Spray Valley
Canada, Alberta
About Spray Valley
Spray Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, covering about 254 square kilometres (25,405 hectares) along the eastern edge of Banff National Park and surrounding the Spray Lakes Reservoir. [1] [2] It was established in December 2000. [3] The park is accessible from Highway 40 (the Bighorn Highway) and Highway 742 (Spray Lakes road). [2] It is particularly important for the grizzly bears that move in and out of the national park. [2] Summer activities include hiking, canoeing, kayaking and fishing, and winter activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing and ice fishing. [2]
Wildlife Ecosystems
The area is particularly important for the grizzly bears that move in and out of Banff National Park, and bear closures are applied in parts of the park. [1] [2] Fishing for trout and ice fishing are among the recreational activities. [3] The Spray Lakes Reservoir supports canoeing, kayaking and fishing. [1]
Flora Ecosystems
The park falls within the Montane and the Alpine and Sub-alpine subregions of the Rocky Mountain Natural Region. [1] In this natural region, grasslands and mixedwood forests occupy the valley bottoms, coniferous forests dominate the slopes above, and at the highest elevations trees give way to low shrubs and herbs in sheltered places. [2]
Geology
Alberta Parks places the park in the Rocky Mountain Natural Region, where it preserves mountain slopes and the Spray River valley. [1] The Spray Lakes Reservoir lies at an elevation of 1,720 m between the Goat Range and the Three Sisters ridge. [2] The reservoir was created in 1951 by two dams, the 28 m Canyon Dam and the 13 m Three Sisters Dam, as part of the Spray Hydro Electric Project. [2] The Spray River's original course below the Canyon Dam is a trickle for most of the year because of the diversion. [2]
Climate And Weather
The park spans the Montane and Alpine and Sub-alpine subregions of the Rocky Mountain Natural Region, so conditions vary strongly with elevation. [1] Winter recreation in the park includes cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing and ice fishing, and the park is open to campers year-round. [2]
Human History
The Spray Hydro Electric Project created the Spray Lakes Reservoir in 1951 and diverts water through a canal, a tunnel through the shoulder of Ha Ling Peak and penstocks to powerhouses at Grassi Lakes and Rundle, before release into the Bow River. [1] The facilities are owned and operated by TransAlta. [1] The Spray River project is the highest-yielding conventional hydroelectric facility in Alberta, with a total generating capacity of 165 MW across five dams and three powerhouses. [1] The park's mountains were considered for alpine events in Calgary's 1988 Olympic bid. [2]
Park History
The park was established in December 2000 as part of the Kananaskis Country system. [1] Its legal boundary is set by O.C. 389/2025 and it is managed under the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and Spray Valley Provincial Park management plan of 2006. [2] That plan restricts further development to preserve ecological integrity and imposed restrictions on off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, horseback riding and biking. [1] Mount Shark and Mount Sparrowhawk were designated as sites for alpine skiing events in Calgary's bid for the 1988 Winter Olympics, but the alpine events moved to Nakiska shortly after Calgary was awarded the Games. [1]
Major Trails And Attractions
Alberta Parks lists the Buller Creek, High Rockies, Spray Road West and Buller Pass trails among the park's trails, along with Guinn's Pass and the Eau Claire interpretive trail. [1] Day use areas include Buller Mountain, Driftwood, Galatea, Goat Creek, Mt. Shark, Opal, Sparrowhawk, Spray Lake and Wedge Pond. [1] The Mount Shark ski trails serve cross-country skiers in winter. [1] Backcountry campgrounds at Lillian Lake, Ribbon Falls and Ribbon Lake support multi-day trips. [1]
Visitor Facilities And Travel
Camping is available at the Eau Claire and Spray Lakes West campgrounds and at the Lillian Lake, Ribbon Falls and Ribbon Lake backcountry campgrounds. [1] [2] Eau Claire campground is open from June 18 to September 7, and winter camping is offered at the Rummel Lake Winter Backcountry Campground. [3] [1] A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required to park a vehicle in Kananaskis, and the facility operator is Cedar & Spruce Campgrounds. [1] The park is reached from Highway 40 and from Highway 742. [1]
Conservation And Sustainability
The park preserves mountain slopes and the Spray River valley and is particularly important for grizzly bears moving in and out of Banff National Park. [1] The 2006 management plan restricts further development to preserve ecological integrity. [2] The plan imposed restrictions on off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, horseback riding and biking. [2] Bear closures can restrict access to areas such as the Commonwealth Valley and Tryst Lake. [3]
Visitor Ratings
Overall: 70/100
Photos
2 photos
