Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park is a provincial park
in the Chilcotin Country of British Columbia
, Canada
. The park is 111,977 hectares in size and contains Far Mountain
and Mount Downton
, its two most prominent peaks.
-Chilcotin
Land-Use Plan, and designated a Class A Park.
Itcha Ilgachuz protects alpine grasslands, wetlands, and wildlife habitat. The Itcha Range
and Ilgachuz Range
are shield volcano
es that formed 5 and 2.5 million years ago as the North American Plate
drifted over the Anahim hotspot
. These ranges are situated in the rain shadow
of the Coast Mountains
, and support a high diversity of plant and animal species including woodland caribou.
In winter, a network of snowmobile trails and play areas is available that avoids the preferred winter range of the woodland caribou.
Provincial park
A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
in the Chilcotin Country of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The park is 111,977 hectares in size and contains Far Mountain
Far Mountain
Far Mountain is the highest of the 13 peaks of the Ilgachuz Range in the Anahim Volcanic Belt in British Columbia, Canada. The Ilgachuz Range is one of the three major shield volcanoes that formed the Anahim Volcanic Belt when the North American Plate moved over a hotspot . This is similar to the...
and Mount Downton
Mount Downton
Mount Downton is the highest summit of the diameter Itcha Range, located northeast of Anahim Lake and east of Far Mountain in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It lies within Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park....
, its two most prominent peaks.
History and conservation
Established in 1995 the park was recommended for protection under the CaribooCariboo
The Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia along a plateau stretching from the Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the woodland caribou that were once abundant in the region...
-Chilcotin
Chilcotin District
The Chilcotin District of British Columbia is usually known simply as "the Chilcotin", and also in speech commonly as "the Chilcotin Country" or simply Chilcotin. It is a plateau and mountain region in British Columbia on the inland lea of the Coast Mountains on the west side of the Fraser River....
Land-Use Plan, and designated a Class A Park.
Itcha Ilgachuz protects alpine grasslands, wetlands, and wildlife habitat. The Itcha Range
Itcha Range
The Itcha Range is a mountain range on the Chilcotin Plateau of the West-Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The range is located 25 miles northeast of Anahim Lake...
and Ilgachuz Range
Ilgachuz Range
The Ilgachuz Range is a name given to an extinct shield volcano in British Columbia, Canada. It is not a mountain range in the normal sense, because it was formed as a single volcano that has been eroded for the past 5 million years. It lies on the Chilcotin Plateau, located some north-northwest...
are shield volcano
Shield volcano
A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...
es that formed 5 and 2.5 million years ago as the North American Plate
North American Plate
The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Japan and Iceland. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust...
drifted over the Anahim hotspot
Anahim hotspot
The Anahim hotspot is a volcanic hotspot in central British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the Interior Plateau, a large region that lies between the Cariboo and Monashee Mountains to the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range to the west...
. These ranges are situated in the rain shadow
Rain shadow
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...
of the Coast Mountains
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
, and support a high diversity of plant and animal species including woodland caribou.
Recreation
The park has a network of unmaintained trails for hikers or equestrian users. One trail is open to mountain biking. Wilderness backcountry camping and fishing or hunting (with a license) are permitted.In winter, a network of snowmobile trails and play areas is available that avoids the preferred winter range of the woodland caribou.