Mount Revelstoke is part of a string of mountain national parks along the Canadian Pacific Railway corridor including Banff, Yoho, and Glacier. Established in 1914, its creation came later than the other mountain national parks which date to the 1880s. The initiative to establish a park was led by local residents of Revelstoke; the mountaineering and skiing clubs worked with municipal officials and the local Progress Club to build the first trail to the summit of Mount Revelstoke in 1910.[2][3] Park boundaries were extended southward toward the Revelstoke townsite in 1920.[3] A lodge and tea house, known as Heather Lake Lodge, were constructed in the 1930s, and demolished in 1966.[4]
Meadows in the Sky Parkway
The 26-kilometre summit road, now known as the Meadows in the Sky Parkway, was started in 1911, and was completed in 1927.[4] During the First World War, Parks Commissioner J.B. Harkin authorized the use of interned "enemy aliens", mostly men from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on construction projects in the national parks. An internment camp was constructed on the slopes of Mount Revelstoke in 1915. Over 200 interned men worked on the road to the summit, but began to refuse work once cold weather hampered them in the fall. The camp was abandoned and the men moved to other camps in the region.[5]
Skiing
By the early 20th century, Revelstoke had become a popular skiing area, one of the first ski destinations in North America.[4] Mount Revelstoke became the home of a ski-jumping facility in 1915; this was expanded to Olympic specifications in 1933.[3] Other downhill runs were added, and Mount Revelstoke hosted many international competitions in the first half of the century. The jump was the longest natural jump in Canada, and international records were set there. Nels Nelsen was an early supporter of the skiing facilities and set several of the jumping records. The last event was held in 1971, and the ski area was converted to a trail system for hiking and downhill mountain biking.[6]
Climate
The park contains a portion of one of the world's few inland temperate rain forests.[7][8][9][10] Steep, rugged mountains can be found in a warm, moist climate. A variety of plant and animal life is typical with stands of old-growth Western Redcedar and Western Hemlock, a forest type which is rapidly declining outside of protected areas. The park's inland rainforest also has an isolated population of banana slugs which marks the easternmost boundary of their distribution in British Columbia.
A variety of wildflowers grow in the park, some of which include Arctic lupine, glacier lily, pink mountain heather, willowherb, and spotted saxifrage.[11] Wetland plant species that are found in the park include skunk cabbage, duckweed, and horsetail. Lichen, moss, and fungi also grow in the park's temperate rainforest habitat.[12]
Tourism
The Meadows-in-the-Sky Parkway is a paved mountain road open during the snow free months. The parkway begins in the rainforests of the park's southwest corner, winds upward through the sub-alpine forests and ends in the rolling sub-alpine wildflower meadows. The Monashee Mountains rise to the west, with the Selkirk range to the east.
Giant Cedars Boardwalk is a 500 m. (0.3 mi.) interpretive trail that twists through a stand of old-growth western red cedar and hemlock trees, some more than 800 years old. Exhibits along the way explore the secrets of this inland rainforest.
Skunk Cabbage Boardwalk is a 1.2 km. (0.75 mi.) interpretive trail that leads through valley bottom rainforest and fragile wetlands inhabited by muskrats, beavers, bears and the strange skunk cabbage plant. Exhibits also help to identify the many birds that migrate from South and Central America to the Skunk Cabbage area each year.
^"Protected Planet | Mount Revelstoke National Park Of Canada". Protected Planet. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
^Paquet, Maggie. (1990). Parks of British Columbia and the Yukon (1st ed.). North Vancouver, B.C.: Maia Pub. p. 340. ISBN0969456808. OCLC 22813558.
^ abcA century of Parks Canada, 1911-2011. Campbell, Claire Elizabeth, 1974-. Calgary: University of Calgary Press. 2011. pp. 60–61. ISBN9781552385265. OCLC 690088749.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^ abcWoods, John G. (2004). Glacier country : a guide to Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks. Friends of Mount Revelstoke and Glacier. p. 63. ISBN0921806167. OCLC 57431138.
^Waiser, W. A. (1999). Park prisoners : the untold story of Western Canada's national parks, 1915-1946. Fifth House Pub. pp. 17-18. ISBN1895618657. OCLC 174114077.
^Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (2016-02-23). "The History of Skiing on Mount Revelstoke - Mount Revelstoke National Park". www.pc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
^"Visit Canada's Jaw-Dropping National Parks for Free".
^"Canada's lesser-known national parks good bet during 150th anniversary | the Spokesman-Review".
^"Oh, Canada! 17 national parks that give this nation reason to boast".
^"Canada 150: 10 National Parks to visit in 2017 - Saga".
^"Wildflowers - Mount Revelstoke National Park". www.pc.gc.ca. 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
^"Plants of interest - Mount Revelstoke National Park". www.pc.gc.ca. 2022-02-16. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mount Revelstoke National Park.
Official website
Mount Revelstoke National Park travel guide from Wikivoyage
January 10, 2023
mount, revelstoke, national, park, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Mount Revelstoke National Park news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message Mount Revelstoke National Park is a national park located adjacent to the city of Revelstoke British Columbia Canada The park is relatively small for a national park covering 260 km2 100 sq mi It is located in the Selkirk Mountains and was founded in 1914 Approximately 600 000 visitors enter Mount Revelstoke and nearby Glacier National Park each year Mount Revelstoke National ParkIUCN category II national park 1 Meadow near the summitLocation of Mount Revelstoke National Park in CanadaShow map of CanadaLocation of Mount Revelstoke National Park in British ColumbiaShow map of British ColumbiaLocationRevelstoke British Columbia CanadaCoordinates51 05 09 N 118 03 56 W 51 08583 N 118 06556 W 51 08583 118 06556 Coordinates 51 05 09 N 118 03 56 W 51 08583 N 118 06556 W 51 08583 118 06556Area260 km2 100 sq mi Established1914Visitorsapprox 500 000 in each year Governing bodyParks CanadaWebsitewww wbr pc wbr gc wbr ca wbr en wbr pn np wbr bc wbr revelstoke Contents 1 History 1 1 Meadows in the Sky Parkway 1 2 Skiing 2 Climate 3 Fauna 4 Flora 5 Tourism 6 Gallery 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksHistory EditMount Revelstoke is part of a string of mountain national parks along the Canadian Pacific Railway corridor including Banff Yoho and Glacier Established in 1914 its creation came later than the other mountain national parks which date to the 1880s The initiative to establish a park was led by local residents of Revelstoke the mountaineering and skiing clubs worked with municipal officials and the local Progress Club to build the first trail to the summit of Mount Revelstoke in 1910 2 3 Park boundaries were extended southward toward the Revelstoke townsite in 1920 3 A lodge and tea house known as Heather Lake Lodge were constructed in the 1930s and demolished in 1966 4 Meadows in the Sky Parkway Edit The 26 kilometre summit road now known as the Meadows in the Sky Parkway was started in 1911 and was completed in 1927 4 During the First World War Parks Commissioner J B Harkin authorized the use of interned enemy aliens mostly men from the Austro Hungarian Empire on construction projects in the national parks An internment camp was constructed on the slopes of Mount Revelstoke in 1915 Over 200 interned men worked on the road to the summit but began to refuse work once cold weather hampered them in the fall The camp was abandoned and the men moved to other camps in the region 5 Skiing Edit By the early 20th century Revelstoke had become a popular skiing area one of the first ski destinations in North America 4 Mount Revelstoke became the home of a ski jumping facility in 1915 this was expanded to Olympic specifications in 1933 3 Other downhill runs were added and Mount Revelstoke hosted many international competitions in the first half of the century The jump was the longest natural jump in Canada and international records were set there Nels Nelsen was an early supporter of the skiing facilities and set several of the jumping records The last event was held in 1971 and the ski area was converted to a trail system for hiking and downhill mountain biking 6 Climate EditThe park contains a portion of one of the world s few inland temperate rain forests 7 8 9 10 Steep rugged mountains can be found in a warm moist climate A variety of plant and animal life is typical with stands of old growth Western Redcedar and Western Hemlock a forest type which is rapidly declining outside of protected areas The park s inland rainforest also has an isolated population of banana slugs which marks the easternmost boundary of their distribution in British Columbia Fauna EditThis national park protects a small herd of the threatened caribou as well as providing habitats for cougars grizzly bears lynxes black bears red foxes moose martens coyotes a variety of bats timber wolves several species of shrews voles mice wolverines and mountain goats Flora EditA variety of wildflowers grow in the park some of which include Arctic lupine glacier lily pink mountain heather willowherb and spotted saxifrage 11 Wetland plant species that are found in the park include skunk cabbage duckweed and horsetail Lichen moss and fungi also grow in the park s temperate rainforest habitat 12 Tourism EditThe Meadows in the Sky Parkway is a paved mountain road open during the snow free months The parkway begins in the rainforests of the park s southwest corner winds upward through the sub alpine forests and ends in the rolling sub alpine wildflower meadows The Monashee Mountains rise to the west with the Selkirk range to the east Giant Cedars Boardwalk is a 500 m 0 3 mi interpretive trail that twists through a stand of old growth western red cedar and hemlock trees some more than 800 years old Exhibits along the way explore the secrets of this inland rainforest Skunk Cabbage Boardwalk is a 1 2 km 0 75 mi interpretive trail that leads through valley bottom rainforest and fragile wetlands inhabited by muskrats beavers bears and the strange skunk cabbage plant Exhibits also help to identify the many birds that migrate from South and Central America to the Skunk Cabbage area each year Gallery Edit North of lake Balsam View from Eva Lakes Trail Miller Lake from Jade Lakes Trail Jade Pass in early September View of Revelstoke from the summit Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail Giant Cedars Boardwalk TrailSee also Edit Geography portal Canada portalNational Parks of Canada List of National Parks of Canada Revelstoke Mountain ResortReferences Edit Protected Planet Mount Revelstoke National Park Of Canada Protected Planet Retrieved 2020 10 13 Paquet Maggie 1990 Parks of British Columbia and the Yukon 1st ed North Vancouver B C Maia Pub p 340 ISBN 0969456808 OCLC 22813558 a b c A century of Parks Canada 1911 2011 Campbell Claire Elizabeth 1974 Calgary University of Calgary Press 2011 pp 60 61 ISBN 9781552385265 OCLC 690088749 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link a b c Woods John G 2004 Glacier country a guide to Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks Friends of Mount Revelstoke and Glacier p 63 ISBN 0921806167 OCLC 57431138 Waiser W A 1999 Park prisoners the untold story of Western Canada s national parks 1915 1946 Fifth House Pub pp 17 18 ISBN 1895618657 OCLC 174114077 Parks Canada Agency Government of Canada 2016 02 23 The History of Skiing on Mount Revelstoke Mount Revelstoke National Park www pc gc ca Retrieved 2019 10 13 Visit Canada s Jaw Dropping National Parks for Free Canada s lesser known national parks good bet during 150th anniversary the Spokesman Review Oh Canada 17 national parks that give this nation reason to boast Canada 150 10 National Parks to visit in 2017 Saga Wildflowers Mount Revelstoke National Park www pc gc ca 2022 02 18 Retrieved 2022 03 17 Plants of interest Mount Revelstoke National Park www pc gc ca 2022 02 16 Retrieved 2022 03 17 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mount Revelstoke National Park Official website Mount Revelstoke National Park travel guide from Wikivoyage Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mount Revelstoke National Park amp oldid 1117487876, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
