Page 2 Secrets of the Southwest 2013


Welcome to the Cypress Hills Destination Area! Unique beauty and rich history abound in the Cypress Hills region, resulting in its designation as a


destination area. The Cypress Hills Destination Area holds something for every interest and every type of traveller. The Cypress Hills are a geological oddity in the middle of the Canadian prairies. A tree-capped


upland rising thousands of feet above the surrounding plains, the Cypress Hills are the highest point of land east of the Rocky Mountains. From the cliff faces at the edges of the Cypress Hills, one can see across the prairies for hundreds of miles. Visitors can experience both forest and the vastness of the virgin prairie in the Cypress Hills. The rich ranching heritage of the area can be experienced to its fullest at Historic Reesor Ranch


and in the Heritage District of the Old Cowtown of Maple Creek; where the first shipment of cattle from western Canada was loaded onto the rails in 1884. Alongside cattle, bison also still range here, reintroduced to their natural habitat at Old Man on


His Back Prairie & Heritage Conservation Area. Juxtaposed against the wilderness and rugged rangeland of the Cypress Hills are a multitude of


modern visitor comforts. Resort hotels, fine dining, and Cypress Hills Vineyard & Winery. The Cypress Hills are a unique combination of the past and present. They are also the location of one of the largest Dark Sky Preserves in Canada, attracting stargazers


from far and wide. History abounds in these hills. The Cypress Hills are witness to millions of years of geological and paleontological history, including


“Scotty” the Tyrannosaurus Rex; one of the most complete T.rex fossils in the world. The T.rex Discovery Centre at Eastend proudly houses Scotty as well as numerous other prehistoric marvels. Aboriginal peoples have been attracted by the uniqueness and natural resources of the Cypress


Hills for thousands of years. Lodgepole pine, unique on the Canadian prairie to the Cypress Hills, served as teepee and travois poles for many different native groups throughout history. Some of the most defining moments in the history of western Canada also played out in the


Cypress Hills, including the Cypress Hills Massacre which shocked the Dominion government and hastened the dispatch of the North West Mounted Police to western Canada. The Cypress Hills were also the place where American and Canadian history would collide; with the illegal trafficking of whiskey on Canadian soil by American traders, the arrival in Canada of Sitting Bull and 4,000 Lakota refugees following the defeat of Lt. Col. G.A. Custer at the Battle of The Little Bighorn, and the last of the Nez Perce who were able to evade the United States military by escaping into Canada following Chief Joseph’s surrender at the end of the Nez Perce war of 1877. Even one of Canada’s internationally recognized icons – a red-coated RCMP officer mounted on a


black horse – has its origins in the Cypress Hills, as the very first of the RCMP’s signature black horses were raised at Fort Walsh. Tour the Cypress Hills Destination Area and experience the beautiful treasures that it holds.


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