Vermilion Provincial Park

Last updated
Vermilion Provincial Park
Vermilion, Alberta (28572330835).jpg
Alberta County Point Locator.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Vermilion Provincial Park in Alberta
Location County of Vermilion River, Alberta, Canada
Nearest city Vermilion
Coordinates 53°22′07″N110°54′34″W / 53.36861°N 110.90944°W / 53.36861; -110.90944
Area7.50 km2 (2.90 sq mi)
EstablishedMay 29, 1953
Governing body Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation,
MV Camp Operations
Vermilion Provincial Park

Vermilion Provincial Park is a provincial park located in east-central Alberta, Canada, in the County of Vermilion River. It is located on the outskirts of the town of Vermilion, which is at the junction of Highways 16 (Yellowhead) and 41 (Buffalo Trail), between Edmonton and Lloydminster.

Contents

History

The park was first constructed in the early 1950s, and opened to the public on May 29, 1953. Vermilion Provincial Park was the 7th park integrated into the Alberta Parks system [1] [ circular reference ]. One of the key features of the park is that the Vermilion River was dammed to create an artificial lake (the 6.3 km long Vermilion Park Lake).

Nature

The environmental setting includes aspen parkland and prairie grassland biomes, with wildlife such as white-tailed deer, red fox, Franklin's ground squirrels, porcupines, ruffed grouse, harriers, red-tailed hawks, short-eared owls, Canada geese, great blue herons, American bitterns, common ducks, mink, muskrats, beavers, coyotes, Sprague's pipits and savannah and vesper sparrows. [2]

The Vermilion River fish population consists of northern pike, fathead minnow, lake chub, brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans), longnose dace and white sucker.

Activities

The park is open year-round, but is only staffed during the summer (from May 15 to September 23).

There are a number of trails for cross-country skiing in winter and horseback riding during summer. The park also has 14.9 km of maintained hiking and biking trails as well as 5 km of paved paths that can be used for rollerblading. Named trails in the park include Wild Rose Trail, Cathedral Loop, Fescue Trail, and Lakeside Trail.

Fishing is also allowed in the Vermilion River Reservoir, with a designated pond for trout fishing which is stocked every year by the Alberta Conservation Association. [3] Water based activities include canoeing, kayaking and sailing.

A year-round campground with all amenities is located in the park, as well as three group camping sites. A back country camping area is also available for rental. Several additional day use areas (including the CN station and one featuring a baseball diamond) are found in the park. [4] A golf course is found in Vermilion, and a mini golf course is within the park limits.

The old CNR station has been relocated to the park, as well an old CNR caboose which is on display near the station.

Trivia

Beckie Scott, a cross country skier who won medals at both the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympic Games, skied on these trails in her early years. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jasper National Park</span> National park in Alberta, Canada

Jasper National Park, in Alberta, Canada, is the largest national park within Alberta's Rocky Mountains, spanning 11,000 km2 (4,200 sq mi). It was established as Jasper Forest Park in 1907, renamed as a national park in 1930, and declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984. Its location is north of Banff National Park and west of Edmonton. The park contains the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, springs, lakes, waterfalls and mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kootenay National Park</span> National park in British Columbia, Canada

Kootenay National Park is a national park of Canada in southeastern British Columbia. The park consists of 1,406 km2 (543 sq mi) of the Canadian Rockies, including parts of the Kootenay and Park mountain ranges, the Kootenay River and the entirety of the Vermilion River. While the Vermilion River is completely contained within the park, the Kootenay River has its headwaters just outside the park boundary, flowing through the park into the Rocky Mountain Trench and eventually joining the Columbia River. The park ranges in elevation from 918 m (3,012 ft) at the southwestern park entrance to 3,424 m (11,234 ft) at Deltaform Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kananaskis Country</span> Multiuse area west of Calgary, Canada

Kananaskis Country is a multi-use area west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada in the foothills and front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. The area is named for the Kananaskis River, which was named by John Palliser in 1858 after a Cree acquaintance. Covering an area of approximately 4,000 km2 (1,500 sq mi), Kananaskis Country was formed by the Alberta Government in 1978 to provide an assortment of land uses and designations. Land uses include resource extraction activities, recreation, power generation, and residential communities. Land designations include public land and protected areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willmore Wilderness Park</span> Provincial park of Alberta, Canada

Willmore Wilderness Park, in Alberta, Canada, is a 4,600-square-kilometre (1,800 sq mi) wilderness area adjacent to Jasper National Park. It is lesser known and less visited than Jasper National Park. There are no public roads, bridges or buildings. There are, however, several ranger cabins in the park that are available as a courtesy to visitors.

Vermilion is a town in central Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by the County of Vermilion River. It is at the intersection of Highway 16 and Highway 41, approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Lloydminster and 192 kilometres (119 mi) east of Edmonton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park</span> Interprovincial park in Western Canada

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park is a natural park in Canada straddling the Alberta / Saskatchewan boundary and jointly administered by the two provinces. Located south-east of Medicine Hat in the Cypress Hills, it became Canada's first interprovincial park in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bow Valley Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Alberta, Canada

Bow Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada. Established in 1959 in the arch of the Bow River at its confluence with the Kananaskis River, the park is one park of many within the Kananaskis Country park system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crimson Lake Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Alberta, Canada

Crimson Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park located in Alberta, Canada, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) west of Rocky Mountain House, off the David Thompson Highway along secondary highway 756.

Long Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park located in Alberta, Canada. Long Lake is located one and one half hours from Edmonton along Highway 831, south of the village of Boyle and northeast of the hamlet of Newbrook, within Thorhild County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Lougheed Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Alberta, Canada

Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is in Kananaskis Country about 90 kilometres (56 mi) west of Calgary, along the Kananaskis Trail in Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William A. Switzer Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Alberta, Canada

William A. Switzer Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Vermilion</span> Hamlet in Alberta, Canada

Fort Vermilion is a hamlet on the Peace River in northern Alberta, Canada, within Mackenzie County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County of Vermilion River</span> Municipal district in Alberta, Canada

The County of Vermilion River is a municipal district located in the eastern part of central Alberta, Canada in Census Division No. 10. The municipal district was formerly named the County of Vermilion River No. 24 prior to an official name change that became effective on September 13, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiteshell Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Manitoba, Canada

Whiteshell Provincial Park is a provincial park in southeast Manitoba, approximately 120 kilometres (75 mi) east of the city of Winnipeg. The park is considered to be a Class II protected area under the IUCN protected area management categories. It is 275,210 hectares in size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spray Valley Provincial Park</span> Canadian provincial park

Spray Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park located east of the Rocky Mountains, along the Spray River in western Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dillberry Lake Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Alberta, Canada

Dillberry Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada, located 43 km (27 mi) north from Provost and 17 km (11 mi) south of Chauvin along Highway 17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Alberta, Canada

Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada, located immediately west of Canmore, 105 km (65 mi) west of Calgary.

Rock Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada, located on the shores of Rock Lake, 64 km (40 mi) north-west from Hinton, north on the Bighorn Highway and 39 km west on an access road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moose Mountain Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Saskatchewan, Canada

Moose Mountain Provincial Park is a provincial park, in south-eastern Saskatchewan about 24 kilometres (15 mi) north of the town of Carlyle on the Moose Mountain Upland. It is one of Saskatchewan's few parks with a community inside the park as there are several subdivisions with both year-round and seasonal residents. The village of Kenosee Lake is completely surrounded by the park but is not part of the park.

Makwa Lake Provincial Park is a recreational provincial park in the west-central region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the transition zone between parkland and boreal forest. The park was established in 1986 and is centred around the lakes of Big Jumbo, Little Jumbo, and Makwa. Prior to its establishment, the park was a provincial recreation site. The main entrance to Makwa Lake Park is at the south-east corner of Makwa Lake about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the village of Loon Lake. Access is from Highway 699.

References

  1. "List of protected areas of Alberta". January 9, 2021 via Wikipedia.
  2. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Vermilion Provincial Park
  3. "Conservation Association".
  4. Alberta Community Development Vermilion Provincial Park facilities
  5. Town of Vermilion Archived January 27, 2006, at the Wayback Machine – Visitor Information