Regions of Alberta - The Rocky Mountains
Located in the Southwestern edge of Alberta, the Rocky Mountains are perhaps the best known and most well visited of Alberta's six natural regions. The Rocky Mountains comprise only 8 percent of the province.
Banff, Canada's first national park, was established in 1885. Soon after, Waterton Lakes National Park was established on the southern end and Jasper National Park on the northern end of Alberta's Rocky Mountain Chain. And, in 1959, the Government of Alberta protected another significant mountain region, Willmore Wilderness Park, just north of Jasper National Park. In the rocky Mountain region, you will find a wide variety of land formations, including mountains, valleys, rivers, and waterfalls. You will also find spectacular glaciers, perhaps most famously the Athabasca Glacier on the Icefields Parkway. Of course, what's a visit to the "Rockies" without visiting a hot spring. These thermal pools are caused by water being heated by the earth's core, then shot up through cracks in the earth's crust. Likely the most famous in Alberta, the Banff Upper Hot Springs are unique because they are located at 5,200 Feet, the highest in Canada. Wildlife is abundant in this region, sustaining many large land animals, including mountain sheep, mountain goat, black bears, grizzly bears, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and bighorn sheep (my favourite!).
Interestingly, in some of the hot Springs in Banff lives little snails that are found nowhere else in the world. These snails are endangered, which means they are facing possible extinction. Click on their picture for much more information. As you have probably guessed, the rocky mountain region has the most snowfall and coldest average temperatures than any other natural region of Alberta. In the summer, temperatures at the top of mountains average +6 degrees celsius. Of course, at lower altitudes, it is warm enough for alpine flowers to bloom around glacier-fed lakes. One of The most abundant natural resource found in the Rocky Mountain region is coal. Coal has many uses, most often producing electricity. In Alberta, more than 50% of our electricity comes from burning coal.
Of course, since this region is the most visited of all the regions in Alberta, another major industry is tourism. Sources: BlackGold School District Alberta Heritage Alberta Parks Rocky Mountain Region |