The
Howland Picture Pages: Bow Valley Provincial Park The
Howland Picture Pages: Bow Valley Provincial ParkPage by Royce
Last update: $Date: 2004/01/29 02:19:30 $ (UTC)
Bow Valley Provincial Park in Kananaskis Country is one of several wonderful parks and natural areas to be found in southern Alberta. Spanning both sides of the TransCanada Highway at the entry to the Rocky Mountains, the park can be found between the small towns of Seebe and Exshaw. The park comprises river (both the Bow and the Kananaskis Rivers), forest, ponds, hills and wetlands.
Low-effort trails include the Moraine and Montane trails, which both provide access to environments at the intersection of mountain, river and prairie. A moraine, which you will walk over on Moraine Trail, is the rubble pile left behind by the withdrawal of a glacier. Montane habitat is a foothills area below the main conifer timberline; transitional habitats often are interesting as a number of species of both habitats may come together there.
Trails involving flatter terrain and water include the Many Springs Trail, through a wetland area where springs can be seen bubbling up from the ground, and Flowing Waters Trail which runs along streams and the Kananaskis River. There are a lot of other paths and trails to explore, providing a great outdoor experience that is within easy day-trip access from Calgary. For longer stays, there are campgrounds in the immediate area. And of course the park is in close proximity to more great locations in Kananaskis Country, Banff and Jasper, and more.
Species of birds we have seen at Bow Valley Provincial Park, for which there are pages on this site, include:
Many other species of wildlife can be seen in the park. In terms of birds, highlights mentioned by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development include Calliope and Rufous Hummingbirds, three species of Chickadee (Mountain, Boreal and Black-capped), and both species of three-toed Woodpeckers. Other wildlife includes bighorn sheep, mountain goats, tiger salamanders, boreal toads, beavers, and many, many other species.
Resources where you can find out more:
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This is a view from near the Whitefish picnic area, looking to the southwest along the Bow River. The river forms the northwest border of the park.
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Here we are looking northeast across the Bow River from the same viewpoint as in the previous photo. Prominent in the background is Mount Yamnuska, one of the more recognizable mountain peaks along this stretch of the Canadian Rockies Front Range.
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Here we are looking across some of the open wetlands area of Many Springs Trail. In the background, once again, stands Mount Yamnuska.
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This is a look down the near bank of the Flowing Waters Trail, above the Kananaskis River. This river forms the northeast border of the park.
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This is another glance along the Kananaskis River.
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Unless stated otherwise, all photos and other content on these pages is copyright © 2002 - 2004 by Royce Howland.
Please don't steal anything for your own purposes, in particular if you have a plan for making fabulous stacks of cash in so doing. If you would like to use a photo or other content you find here, or just want to contact us about something, please send email to royce@3ge.com.
