Moose Mountain Provincial Park is a

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the ...

, located in south-eastern

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

24 km north of the town of Carlyle on the

Moose Mountain Upland Moose Mountain Upland, Moose Mountain Uplands, or commonly Moose Mountain, is a hilly plateau located in the south-east corner of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, that covers an area of about . The upland rises about above the broad, f ...

. It is one of Saskatchewan's few parks with a community inside the park as there are several subdivisions with both year-round and seasonal residents. The village of Kenosee Lake is completely surrounded by the park but is not part of the park.

History

Long before the park was established, the forest and lakes on the

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...

that the park is on had been an important source of resources for the local

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

people and early settlers. The forests provided shelter, firewood, fishing, and

game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

. The lakes, especially Carlyle and

Fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

, provided recreation as, starting in the early 1900s, cabins, stores, and dance halls were being built. Seeing the importance of a "forest island" in the middle of the bald

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

, the Canadian government in 1906 designated the upland as a forest reserve under the Dominion Lands Branch through the

Dominion Forest Reserves Act The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 1926 ...

. In 1908, it was re-designated as Moose Mountain Forest Preserve to protect the forests from being cleared for farm and pasture land. The Act also ensured the forest could be managed sustainably. In 1911, the federal government created the

Dominion Parks Branch Parks Canada (PC; french: Parcs Canada),Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 48 National Parks, th ...

. Moose Mountain Forest Preserve came under management of the Dominion Forests Division of this new Dominion Parks Branch. Kenosee Lake 04

In 1930, the federal government transferred control of natural resources over to the

western provinces Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada– ...

under the

Natural Resources Acts The Natural Resources Acts were a series of Acts passed by the Parliament of Canada and the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan in 1930 to transfer control over crown lands and natural resources within these provi ...

. The Saskatchewan government then set up its own Department of Natural Resources. With the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

causing high unemployment, many government work programmes were set up, including the creation of six

provincial parks file:Ischigualasto national park.jpg, Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countr ...

. Moose Mountain Provincial Park was among these six original parks.

Founding of the park

Moose Mountain Provincial Park was designated a park in 1931. From then until 1935, several work projects around the park were completed. Work began in the spring of 1931 with the building of Moose Mountain Chalet, landscaping, building of Main Beach on Kenosee Lake, and a

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

going south connecting the park to

Carlyle Lake Carlyle Lake is a reservoir largely located in Clinton County, Illinois, with smaller portions of the lake within Bond and Fayette counties. It is the largest man-made lake in Illinois, and the largest lake wholly contained within the state. Hi ...

and the town of Carlyle, and going north to

Kennedy Kennedy may refer to: People * John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), 35th president of the United States * John Kennedy (Louisiana politician), (born 1951), US Senator from Louisiana * Kennedy (surname), a family name (including a list of persons with t ...

. Construction of an 18-hole golf course began in 1932 and was completed by 1933. The park was officially established on 1 July 1932 with Saskatchewan Premier J.T.M. Anderson present at the construction site for the ribbon cutting and official opening. Deputy minister John Barnett had also come to the park and renamed ''Fish Lake'' to ''Kenosee Lake'': To protect the forest and the park,

firebreak A firebreak or double track (also called a fire line, fuel break, fireroad and firetrail in Australia) is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire or wildfire. A firebre ...

s and

fire lookout tower A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness. It is a small building, usually on the summit of a mountain or ...

s were built in strategic spots around the upland and the park. Three

subdivision Subdivision may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Subdivision (metre), in music * ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009 * "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2) * ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005 * "Subdivisions" (song), by Rus ...

s, McNaughton, Sunnybank, and Sandy Bay, were built alongside Kenosee Lake with cottages made available to private owners. Years later, more subdivisions were added, including Acoose, Chechsip, and Beaver.

Moose Mountain Chalet

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...

named Charles John Parker from

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

was brought in to build the three-storey Moose Mountain Chalet. The chalet, which was opened up as an upscale boutique hotel with a rotunda on the main floor, a dining room and fireplace on the second floor, and bedrooms on the third floor was completed by the summer of 1933. The outer rock façade used local rocks found around the lake and on two of the lake's islands, Hog and Maple. Along with the chalet, 14 cabins were built nearby in 1932. Four of the cabins still stand and are now the Artisan Colony. On 1 November 1933, a fire started in the chimney and the interior was gutted by fire. Fortunately, the rock façade and concrete survived and the chalet was able to be rebuilt. It re-opened for the summer season of 1934. The hotel portion of the chalet closed its rooms in 1981 and the restaurant closed in the late 1980s. The first floor was transformed into the Visitor's Centre and the second floor became administrative offices. The Moose Mountain Chalet and Cabins were officially designated a Provincial Heritage Property on 20 January 2012.

Attractions

Kenosee Lake is the largest body of water in the park and serves as its central tourist attraction. Seasonal recreational activities in and around the lake and park include

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

water sports Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...

snowmobile A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not ...

riding,

horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

miniature golf Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...

, and golfing. There is also a baseball diamond, which is where the Kenosee Cubs of the Saskota Baseball League play. In the winter, Kenosee Lake Lookout is the top of the tobogganing hill. At the bottom of the hill, there is a warm up shack and fire pits. Every February on

Family Day Family Day is a public holiday in the countries of Angola, Israel, South Africa, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Vietnam; in the Australian Capital Territory; in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and soon New Brunswi ...

an event called Moose Mountain Family Fun Day is held at the hill and on the frozen lake. There's toboganning, skating, cross-country skiing, curling, hot dogs, and roasted marshmallows. On the east side of the park, just off Highway 9, is

Kenosee Superslides The Kenosee Superslides is a water park in Moose Mountain Provincial Park, or Kenosee Lake in Canada. History The Kenosee Superslides were built in the summer of 1985, and opened in the summer of 1986. It has been a successful and popular ret ...

Core Area

The Core Area, sometimes referred to as ''Kenosee Park'', is where many of the main attractions and services are located. Allison Park Store, Kenosee Inn & Cabins, Moose Mountain Chalet, Artisan Colony, Masters Mini Golf, tennis courts, laundry services, picnic areas, and Kenosee Lake Main Beach are all located there. File:Kenosee Inn & Cabins.jpg, Kenosee Inn & Cabins File:Allison Park Store Kenosee Lake.jpg, Allison Park Store, Core Area File:Kenosee Cubs 01.jpg, Baseball diamond at Moose Mountain File:Kenosee Cubs 02.jpg, Baseball diamond at Moose Mountain

Accommodations and camping

There are two main

campsite A campsite, also known as a campground or camping pitch, is a place used for overnight stay in an outdoor area. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using te ...

s in the park. The smaller of the two, Lynwood with 30 sites, is along the north shore of Kenosee Lake. The main campsite, Fish Creek, takes up most of the

isthmus An isthmus (; ; ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthmu ...

between Little Kenosee and Kenosee Lakes. It is divided into four sections, A through D, and there are well over 300 campsites, many of them full-service. Poplar Lane and Aspen Meadows, just to the west of Fish Creek, are group camping sites. Inside the village of Kenosee Lake is a full-service private campground. In the core area of the park, over-looking Kenosee Lake, is the Kenosee Inn & Cabins. Besides a grand view of the lake, it features 30 hotel rooms, 23 cabins, a conference room, and a restaurant. On the west side of the lake, along the shore of Christopher Bay at the former site of the Arcola Resort, there are three Christian summer camps: :*Kenosee Lake Bible Camp :*Clearview Christian Camp :*Kenosee Boys & Girls Camp

Golf Kenosee

The 18-hole golf course was constructed between 1932 and 1933 and at the time was one of Canada's premier golf courses. It was built in conjunction with the chalet with the goal of attracting wealthy tourists to the park. The endeavour was a huge success. The original clubhouse was replaced in 1952. In the mid-1980s, Golf Kenosee was established when a group of 135 stakeholders raised $1.35 million to take over the golf course from Moose Mountain Provincial Park. The water level at

Kenosee Lake Kenosee Lake is a closed-basin lake in south-east corner of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The lake lies in Moose Mountain Provincial Park in the heart of the Moose Mountain Upland, a forested plateau that rises about 200 metres abov ...

had been dropping for decades. It got so low that in some winters, the shallow lake would freeze nearly to the bottom killing off the fish. Low lake levels not only hurt sport fishing at the lake, it also affected water quality for swimming and other water activities. The end result was that fewer people were coming to the park and, coupled with other newer golf courses being built nearby, Golf Kenosee suffered. A Special General Meeting of Shareholders was held in 2002 to try to figure out a solution and to discuss options to once again make the golf course a premier destination. It was decided that a full course renovation and redesign was the best option. A five-year plan was initiated to complete the redesign that would allow the course to remain open during the renovations. The total cost in cash expenditures was almost one million dollars. However, the actual cash value, including donated labour, equipment, and materials, was closer to two million dollars. The redesign coupled with rising lake levels has meant that Golf Kenosee and Moose Mountain Provincial Park once again became a go-to destination.

Trail system

The park features a variety of trails for hiking, biking, ATVing, and snowmobiling. Permits are required for ATVs and are restricted to designated areas between 15 June and the end of

Labour Day Labour Day ('' Labor Day'' in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for ...

. Along the main road through the park is a wide biking/walking trail that starts at the Core Area and goes to the main campsites. Other main hiking trails include: *Birch Forest Trail goes around Pickerel Point (2 km) *Peninsula Trail traverses the southern shore of

Little Kenosee Lake Little Kenosee Lake is a small lake in Moose Mountain Provincial Park in the Moose Mountain Uplands of the south-eastern corner of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The lake is in the Palliser's Triangle and Prairie Pothole Region of Can ...

*White-tailed Deer Trail traverses the eastern and northern shore of Little Kenosee Lake (3 km) *Blue Heron Trail is west of Little Kenosee Lake *Beaver Lake Trail starts at the ball diamond and circles Beaver Lake (4.5 km) *Youell Lake Trail is an extension of Beaver Lake Trail that heads east towards Youell Lake (2.9 km) In total, there's more than 120 km of groomed snowmobile trails, 50 km of cross-country ski trails, and 10 km of snowshoe trails.

Lakes of Moose Mountain Provincial Park

Besides the main lakes of Kenosee and Little Kenosee, there are numerous small named and unnamed lakes throughout the park. Many of these lakes are accessible off the main trails and road systems. Other notable lakes in the park include

Beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

, Muskrat, Youell, and Crane. File:Kenosee Lake 05.jpg, Kenosee Lake File:Beaver Lake, Moose Mountain.jpg, Beaver Lake File:Little Kenosee pier.jpg, Little Kenosee Lake

Flora and Fauna

The park biome is

aspen parkland Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections, namely the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area stretchi ...

which consists of aspen, poplars, and spruce interspersed with prairie grasslands, which provides abundant wildlife viewing opportunities.

species include

walleye The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relat ...

yellow perch The yellow perch (''Perca flavescens''), commonly referred to as perch, striped perch, American perch, American river perch or preacher is a freshwater perciform fish native to much of North America. The yellow perch was described in 1814 by Samu ...

northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...

burbot The burbot (''Lota lota'') is the only gadiform (cod-like) freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments di ...

, and

white sucker The white sucker (''Catostomus commersonii)'' is a species of freshwater cypriniform fish inhabiting the upper Midwest and Northeast in North America, but it is also found as far south as Georgia and as far west as New Mexico. The fish is commonl ...

. Moose Mountain is also great for

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...

finds such as

moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...

elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...

, and many species of

birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

References

External links

{{Authority control Provincial parks of Saskatchewan Wawken No. 93, Saskatchewan Division No. 1, Saskatchewan