| Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park | |
| Iucn Category: | Ib |
| Iucn Ref: | [1] |
| Map: | Canada Alberta#Canada#CAN AB Yellowhead |
| Map Alt: | Location the Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park in Alberta |
| Relief: | yes |
| Location: | Yellowhead County, Alberta |
| Nearest Town: | Cadomin, Alberta |
| Coordinates: | 52.995°N -117.455°W |
| Coords Ref: | [2] |
| Area Ha: | 17,325.54 |
| Area Ref: | [3] |
| Established: | 26 August 1998[4] |
| Governing Body: | Alberta Parks[5] |
Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in west-central Alberta, Canada. The park was established on 26 August 1998 and had an area of 17439.886ha.[4] On 23 July 2002, the area was changed slightly to . The park is included in the Upper Athabasca Region Land Use Framework. The park is named for the creek within the boundaries of the park.
The park is in Yellowhead County in western Alberta, approximately southwest of Robb and south of Cadomin, Alberta. Jasper National Park borders the park to the west. Whitehorse Wildland is adjacent to Whitehorse Creek Provincial Recreation Area.[5] [6]
In the National Ecological Framework for Canada used by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the park is in the Luscar and Ram River Foothills ecodistricts of the Western Alberta Upland ecoregion in the Boreal Foothills ecoprovince of the Boreal Plains ecozone.[7] [8] Under the OneEarth classification (previously World Wildlife Fund), the park is in the Northern Rockies Conifer Forests ecoregion of the Greater Rockies & Mountain Forests bioregion.[9]
The northern part of the park contains the watershed of the Whitehorse Creek and the ridges of foothills forming the valley for the creek. The northern ridge that bounds the Whitehorse Creek valley is the Nikanassin Range while the southern is the Miette Range. Within the park, in the Nikanassin Range are four mountains: Luscar Mountain at elevation, Leyland Mountain, Mount Gregg . and Mount Sir Harold Mitchell . The Miette Ranges contains several unnamed mountains in elevation.[10] The southern arm of the park follows the Cardinal Divide Ridge. The Cardinal Divide, with an elevation of, is the continental divide between two major watersheds: the McLeod and Athabasca Rivers, which eventually drain into the Arctic Ocean; and the Cardinal, Brazeau, and North Saskatchewan Rivers, which eventually drain into Hudson Bay.[6] In the southern arm contains several named mountains: Prospect Mountain, Cheviot Mountain, and Tripoli Mountain . In addition, two mountains form the border with Jasper National Park and are thus partially in Whitehorse Wildland park: Blackface Mountain and Climax Mountain .[11] The elevation of Whitehorse Creek when it leaves the park is . There is an extensive trail network in the park for hiking and horseback trail riding.[6]
The Köppen climate classification of the park is Continental, Subarctic (Dfc) characterized by long, cold winters, and short, warm to cool summers.[12] Using the data from a nearby weather stations (Luscar Creek), average daily temperatures for 1991 to 2020 exceeds only for June, July, and August while average daily temperatures are less than for November through March. At Luscar Creek, the long-run average precipitation from 1991 to 2020 for the wettest months, June and July, is per month; conversely, the station receive less than per month from October through March.[13]
The park is home to many wildlife species. Ungulates include bighorn sheep, elk, moose, and mule deer. Carnivores include grizzly bears, wolves, and cougars. Among the small mammals are hoary marmots and American pikas. The park also provides breeding habitat for harlequin ducks which are dependent on the fast-flowing mountain streams for nesting and rearing their young.[6]
Cadomin Cave, located just south of Cadomin, is an extensive limestone cave system providing important bat habitat and is one of only four major bat hibernacula in Alberta.[6]
Front country camping is available at the adjacent Whitehorse Creek Provincial Recreation Area. Whitehorse Wildland has four designated backcountry campgrounds, as well as random backcountry camping. The extensive trail system allows for hiking, horesback trail riding, and mountain biking. Also found are geocaching and wildlife viewing. Hunting is permitted when licensed.
