William A. Switzer Provincial Park
Last Review/Updated: May 10, 2002
© C. Wershler
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Streams connect five clear lakes and numerous wetlands through this broad valley of lodgepole pine, poplar and mature white spruce in the Rocky Mountain foothills.
A day-long canoe trip from Jarvis Lake to Gregg Lake, through the heart of the 2,700-hectare park, may be the best way to see beavers, mink, muskrats and water birds, especially loons and grebes. The lakes and streams attract ospreys and bald eagles, and great gray owls live in the deciduous mixed-wood forests. In May, a chorus of common snipes, northern saw-whet owls and wood frogs can be heard at night, when you may also hear gray wolves.
© C. Wershler
Look for white-tailed and mule deer and the occasional wapiti and moose in the open meadows along Highway 40 from Hinton to Grande Cache. A mineral lick near the highway attracts ungulates so be cautious when driving through the park at dusk. North of the Berland River, Highway 40 leads through the winter range of mountain caribou.
