| Spray Valley Provincial Park | |
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IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)
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Spray Valley Provincial Park |
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| Location | Kananaskis, Alberta Canada |
| Nearest city | Canmore, Calgary |
| Area | 254 km² |
| Established | December 2000 |
| Governing body | Alberta Community Development, Kananaskis Country Campgrounds |
Spray Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park located east of the Rocky Mountains, along the Spray River in western Alberta, Canada.
The park is part of the Kananaskis Country park system (along with Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park, Bow Valley Provincial Park, Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park, Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park, Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve, Sheep River Provincial Park and numerous designated provincial recreational areas). Spray Valley borders the Banff National Park to the west.
Spray Valley Provincial Park falls under the jurisdiction of Alberta Community Development[1] (a branch of the Alberta government), and on-site management is delegated to Kananaskis Country Campgrounds[2]
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Spray Valley Provincial Park is easily accessible by road (the Bighorn Highway), and provides a setting for low impact activities such as hiking and cross-country skiing. Camping is permitted in summer (from May 17 to October 9) at the Lillian Lake, Ribbon Falls, Ribbon Lake, Eau Claire and Spray Lakes West campgrounds, and in winter at the Buller Mountain and Eau Claire campgrounds. Several day use areas are open for public in summer (with two areas, Sparrowhawk and Mount Shark, available year round).
Other recreational activities include canoeing, kayaking, fishing for trout and ice fishing.
A management plan approved in March 2003 by the Kananaskis Country restricts further development in the park area, in order to preserve the ecological integrity. Restrictions were imposed on off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, horseback riding and biking, however a site in the Spray Valley is considered for the construction of a small lodge[3][4].
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