A national conservation organization has Big Hill Springs Provincial Park as one of its hidden gems among Alberta parks.
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) compiled a list of parks from coast-to-coast that fly under the radar and are usually less crowded than more popular destinations.
Big Hills Springs in Rocky View County is one of four Alberta parks on the list.
The day use park is about 20 kilometres northeast of Cochrane, Big Hill Springs Provincial Park is a "charming day-use destination centred around a perennial spring and tiered waterfalls spilling over vibrant limestone ponds blanketed in mosses and shrubs. Spanning 0.31km², it protects one of Alberta's earliest provincial parks," explains CPAWS.
Chris Rider, CPAWS conservation director, said with free entry to national parks this summer, and more Canadians travelling within the county, some destinations can get crowded.
“The good news is that we have a solid 45 parks that most Canadians overlook, leaving these hidden gems open for exploration,” Rider said.
Other Alberta parks highlighted on the list are Brown Lowery Provincial Park in Foothills County located about 40 km west of Okotoks, Castle Provincial Park south of Crowsnest Pass and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park southeast of Lethbridge.
More information about these “hidden gem” parks, including an interactive map, is available at cpaws.org.
