HELP KEEP OUR FORESTS GREEN PREVENT FOREST FIRES OPEN FIRES PROHIBITED H) - hiLtdtA J* FACILITIES PICNIC GROUNDS CAMP GROUNDS TOURIST CARINS SERVICE STATIONS STORE SWIMMING FISHING BOATING PLAYGROUNDS N.L.C. - B.N.C FOREST PRODUCTS RECREATION PRE-GLACIAL PLANT LIFE WILDLIFE ANTELOPE ELK DEER MOOSE BEAVER MUSKRAT EDMONTON. ALBERTA Printed by L. S. WALL, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, 19 5 7 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS & FORESTS 21 0 V JN C I A L PARKS BOARD rcss vovm MEDICINE HAT— 41 MILES No. 1 HIGHWAY— 20 MILES Hit VIEW POINT Jt*. CAMP GROUNDS O RESTROOMS • POST OFFICE ■ CAIRN O SHELTER WILD HORSE— 45 MILES HAVRE— 90 MILES ES CYPRESS HILLS PROVINCIAL PARK Rising out of the flat bare Prairie, the Cypress Hills may be compared to an oasis in a desert, for here is luxuriant plant life, cool clear streams and many varieties of animal life, a sharp contrast to the almost arid plains which surround it. Here at an elevation comparable to Banff, people have for years welcomed the respite these hills have offered in the hot dry summers. Recognizing the aesthetic and commercial value of the Cypress Hills, this area was proclaimed as a forest reserve and was established as a Provincial Park in 1951. The main development of this Park is centered around Elkwater Lake where a sub- division has been surveyed for both residential and commercial use. Radiat- ing from Elkwater are roads and trails leading to all sections of the Park. Pic- nic facilities are provided at various points in the Park as well as lookout sites which offer scenes of unrivaled beauty and grandeur. Legend has it that the Cypress Hills were revered by the Plains Indians as a holy ground and many battles were fought by neighboring tribes for the privilege of grazing their stock in these hills during the summer season. With the coming of white man, the Cypress Hills in the 1800's became a place of refuge for whiskey smugglers, cattle rustlers and other outlaws of this era. After the formation of the R.N.W.M.P. and establishment of a post at Fort MacLeod, the police patrols of the Cyp- ress Hills stopped the use of this area for illegal purposes and today a cairn marks the location where Constable Grayburn was murdered while on the trail of a cattle rustler. Strange as it may seem, the Cypress Hills contains plant and insect life com- mon to the sub-tropics. One theory ex- pressed, is that during the last Ice Age the Cypress Hills were never glaciated, providing a refuge for plants and in- sects which would otherwise have been destroyed. These plants and insects have over thousands of years become climat- ized to the extreme temperatures which now occur. Today the Cypress Hills Provincial Park plays an important role in South Eastern Alberta, providing wonderful recreation, grazing for over 3000 head of cattle and timber for many uses. We want this Park to remain as nature intended it and ask that you obey all regulations, prevent forest fires and enjoy your visit.