A hidden gem of aspen forests, ranchland on Calgary outskirts
CALGARY — If you’re a Calgarian who makes regular day trips to the Rocky Mountains, there’s a good chance you’ve driven right past a hidden gem without even noticing.
Nestled in the foothills just west of the city’s southern edge are nearly 20 square kilometres of pristine grassland and forest where elk, deer and moose make frequent appearances — plus the occasional bear or cougar.
The sign for the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area is easy to miss while driving along Highway 22X just a few minutes outside the Calgary city limit.
The property, accessed from a gravel parking lot a short drive down a rural road, provides visitors striking views of the Calgary skyline and rolling ranch land, with mountain peaks looming in the distance. “It’s a very special piece of land — you know when you visit,” said chief executive Greg Shyba.
Sandy Cross — son of rancher and politician A.E. Cross, one of the Calgary Stampede’s “Big Four” founders — started buying up land in the area in 1945. The longtime bachelor married Ann Abbott nearly three decades later and the couple lived together on a farm there.
Concerned about encroaching development, the Crosses donated an eight-square-kilometre chunk of land to the province of Alberta 30 years ago, which was managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. A decade later, they more than doubled its size with another donation.
The conservation area is now independently managed through a foundation. Members of its founding family still live nearby.
Visitors dropping by for a hike or snowshoe outing are required to register at a kiosk in the parking lot, where there is a donation box.
It’s important to keep foot traffic through the land at a manageable level, so large groups must register online beforehand.
“We’re not hoping for a huge number of visitors out here, just to preserve that habitat,” said Shyba.
About 20 kilometres of trails criss-cross the northern part of the property, passing through stands of aspen and vast seas of tall grass. When you stop walking, the only sound you hear is the wind. It’s possible to spend hours in the area without encountering another human. Most of the land is off limits to the public. “It’s really good habitat for the animals to live without being disturbed,” said Shyba.
Historically it was a popular place for bison and other grazers in the winter because strong chinook winds would blow the snow off the hills and expose the grass. Now cattle sometimes frequent the area to maintain the grass the way the bison once did.
Shyba said one of the best times to visit is mid-September when the male elk “bugle” — the squealing and grunting sounds bulls make during rutting season.
“That is really evocative, to hear the elk bugling and just to see the big bull elk jostling to get the interest of the females,” he said.
In 2015 the conservation area was designated a nocturnal preserve, meaning the natural habits of birds, bugs and other critters aren’t disrupted by artificial light. The area hosts groups of students on field trips virtually every day of the school year. It had about 9,000 visitors last year, Shyba said. “It’s a gem and it’s just so close to Calgary.”