Park Mill Woods Park Muttart Conservatory North Saskatchewan River Valley Nose Hill Oldman River Valley Pearce Estate Wetland

Museums & historic sites	Alberta Central Railway Museum Atlas Coal Mine Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Center Cold Lake Air Force Ellis Bird Farm Fort Calgary Fort Edmonton Park Fort Victoria Fort Whoop-Up Frank Slide Galt Historic Railway Park Heritage Acres Farm Museum Heritage Park Krause Milling Co. Pioneer Acres Prairie Elevator Museum Remington Carriage Center Reynolds-Alberta Royal Alberta Royal Tyrrell Scandia Eastern Irrigation District Museum South Peace Centennial Museum Spruce Grove Grain Elevator Museum St. Albert Grain Elevator Park Ukrainian Village Warner elevator row Westlock Tractor Museum Whyte National historic sites Provincial historic sites

Protected Areas in Saskatchewan

National parks	Grasslands National Park Prince Albert National Park

Provincial parks	Athabasca Sand Dunes Blackstrap Buffalo Pound Candle Lake Cannington Manor Clarence-Steepbank Lakes Clearwater River Crooked Lake Cumberland House Cypress Hills Danielson Douglas Duck Mountain Echo Valley Fort Carlton Fort Pitt Good Spirit Lake Greenwater Lake Katepwa Point Lac La Ronge Last Mountain House Makwa Lake Meadow Lake Moose Mountain Narrow Hills Pike Lake Rowan's Ravine Saskatchewan Landing Saskatchewan River Forks Stanley Mission Steele Narrows St. Victor Petroglyphs The Battlefords Touchwood Hills Post Wildcat Hill Wood Mountain Post

National Historic Sites of Canada in Saskatchewan	Addison Sod House Batoche Battle of Cut Knife Battle of Duck Lake Battle of Fish Creek Battleford Court House Bell Farm Biggar Railway Station Canadian Bank of Commerce Claybank Brick Plant College Building Cumberland House Cypress Hills Massacre Doukhobors at Veregin Esterhazy Flour Mill Forestry Farm Park and Zoo Former Prince Albert City Hall Fort de la Corne Fort Battleford Fort Carlton Fort Espérance Fort Livingstone Fort Pelly Fort Pitt Fort Qu'Appelle Fort Walsh Frenchman Butte Government House Gravelbourg Ecclesiastical Buildings Gray Burial Site Holy Trinity Church Humboldt Post Office Île-à-la-Crosse Keyhole Castle Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary Moose Jaw Court House Motherwell Homestead Next of Kin Memorial Avenue Old Government House / Saint-Charles Scholasticate Prince Albert Arts Centre Saskatchewan Legislative Building and Grounds Saskatoon Railway Station (Canadian Pacific) Seager Wheeler's Maple Grove Farm Steele Narrows Wanuskewin

Urban and regional parks	Big Dig Carlton Trail Regional Park Cenotaph Fishing Lake Regional Park Palliser Regional Park Statue of Queen Elizabeth II riding Burmese Statue of Sir John A. Macdonald Touchwood Hills Provincial Park Victoria Park Wascana Centre Woody River Recreation Site

Museums	The Evolution of Education Museum Historical Society Museum Mendel Art Gallery RCMP Heritage Centre Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections Royal Saskatchewan Museum Saskatchewan Railway Museum Saskatchewan Western Development Museum

Geography of Saskatchewan	Athabasca Basin Carlton Trail Carswell crater Cypress Hills Deep Bay crater Elbow crater Gow crater Mackenzie dike swarm Madge Lake Maple Creek crater Methye Portage Palliser's Triangle Porcupine Hills Pheasant Creek Red Coat Trail Saskatchewan Valley Spruce Falls, Saskatchewan Viewfield crater Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

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