Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park

The park is in Yellowhead County in western Alberta, approximately {{cvt|38|km|mi}} southwest of Robb and {{cvt|6|km|mi}} south of Cadomin, Alberta. Jasper National Park borders the park to the west. Whitehorse Wildland is adjacent to Whitehorse Creek Provincial Recreation Area.{{Cite web |date=December 2022 |title=Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park: Park Guide |url=https://albertaparks.ca/media/3231/whitehorse-wildland-brochure-web.pdf |publisher=Alberta Parks}}

In the National Ecological Framework for Canada used by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the park is in the Luscar and Ram River Foothills ecodistricts of the Western Alberta Upland ecoregion in the Boreal Foothills ecoprovince of the Boreal Plains ecozone.{{Cite map |date=1995 |title=Terrestrial Ecozones, Ecoregions, and Ecodistricts: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, Canada |publisher=Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Environment Canada |scale=1:2 million |url=https://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/publications/maps/eco/all/districts/eco_all_districts_2m_prairies.jpg |access-date=21 March 2023 |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915060350/https://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/publications/maps/eco/all/districts/eco_all_districts_2m_prairies.jpg |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |url=https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/subjects/standard/environment/elc/12-607-x2018001-eng.pdf |title=Ecological Land Classification, 2017 |date=March 1, 2018 |publisher=Statistics Canada |isbn=978-0-660-24501-0 |pages=4–5, 26 |id=Catalogue no. 12-607-X |access-date=21 March 2023 |archive-date=14 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214220945/https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/subjects/standard/environment/elc/12-607-x2018001-eng.pdf |url-status=live }} Under the OneEarth classification (previously World Wildlife Fund), the park is in the Northern Rockies Conifer Forests ecoregion of the Greater Rockies & Mountain Forests bioregion.{{Cite web |first=Reed |last=Noss |title=Northern Rockies Conifer Forests |url=https://www.oneearth.org/ecoregions/northern-rockies-conifer-forests/ |website=OneEarth.org |access-date=21 March 2023 |archive-date=26 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926222055/https://www.oneearth.org/ecoregions/northern-rockies-conifer-forests/ |url-status=live }}

The northern part of the park contains the watershed of the Whitehorse Creek and the ridges of foothills forming the valley for the creek. The northern ridge that bounds the Whitehorse Creek valley is the Nikanassin Range while the southern is the Miette Range. Within the park, in the Nikanassin Range are four mountains: Luscar Mountain at {{cvt|2606|m|ft}} elevation, Leyland Mountain ({{cvt|2545|m}}), Mount Gregg ({{cvt|2530|m}}). and Mount Sir Harold Mitchell ({{cvt|2514|m}}). The Miette Ranges contains several unnamed mountains {{cvt|2100|to|2300|m|ft}} in elevation.{{Cite web |title=Alberta topographic map |url=https://en-ca.topographic-map.com/map-8x39m/Alberta/?zoom=13¢er=53.01695%2C-117.43097&overlay=0&base=2 |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=Topographic-Map.com |archive-date=23 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323111519/https://en-ca.topographic-map.com/map-8x39m/Alberta/?zoom=13¢er=53.01695%2C-117.43097&overlay=0&base=2 |url-status=live }} The southern arm of the park follows the Cardinal Divide Ridge. The Cardinal Divide, with an elevation of {{cvt|2025|m}}, is the continental divide between two major watersheds: the McLeod and Athabasca Rivers, which eventually drain into the Arctic Ocean; and the Cardinal, Brazeau, and North Saskatchewan Rivers, which eventually drain into Hudson Bay. In the southern arm contains several named mountains: Prospect Mountain ({{cvt|2819|m|ft}}), Cheviot Mountain ({{cvt|2720|m|ft}}), and Tripoli Mountain ({{cvt|2620|m|ft}}). In addition, two mountains form the border with Jasper National Park and are thus partially in Whitehorse Wildland park: Blackface Mountain ({{cvt|2867|m|ft}}) and Climax Mountain ({{cvt|2823|m|ft}}).{{Cite web |title=Alberta topographic map |url=https://en-ca.topographic-map.com/map-8x39m/Alberta/?zoom=13¢er=52.90414%2C-117.39098&overlay=0&base=2&popup=52.90828%2C-117.20807 |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=Topographic-Map.com |archive-date=23 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323111525/https://en-ca.topographic-map.com/map-8x39m/Alberta/?zoom=13¢er=52.90414%2C-117.39098&overlay=0&base=2&popup=52.90828%2C-117.20807 |url-status=live }} The elevation of Whitehorse Creek when it leaves the park is {{cvt|1600|m}}. There is an extensive trail network in the park for hiking and horseback trail riding.

The Köppen climate classification of the park is Continental, Subarctic (Dfc) characterized by long, cold winters, and short, warm to cool summers.{{Cite map |title=Atlas of Canada: Climatic Regions |url=https://ftp.geogratis.gc.ca/pub/nrcan_rncan/raster/atlas_3_ed/eng/environment/climate/030.pdf |access-date=2023-03-20 |publisher=Government of Canada |archive-date=15 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315075731/https://ftp.geogratis.gc.ca/pub/nrcan_rncan/raster/atlas_3_ed/eng/environment/climate/030.pdf |url-status=live }} Using the data from a nearby weather stations (Luscar Creek), average daily temperatures for 1991 to 2020 exceeds {{cvt|10|C}} only for June, July, and August while average daily temperatures are less than {{cvt|0|C}} for November through March. At Luscar Creek, the long-run average precipitation from 1991 to 2020 for the wettest months, June and July, is {{cvt|100|to|110|mm}} per month; conversely, the station receive less than {{cvt|40|mm}} per month from October through March.{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=Climate Normals for Alberta: (Luscar Creek) |publisher=Government of Alberta |url=http://agriculture.alberta.ca/acis/climate-normals.jsp |access-date=21 March 2023 |archive-date=25 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125035944/http://agriculture.alberta.ca/acis/climate-normals.jsp |url-status=live }}

The park is home to many wildlife species. Ungulates include bighorn sheep, elk, moose, and mule deer. Carnivores include grizzly bears, wolves, and cougars. Among the small mammals are hoary marmots and American pikas. The park also provides breeding habitat for harlequin ducks which are dependent on the fast-flowing mountain streams for nesting and rearing their young.

Cadomin Cave, located just south of Cadomin, is an extensive limestone cave system providing important bat habitat and is one of only four major bat hibernacula in Alberta.

Front country camping is available at the adjacent Whitehorse Creek Provincial Recreation Area. Whitehorse Wildland has four designated backcountry campgrounds, as well as random backcountry camping. The extensive trail system allows for hiking, horesback trail riding, and mountain biking. Also found are geocaching and wildlife viewing. Hunting is permitted when licensed.

• List of provincial parks in Alberta
• List of Canadian provincial parks

{{reflist}}

• [https://albertaparks.ca/parks/central/whitehorse-wpp/ Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park] on [https://albertaparks.ca/ Alberta Parks website]
• [https://www.albertaparks.ca/media/3231/whitehorse-wildland-brochure-web.pdf Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park (PDF)] official Alberta Parks park guide
• [https://www.albertaparks.ca/parks/central/whitehorse-creek-pra/information-facilities/camping/whitehorse-creek/ Whitehorse Creek Provincial Recreation Area] on [https://albertaparks.ca/ Alberta Parks website]
• {{YouTube|id=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O5EtJ6F-EQ|title=Wildland Provincial Parks}}

{{Alberta parks}}

{{Alberta Regions Upper Athabasca}}

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Category:Parks in Alberta

Category:Provincial parks of Alberta