Spray Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park

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...

 located east of the Rocky Mountains

Canadian Rockies

The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...

, along the Spray River

Spray River

Spray River is a short river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a tributary of the Bow River.Spray River originates in the southern area of Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies and flows north between the Spray Valley Provincial Park and the Bow Valley Wildland...

 in western Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, 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 part of the Kananaskis Country park system (along with Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park, Bow Valley Provincial Park

Bow Valley Provincial Park

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

, Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park, Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park, Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park

Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park

Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park is a provincial park and wildlife reserve located in the Kananaskis Country in south-western Alberta, Canada.-Activities:...

, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is a provincial park located in Alberta, Canada. The park is located in Kananaskis Country approximately 90 km west of Calgary, along the Kananaskis Trail....

, Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve, Sheep River Provincial Park and numerous designated provincial recreational areas). Spray Valley borders the Banff National Park

Banff National Park

Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...

 to the west.

Spray Valley Provincial Park falls under the jurisdiction of Alberta Community Development (a branch of the Alberta government), and on-site management is delegated to Kananaskis Country Campgrounds

Activities

Spray Valley Provincial Park is easily accessible by road (the Bighorn Highway), and provides a setting for low impact activities such as hiking

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

 and cross-country skiing. Camping is permitted in summer (from May 17 to October 9) at the Lillian Lake, Ribbon Falls, Ribbon Lake, Eau Claire and Spray Lakes West campgrounds, and in winter at the Buller Mountain and Eau Claire campgrounds. Several day use areas are open for public in summer (with two areas, Sparrowhawk and Mount Shark, available year round).

Other recreational activities include canoeing

Canoeing

Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....

, kayaking

Kayaking

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...

, fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 for trout

Trout

Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...

 and ice fishing

Ice fishing

Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...

.

Conservation

A management plan approved in March 2003 by the Kananaskis Country restricts further development in the park area, in order to preserve the ecological integrity. Restrictions were imposed on off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, horseback riding and biking, however a site in the Spray Valley is considered for the construction of a small lodge.

See also

• List of Alberta provincial parks
• List of Canadian provincial parks
• List of National Parks of Canada

External links

• Alberta Community Development
  Alberta Community Development
  Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation is a ministry of the Executive Council of Alberta. Its duties involve managing Alberta's provincial parks and protected areas, tourism, sport and recreation....
  
  . Official Park webpage