Antelope Hill Provincial Park opens 940 acres of rare grassland
Central Alberta's newest park preserves native fescue landscape and wildlife habitat donated by longtime landowner.
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A provincial park in central Alberta near Hanna has opened to the public, protecting 940 acres of native grassland that was once in private hands.
Antelope Hill Provincial Park sits in the Northern Fescue Natural Subregion—one of Alberta's rarest and most ecologically valuable landscapes. The land was donated to Alberta Parks in 2014 by Gottlob "Schmitty" Schmidt, who had lived and worked on the property for decades raising cattle, tending gardens, and hosting annual corn feasts with neighbors.
"Schmitty" was known for his generosity and love of wildlife, according to Alberta Parks. His donation ensured the property would be preserved in perpetuity for both the animals that live there and future Albertans to visit.
The park is home to thirteen-lined ground squirrels, deer, elk, and rare birds including Sprague's pipits and Baird's sparrows. Nearby Dowling Lake is recognized as an Important Bird Area and hosts Piping Plovers.
The park is open for daytime use only, with hiking, birdwatching, and nature appreciation as the main activities. Overnight camping, off-highway vehicles, and hunting are not permitted. The park sits in central Alberta and draws visitors interested in seeing pristine native grassland—a landscape type that has largely disappeared across the prairie region.