Graystokes Provincial Park | |
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Location | Central and North Okanagan, British Columbia |
Nearest city | Kelowna |
Coordinates | 49°59′00″N118°50′00″W / 49.9833°N 118.8333°W |
Area | 11,958 ha (46.17 sq mi) |
Created | 18 April 2001 |
Governing body | BC Parks |
Website | BC Parks Graystokes |
Graystokes Provincial Park is a provincial park located on the border between the regional districts of Central Okanagan and North Okanagan in south-central British Columbia. It was established on 18 April 2001 to protect a large area of the ecologically diverse Okanagan Highland east of the Okanagan Valley.
Graystokes Park is set in the Okanagan Highland, a plateau featuring a rich collection of alpine wetlands, meadows, and riparian habitats set within the larger Okanagan dry forests ecoregion. The highland provinces critical mid-to-late summer habitat for local wildlife when the valley floor is no longer productive. [2]
The park is underdeveloped with no dedicated trails or running water. Motorized vehicles are forbidden from entering the park, with the exception of snowmobiles during winter months. Hunting is a popular activity during open season. [2] Despite its backcountry nature, the park is rated as a Category II protected area by the IUCN. [1]
Greystokes Provincial Park protects an extensive old growth forest dominated by subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, and Douglas fir. Large mammals found within the park include grizzly bear, mountain caribou, moose, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. [2]
The Columbia Mountains are a group of mountain ranges along the Upper Columbia River in British Columbia, Montana, Idaho and Washington. The mountain range covers 135,952 km². The range is bounded by the Rocky Mountain Trench on the east, and the Kootenai River on the south; their western boundary is the edge of the Interior Plateau. Seventy-five percent of the range is located in Canada and the remaining twenty-five percent in the United States; American geographic classifications place the Columbia Mountains as part of the Rocky Mountains complex, but this designation does not apply in Canada. Mount Sir Sandford is the highest mountain in the range, reaching 3,519 metres (11,545 ft).
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