Willmore Wilderness Park

IUCN Category Ib - Wilderness Area

Mount DeVeber

Willmore Wilderness Park is administrated by Alberta Municipal Affairs nature reserve on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains.

The park was created in 1959 and named after the former Prime Minister of the provincial government Norman A. Willmore.

The 4597 km ² large reserve is located just north of the much more accessible Jasper National Park, also in the other directions close other protected areas of different backgrounds, to:

• Kakwa Wildland Park ( north )
• Kakwa Provincial Park and Protected Area ( west, in British Columbia)
• Rock Lake -Solomon Creek Wildland Park ( southeast)

The park reaches the valley of the Smoky River a height of about 300 m, the peak regions extend to 3216 m (Mount Bess ), Resthaven Icefield and Chown Glacier located in the border region to Jasper National Park.

A direct access to the park is not motorized traffic is prohibited, so that access only on foot, by horse, skiing, canoeing or mountain biking is possible. The park offers except some ranger stations, which can also be used by visitors, no tourist infrastructure; main access point is Grande Cache at Bighorn route.

The park is home to a fifth of all occurring in Alberta bighorn sheep and significant populations of mountain goats, grizzlies, mountain caribou, elk, cougars and wolves. In the subalpine areas are also white-tailed deer and mule deer and black bear, lynx, wolverine and coyote spread; the Alpine region, however, is home of the marmots, pikas, and ptarmigan. In addition, there are other small mammals and birds.

The tree inventory is composed to a large extent from white spruce, lodgepole pine, balsam fir and aspen.

On the grounds of the park are oh several cultural and historical sites of interest, such as a cemetery of the Native to the Big Grave Flats or some coal mines in the pioneer days.