The highest point between the Rockies and Labrador, Cypress Hills offers a variety of terrain for trail runners
When you think of southeastern Alberta, you might typically picture prairie grasslands and an endless expanse of flat. That’s not the case, though, in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, located a 45-minute drive southeast of Medicine Hat. The park is a mini oasis formed when retreating glaciers bypassed this area during the last Ice Age, and, at 1,466 m, is the highest point between the Rocky Mountains and the Torngat mountains of Labrador.
At 600 metres higher than the surrounding Prairies, the Cypress Hills offer three distinct natural regions that offer great variety of running terrain. Lodgepole pines tower above the Rocky Mountain region, making it feel like you are running in a forest similar to Banff National Park, rather than the prairies of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The main town in the park is Elkwater, in an area archeologists have determined has been enjoyed by humans for more than 8,500 years. Close to Elkwater Lake, the terrain is flatter, and there are paved trails, a beach and boardwalks created for summer tourists – a great place to warm up or cool down before or after a run.
Elkwater offers numerous options for exploring the trails. A quick tour up Old Baldy will get your heart beating quickly and offers the fastest way to some of the best views, stretching across the prairies into Saskatchewan.
With some new trail additions added in 2020 on Ferguson Hill, all of Elkwater’s campgrounds are connected via the trails throughout the park.
photo Tim Banfield
A tour of the park
If you are looking for a long run, a grand tour of the park and a fantastic way to explore all three park regions is to start near the lake and hop on Ranger trail. After a short distance, connect with Cobble Miner trail, then Lower Mystery trail to Mystery trail, which will bring you to Plateau trail. Come back to town on Horseshoe Canyon trail, then meet up with the Shoreline trail to finish off a perfect run. This loop is approximately 16 km, with roughly 300 m of elevation gain, and the variety in the trails ranges from wetlands to montane forest to grasslands. Be sure to stop at the Horseshoe Canyon viewpoint, where the landscape drops away steeply, giving you a fantastic view of the prairies 600 m below.
photo Tim Banfield
A short loop close to campsites
Several years ago, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park put together a master plan to add trails to the park to attract more visitors. A section of those trails is located between the Firerock Campground and those closer to town. Runners can put together a smooth, flowy loop of approximately 5 km by connecting the Firerock trail, Cougar Ridge, Badger Grind and Crocus Loop. This loop provides a different running style from the longer loop suggested above, cruising around on machine-groomed, built trails, taking you through balsam poplars and without a lot of elevation.
photo Tim Banfield
Singletrack out-and-back
For an out-and-back run, Beaver Creek trail is a great choice. The trail is 3.4 km, with more than 200 m of elevation gain. The path is singletrack and was re-worked and reopened by the 670 Collective Mountain Bike association in 2013. The trail follows Beaver Creek to the top of the Plateau and is older, quite rooty, and hand-built, unlike the newer machine-built trails in the Firerock area.
The AllTrails and Trailforks apps are excellent resources for running in the park. See you on the trails!
DESTINATION
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Alberta
Details
Season: May to October
Distance: 65 km of trails
By Car: 45 minutes from Medicine Hat
Must-Run Trails: Ranger, Cobble Miner, Lower Mystery, Mystery, Plateau, Horseshoe Canyon, Shoreline, Firerock, Cougar Ridge, Badger Grind, Crocus Loop, Beaver Creek
More Info: AllTrails app, Trailforks app
Tim Banfield is a Canadian endurance-sports photographer and writer.