Cypress Hills

story by Michael Fagin
Meteorologist, Travel writer, wine enthusiast

Great Sand Hills of Saskatchewan

Sand dunes up close, Great Sand Hills of Saskatchewan

The area surrounding Cypress Hills Winery abounds in natural wonders. Day visitors or vacationers will find much to enjoy and experience while visiting this treasure trove of natural wonder.

Tucked away some 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of the winery are the Great Sand Hills http://www.cpaws-sask.org/prairie/great_sand_hills.html consisting of 1,900 square kilometers (750 square miles) of rolling dunes and grassland prairie topped by the largest dune at 25 meters (82.5 feet). The dunes were formed during the last period of glaciations and can move as much as 8 meters (26.4 feet) per year as they are shaped and blown by wind. Bring a camera as the drive is scenic and bound to inspire photography.

One hundred fifty kilometers (93 miles) south of the winery is the west block of Grasslands National Park http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/sk/grasslands/index.aspx , located on the border with Montana; a great half-day excursion.

You can drive through the Grasslands and/or check out the parks hiking trails. One highlight is the Frenchman River Valley that drains from Cypress Lake. In 1991 “Scotty”, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, was discovered in this valley. Visit Scotty and other fossils at the park’s Eastend T-Rex Discovery Centre http://www.trexcentre.ca/ near the winery.

Hiker climbs up dunes,

Bring your hiking boots and explore a variety of hiking trails and wildlife viewing: look for mule deer, antelope and the last habitat of Black Tailed Prairie Dogs in Canada. Rare species of reptiles and amphibians have also been reported here including prairie rattlesnakes near the Frenchman River Valley.

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park http://www.cypresshills.com/ is also close to the winery (less than 30 minutes away). This park is the subject of a dispute among geologists as to how the area was formed. Some geologists believe the area was part of the uplift from the Rocky Mountains, another theory is that sediments laid down by the Bearpaw Sea formed the land millions of years ago.

Campgrounds and lodges are available as are hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing. With 50 kilometers of trails (the Trans Canada Trail runs through the park) visitors can explore a variety of terrain by foot, mountain bike or cross-country ski. The selection includes easy hikes through prairies studded with wildflowers to more strenuous trails that climb to rocky outcrops for wider views.

Another attraction of Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park has nothing to do with geology. Cypress Hills is the first park in North America officially designated a Dark Sky Preserve (a Dark Sky Preserve is a sanctuary from artificial light). It is the first park in Alberta and Saskatchewan to become recognized as a Dark Sky Preserve in North America. What this means is that Alberta and Saskatchewan have partnered to minimize light pollution over and around the park. It is one of the largest dark-sky preserves – that’s about the size of 97,850 football fields (or 39,600 hectares). By creating this preserve, in conjunction with the Government of Canada and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, one can now truly star gaze into the night sky without the interference of artificial light.

Keep in mind that in most cities it is possible to see only about 100 stars at night. Here it is possible to see the other 3,900 stars that are blocked by lights that overwhelm the night sky.

Stargazers gather in the park every August for the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party. Members of astronomical societies set up telescopes to scan and share their knowledge with experts and amateur enthusiasts alike. It was an amateur who discovered a comet (Comet Petriew), at this very gathering in 2001! Future plans include a permanent observatory as well as a campground specifically dedicated to stargazing.

Fort Wash -photo provided by Sakatchewan Tourism

The Fort Walsh National Historic Site http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/sk/walsh/index.aspx is another feature on the Saskatchewan side of the park. In 1875 the Northwest Mounted Police built the fort to protect Canada’s border, curb an illegal whiskey trade and as a response to the Cypress Hills Massacre of 1873. That massacre was fueled by whiskey, tensions among traders, hunters from below the border, the Metis and First Nation Nakoda peoples and a dispute over stolen horses. Twenty-three members of the Nakoda First Nations tribe and a wolf hunter were killed. The park offers a short bus tour to the site of the massacre. Fort Walsh and the Cypress Hills Massacre site are only 2 meters apart; both National Historic sites.

Fort Walsh also played an important role in managing the influx of Lakota refugees from the United States following the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the subsequent pursuit of the refugees by the U. S. Army.

The buildings at Fort Walsh have been reconstructed to give visitors a feel for the 1870s; there you will also find interpreters dressed in period clothing and uniforms who describe the duties of the Northwest Mounted Police and everyday life on the frontier.

The Cypress Park Resort and Inn is located at the center block of the park; campsites are also available.

The park’s west block is centered on the township of Elkwater in Alberta. Elkwater, Spruce Coulee and Ressor Lakes invite visitors to fish; hiking trails and camping facilities are also available.

There certainly is not of shortage of things to do in the wonderful area of Cypress Hills as we just listed some of the activities.

Additional Stories by Michael Fagin
Wineries of Saskatchewan

Photos by Elizabeth Fagin