Virtual Saskatchewan - Cypress Upland Ecoregion

Landscape: One of the most surprising and dramatic landscapes in Saskatchewan, this region rises up 500 metres (1,625 ft) above the plains below and features an interesting assortment of flora and fauna. Tall stands of lodgepole pine, found nowhere else in the province, predominate in the higher areas with white spruce and aspen completing the mix. Steep hills and lush, green valleys are common features. Several small lakes and streams are most picturesque.

Conglomerate bedrock forms prominent cliffs in the Cypress Hills region.

Wildlife: Pronghorn antelope, mule and white-tailed deer and coyote are common. Moose browse boldly in park areas and there's an island population of elk in the region. Prominent birds include the Golden Eagle, trumpeter swan, yellow-rumped warbler, MacGillivray's warbler, dusky flycatcher and Townsend's solitaire.

Fish: Streams are stocked with brook and brown trout, and small Loch Leven lake in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park is stocked with rainbow trout. Fishing Guide

Recreation: Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park offers a wide array of recreational opportunities, including horse-back riding, bicycle paths, swimming (lake or modern pool), golf and miniature golf, nature hikes, as well as cross-country and downhill skiing in winter.

High elevation and cooler temperatures promote lush forest vegetation in this beautiful setting.

Nearby Fort Walsh offers an enlightening tour of an early RCMP fort, with period-costumed interpreters. Eastend, in the fossil-rich Frenchman River Valley, is dinosaur country. "Scotty", one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletons ever discovered, was unearthed here. Tour quarries, participate in fossil hunts and tour the wonderful new T-Rex Discovery Centre at Eastend.