Escape to the Cypress Hills Region
Cypress Hills Staff Writer
About half-way between Calgary and
Regina, Cypress Hills Inter-provincial
Park offers two different access points
– from the Alberta side or from the
Saskatchewan side. Either way, it’s a
short half-hour drive south from the
Trans Canada Highway. f you’re arriving
from Havre, Montana, Highway 41
north will take you directly into the park
on the Alberta side, while Highway 21
will lead you to the Saskatchewan side.
Distance from turnoff at Maple
Creek Junction, Saskatchewan:
• Calgary, Alberta – 423km
• Medicine Hat, Alberta – 130km
• Regina, Saskatchewan – 380km
• Swift Current, Saskatchewan – 138km
Distance from turnoff at Highway
41 Junction, Alberta:
• Calgary, Alberta – 325km
• Medicine Hat, Alberta – 32km
• Regina, Saskatchewan – 446km
• Swift Current, Saskatchewan – 184km
The Park sports 15 campgrounds
(12 campgrounds and 3 group use
sites) and over 400 camp sites,
including full-services sites, walk-
in camping areas, group camping
areas, shower houses, day-use areas,
beaches, playgrounds, nature trails,
interpretive viewpoints, and more.
This high plateau stands above the
prairie as an island of cool, moist forest,
wetlands and grasslands, and is home
to an astonishing diversity of plants
and animals: over 220 bird species, 47
mammal species, as well as several
reptile and amphibian species.
Fort Walsh features interactive and
entertaining tours of the late 1870's
period offering a glimpse of the
history of European settlement and
interaction with the First Nations
Peoples of Saskatchewan. Tours
are led by knowledgeable guides
in full period costume. Special
events are commemorated by
the firing of a nine-pound canon
and 1870's Mountie rifle drills.
Three visitor centres provide
entertaining information about the
parks. Campgrounds are open
year round or you can relax in the
resort lodges. Enjoy hiking, fishing
or wildlife viewing or traverse over 50
km of trails on foot, mountain bike
or cross-country skis (seasonal).
Cypress Hills Inter-provincial Park sits
on a rise about 600 meters (1,970 ft)
above the vast Great Plains between
Saskatchewan and Alberta. Bypassed
by retreating glaciers during the last Ice
Age, the Cypress Hills are the highest
point between the Rocky Mountains
and Labrador. It's the "must see" stop
along any cross-Canada tour, with many
reasons to return and keep exploring.
Cougar Research
Cypress Hills has partnered with a
master's student from the University of
Alberta to continue previous research
on the area's largest predator, the
cougar. The program is intended to
identify and monitor individual cats and
their habits in and around the park.
As cougars are top predators, they
are good indicators of the health of
the ecosystem and prey species such
as mule deer. In Cypress Hill Inter-
provincial Park - Alberta, the current
estimate is that the ecosystem is
supporting 15-20 adult cougars, and
continued research will work towards
determining total numbers. The range
of individuals varies from 50 - 200
square kilometres depending on
food availability and competition.
Though cougars are rarely seen,
park staff asks you to be vigilant
and take basic precautions such as
travelling in groups, making noise,
and keeping campsites clean.
Should you see a cougar or signs
of one, please contact park staff
immediately so your information can
be used in the monitoring program.
