Site Descriptions - Foothills Natural Region

Level 1 Natural History Theme Targets | Progress on Level 1 Targets

* Denotes a protected area established or expanded as part of the Special Places program

Lower Foothills Sub-region
Five level 1 and 38 level 2 natural history themes have been identified for the Lower Foothills. With the exception of mineral wetlands, all of the level 1 themes are well represented in the parks and protected areas network. Level 2 themes are also well represented.

Bentz Lake Natural Area * (65 ha), located approximately 13 km west of Sundre, includes organic wetlands with open ponds and islands of mixed forest.

Bragg Creek Provincial Park (1.28 km²) is a day use area located beside the Elbow River.

Brown-Lowery Provincial Park (2.8 km²), donated by the founders of Home Oil Company Ltd. in 1962, is rich in flora and fauna. It is also the site of an old sawmill.

Carson-Pegasus Provincial Park (12 km²) preserves foothill forests, lakes and wetlands. Mature stands of spruce-fir are noteworthy. Moose, deer, black bear, weasel, mink, muskrat and lynx, as well as 77 varieties of birds, have been spotted in the park.

Crimson Lake Provincial Park (32 km²) is near the transition of three natural regions: Boreal Forest to the northeast, Foothills to the west, and Parkland a short distance to the east. Organic bogs and fens cover most of the central portion of the park while sand dunes and sand plains cover much of the rest. Black spruce bogs, tamarack-swamp birch fens and open sedge fens more typical of the Boreal Forest approach their southern limit within the park.

Chinchaga Wildland Park * (803 km²), located in the northernmost part of the Foothills approximately 100 km west of Manning, includes a wetland complex dotted with small lakes. Foothills wetland complexes similar to those in Chinchaga Wildland Park are not represented in other protected areas in Alberta, nor are they represented in adjoining foothills in British Columbia. The park is used by nesting trumpeter swans and is habitat for woodland caribou and grizzly bear.

Fickle Lake Provincial Recreation Area * (15.5 km²), located 25 km southwest of Edson, includes the entire lake and adjacent uplands. In contrast to the organic uplands in Obed Lake Provincial Park, the shore lands of Fickle Lake consist of largely well-drained mineral soils supporting mixedwood forests. The lake is stocked with walleye.

Grizzly Ridge Wildland Park * (107 km²) straddles the rugged escarpment of the Swan Hills, south of the town of Slave Lake. It includes the headwaters of Sawridge, Adams and Mooney creeks. Devil's club, mountain ash, elder and other plants typically associated with the western ranges of the Rocky Mountains have been noted here. Forests with stands of large white spruce, balsam fir, jack pine, balsam poplar and white birch occur on the ridge top. Mineral wetlands and springs are associated with numerous slump blocks along the west-facing escarpment. There is one small lake near the park's southeast boundary. Small areas of organic wetlands occur throughout the park.

Horseshoe Creek Natural Area (3.2 km²) protects sedge meadows, willow shrub lands, tamarack-black spruce-dwarf birch wetlands and beaver ponds along Horseshoe Creek, and mixed forests on the adjacent uplands.

Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park (76 km²) is a landscape of contrasts. The southern end of the park consists of storm beaches, beach ridges and blowout dunes behind which are a series of marshes and wetlands. At the north end of the park the land rises abruptly from the lake for 450 metres to the summit of Marten Mountain. Changes in moisture, temperature and drainage associated with the rise in topography result in a diversity of forest habitats. Balsam poplar, with patches of ostrich fern, grows along stream courses. Balsam fir, near the western limit of its range, is common. White spruce is found on moist sites and lodgepole pine grows near the summit. In 1993, the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory began a banding program to track global trends in neo-tropical songbirds. Boreal species are good indicators of the effects of climate change and pollutant loading in the atmosphere. It is Canada's northernmost bird observatory and is one of the only boreal forest bird observatories in the world.

Lloyd Creek Natural Area (5.6 km²) is comprised of two melt-water channels (part of Twin Lakes) and rolling uplands. The creek valley, with its steep banks and variety of aspects, supports several forest types.

Obed Lake Provincial Park * (34 km²), located 25 km east of Hinton, preserves three small lakes and surrounding organic wetlands and upland areas. Most of the wetlands are rich fens with thick organic soils treed with black spruce and larch. Smaller areas of well-drained uplands support mixedwood forests of aspen, lodgepole pine and white spruce. Trumpeter swans are recorded as nesting on Sucker Lake, located immediately east of the park; it is anticipated that, as populations expand, they will begin to nest in the park as well.

Sheep River Provincial Park (see "Alpine and Sub-alpine" section)

Sundance Provincial Park * (37.12 km²) is located 10 km west of Edson. The park preserves the deeply incised valley of Sundance Creek. Sandstone cliffs, hoodoos, lakes, eskers and marl bogs are part of the diversity of the park. Twelve species of orchids and five species of carnivorous plants have been found in the marl bogs.

Town Creek Natural Area * (2.59 km²), located 10 km south of Winfield, includes a black spruce fen, a small creek and adjoining uplands.

Whitecourt Mountain Natural Area * (5.44 km²) contains the headwaters of several small tributaries to the McLeod River and supports mature spruce, pine and birch forests. The highest point in the area provides excellent scenic views of the surrounding landscape.

Yates Natural Area * (1.91 km²), located 10 km east of Edson, contains diverse rolling landscapes with black spruce-tamarack wetlands and lodgepole pine and mixed white spruce, black spruce and aspen forests.

Other Natural Areas

Other Provincial Recreation Areas

Upper Foothills Sub-region
Five level 1 and 39 level 2 natural history themes describe the environmental diversity of the Upper Foothills. All themes are moderately well represented, with shortfalls in the ridge valley wall and organic wetland level 1 themes.

Alexo Natural Area (33 ha), located along a tributary to Shunda Creek, is the site of a former coal mine.

Aurora Natural Area (9.23 km²) preserves a steep north facing escarpment with Cordilleran species such as devil's club, mountain ash and red elderberry.

Brazeau Canyon Wildland Park * (50.39 km²) preserves a portion of the valley of the Brazeau River where it leaves Jasper National Park. Uplands north of the deeply incised valley include small kames, eskers and lakes. South of the river, a diversity of mineral and organic wetlands with tufa deposits and marl pools are preserved. The park has high plant community diversity and rare plants have been noted.

Goose Mountain Ecological Reserve (12.46 km²) preserves a north-facing escarpment dissected by pronounced gullies at one of the highest parts of the Swan Hills. Much of the reserve is forested with balsam/sub-alpine fir crosses, Engelmann/white spruce crosses, and lodgepole pine.

Marshybank Ecological Reserve (8.30 km²) is adjacent to and partly within Brazeau Canyon Wildland Park. It contains 12 different plant communities, ranging from lodgepole pine forests to sub-alpine meadows. Mature lodgepole pine and Engelmann/white spruce forests cover much of the area. Black spruce, willow/dwarf birch and meadow plant communities occur in depressions and valley bottoms. Black spruce and tamarack bogs are also fairly common. Wildlife includes boreal chickadee, red squirrel, common loon and bufflehead.

Pinto Creek Canyon Natural Area * (12.32 km²), located northwest of Hinton, preserves a disjunctive foothills population of mountain goats. This is the only canyon-dwelling herd of goats in Alberta. Other populations occur on steep slopes and cliffs in the Rocky Mountain Natural Region.

Rock Lake-Solomon Creek Wildland Park * (346.8km²), although largely in the Rocky Mountain Natural Region west of Hinton, includes 40 km² of Upper Foothills. The Solomon Creek area is part of one of the most diverse Upper Foothills habitat complexes in Alberta. Habitats range from dense coniferous forests through mixed and aspen woods to tall shrub communities, grassy slopes and wet meadows. It is one of three known locations for pygmy whitefish in Alberta. The park surrounds Rock Lake Provincial Recreation Area, which contains a 93-unit campground, 50-unit parking lot, boat launch, fish cleaning station, horse corrals, hitching rails and loading ramps. Rock Lake serves as a major staging area for Willmore Wilderness Park, located just west of the recreation area.

Sulphur Gates Provincial Recreation Area * (10.88 km²), located near the town of Grande Cache, is a popular staging area for equestrian users and backpackers entering Willmore Wilderness Park. Sulphur Gates has an 11-unit campground, horse corrals, hitching rails, loading ramps and water troughs. A short trail provides access to spectacular views of the Sulphur River canyon and the Smoky River where it cuts through the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains.

Wapiabi Provincial Recreation Area * (40.33 km²) includes the valley of the Wapiabi River from Wapiabi Gap east to the Blackstone River. The valley is an important wildlife movement corridor and is used by moose, elk, wolf and grizzly bear. Bull trout live in the river. Road access along the river northwest of Nordegg makes the area popular for a variety of recreational activities.

Wildhay Glacial Cascades Natural Area * (24.93 km²) preserves a rugged area of highly eroded and dissected glacial debris along the valley of the Wildhay River north of William A. Switzer Provincial Park.

William A. Switzer Provincial Park * (62.68 km²), located approximately 25 km northwest of Hinton, includes Athabasca Lookout Nordic Centre. The park includes all of Gregg Lake and the viewscape to the east. Meadow and wetland complexes add to the diverse foothills landscape of the park. The park's five lakes (Blue, Cache, Graveyard, Gregg and Jarvis) are connected by Jarvis Creek. Visit the William A. Switzer web site for detailed information.

Other Provincial Recreation Areas

Additional Information
For information about facilities and services in the parks and protected areas listed above, visit the Gateway to Outdoor Adventure web site.

Parks and protected areas boundary maps, legal descriptions and ArcView data captures are available on the Land Reference Manual web site.

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For more information about Managing the Network, contact Archie Landals.