Southern Rockies
Introduction
The Southern Rockies area is large and diverse. It covers more than 25 000 square kilometres of the province. The Red Deer River makes up the northern border and the Alberta-Montana border the south. Highway 22 marks the eastern border and Banff National Parkland and the B.C. border marks the western edge.
This vast area is rich in resources and offers diverse and scenic landscapes of panoramic mountains, rolling foothills, forests, lakes and rangeland that support a variety of flora and fauna. This management area overlaps four different natural regions: Rocky Mountain, Foothills, Parkland, and Grassland.
Where to find us
The area head office is in Calgary . Fishing and hunting permits and Christmas tree licences can be purchased at SRD offices in most major towns in the area. See map for locations of area offices.
The local economy
Agriculture, ranching and tourism are the economic mainstays in the Southern Rockies . Natural gas is also a large industry in Pincher Creek and windpower in the Southern Rockies area has become a key part of Alberta's renewable resource industry. There are also an increasing number of industrial and manufacturing businesses.
Area wildlife
The Southern Rockies is home to a number of wildlife species and a wide array of birds including:
- elk,
- bighorn sheep,
- deer,
- coyote,
- gray jay,
- chickadee, and
- spruce grouse.
Tourism and recreation
The recreational opportunities in the Southern Rockies area-like the outdoors enthusiasts-vary greatly. Camping, hunting and fishing, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, canoeing, rafting, both downhill and cross-country skiing, and the use of motorized vehicles are only some of the activities that take place over this magnificent landscape.
There are a large number of provincial parks, forest land use zones, and protected areas to accommodate the high number of users.
Other
This website provides information about how we manage this special region's natural resources for sustainable use. Welcome to the Southern Rockies area!
