Highwood and Cataract Creek
Difficulty: Easy - Family
Park Amenities:
Located south of Canmore Alberta, Canada is the Highwood and Cataract Creek Areas. A vast region of wilderness forests, mountain peaks, grassland valleys, remote streams and lakes. There are trails leading into the wilderness and there are picnic areas (recreation areas) along the highways to enjoy the wilderness.
The outdoor activities best enjoyed in the region during the summer months include hiking, backpacking, mountain biking , horseback riding, fishing, wilderness camping, rv camping and picnicking.
Included within the boundaries of the Highwood and Cataract Creek Areas are the Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park and the Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve. The entire region is a popular campground destination and horseback riding area.
The region has a good selection of easy access picnic sites, recreation areas and staging areas located along the highway and roads. Some are staging areas for horseback riders like Lantern Creek, Mist Creek and Strawberry Recreation Areas.
The Cataract Creek and Etherington Recreation Areas are campgrounds and Fitzsimmons Creek, Cat Creek and Highwood River are day use sites with picnic facilities. Being so remote, many times, there are few others around to enjoy the outdoors with you.
Each picnic site is different. Some are staging areas for horseback riding adventures, some provide access to trails, some double as campgrounds.. but most are simple, basic picnic sites with picnic tables, a pit toilet and wilderness views.
Some of the other recreation sites in the region include Sentinel, Lineham Creek, Trout Ponds, Mount Lipsett, Etherington Creek, Bear Pond and Picklejar. Some are staging areas for anglers.
There are a few day hikes and backpacking trails with wilderness camping in the Highwood and Cataract Creek Areas. Some of the trails to consider when in the region include the Cat Creek Falls Trail, Fitzsimmons Creek Trail, Lost Creek Trail, Cataract Loop Trail, McPhail Creek Trail and Raspberry Ridge Lookout.
During the winter snowmobiling is very popular in the region. The Cataract Creek Snow Vehicle Forest Land Use Zone (that is a mouth full) located on road #940 is a designated network of trails designed for snowmobile use in the winter months. During the summer months the trails are shared by horseback riders and mountain bikers.
How to Get to the Highwood & Cataract Areas
Travel south from the community of Canmore Alberta, Canada. Continue south following Highway 40 to the Highwood and Cataract Creek Areas. From south of the province near High River, Alberta follow Highway #541 west to the Highwood & Cataract Areas.
Canmore, Alberta adventures, things to do - Kananaskis, Canada.
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