Brandywine Falls Provincial Park
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Brandywine Falls Provincial Park
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 Brandywine Falls |
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| location | British Columbia (Canada) | |
| surface | 4.2 km² | |
| WDPA ID | 65115 | |
| Geographical location | 50 ° 2 ' N , 123 ° 7' W | |
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| Sea level | from 400 m to 510 m | |
| Setup date | Jan. 18, 1973 | |
| administration | BC parks | |
The Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is a 420 hectare Provincial Park in the Canadian province of British Columbia . The park is located about 29 miles north of Squamish and about 11 miles south of Whistler . The park can be reached from Vancouver via Highway 99 (Sea-to-Sky-Highway) . The park is in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District .
investment
The small park is located in the transition area between the Sunshine Coast and the Coast Mountains . It is cut through on the western edge by Highway 99 and in the northern area by a railway line. The eastern park boundary is formed by the Cheakamus River . The southern limit of the park is the shore of Daisy Lake.
The park is a category II protected area ( national park ).
The park takes its name from the waterfall of the same name. The waterfall is formed by the water of Brandywine Creek falling 66 meters. The Brandywine Creek has its origin in the Powder Mountain Icefield and falls in the park over a rock edge which is formed by the basalt of solidified lava flows. At least four basaltic lava flows, nearly 34,000 years old, encompass the walls of the Brandywine Falls Canyon. These streams are part of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt.
history
The park was established in 1973.
According to a local story, Brandywine Creek takes its name from two surveyors on the Howe Sound and Northern Railway betting on the height of the waterfall for a bottle of brandy.
As with almost all provincial parks in British Columbia, this one too was the hunting and fishing area of various First Nations tribes long before the area was settled by immigrants or became part of a park .
Flora and fauna
At the transition between Sunshine Coast and Coast Mountain, the predominant climatic zone in the park is that of the temperate rainforest . Within the British Columbia ecosystem, it is assigned to the Coastal Western Hemlock Zone . These biogeoclimatic zones are characterized by a similar climate and the same or very similar biological and geological conditions. This results in a very similar population of plants and animals in the respective zones. Most common within the park are the West American hemlock , which gives the zone its name, as well as the giant arborvitae and the Oregon maple . Coastal pine stands are also found above the breakline .
The area is (like much of Canada) only sparsely populated; also live in the surrounding area black bear , hoary marmots and chipmunks . Golden eagles and red-tailed buzzards live or come to the park to hunt for prey. Fish can be found in Brandywine Creek just below the waterfall. On August 5, 2005 plunged tank cars of Canadian National Railway loaded with sodium hydroxide into the Cheakamus River; around 500,000 fish died.
activities
The park is a popular summer destination for hikers, mountaineers and other outdoor sports enthusiasts. The trails in the park are part of a network that connects Squamish and Whistler. These hiking trails also have various viewpoints with a view of the waterfall or further down Brandywine Creek with a view of Daisy Lake. There is also a small lake, Swim Lake , with a picnic area in the northeast corner of the park . However, this cannot be reached with vehicles.
In winter there is a marked, but not groomed, trail in the park for cross-country skiing. This popular cross-country trail is used by several thousand runners every year.
Web links
- Brandywine Falls Provincial Park . In: BC Geographical Names (English)
- Brandywine Falls Provincial Park . In: English language website of the park at BC Parks
- Brandywine Falls on an English language database about waterfalls
Individual evidence
- ↑ World Database on Protected Areas - Brandywine Falls Park (English)
- ↑ a b Brandywine Falls Master Plan. (PDF; 915 kB) British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks , April 1983, accessed on February 25, 2013 (English).
- ^ Ecosystems of British Columbia. (PDF; 9.85 MB) British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations , February 1991, accessed on February 25, 2013 .
- ↑ Biogeoclimatic Zones of British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, accessed April 4, 2016 .
- ↑ see also English Wikipedia