Présentation Canadian Rockies

The Canadian Rockies

The Rocky Mountains or simply the Rockies are a North American mountain range located in North America.

This mountain range has enthralled more visitors than any other mountain range and is about 5000 km long (from New Mexico in the United States to British Colombia in Canada). At its widest, it’s 6h and 50 km wide.

The highest point in the Rocky Mountains is located in the US part of the Rockies and is called Mount Elbert, at an altitude of 4,401 m.

The Rocky Mountains were formed mainly during the Cretaceous, about 70 million years ago, due to a collision between the North American plate and the Pacific plate.

There are many rivers that originate in the Rocky Mountains, including these well known rivers : Missouri and Colorado.

This was for the US part of the Rockies.

Now, let’s focus on the Canadian part.

There are 4 national parks in the Canadian part, which cover a vast area of about 23000 km² (square kilometers). There names are Jasper, Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho.

This huge area contains numerous gla(ay)ciers, ice fields, lakes, rivers, dense conif(e)rous forests and Alpi(aï)ne landscapes.

I’m going to show you some of the most beautiful lakes you can find in the Canadian rockies :

-Peyto Lake (which is one of the most colorful lakes in the Canadian Rockies)

-Emerald Lake

-Lake Louise

The Rocky Mountains were discovered by Lewis and Clark’s expedition in 1806.

Winter sports, such as skiing or snowboarding, are the main economic activities of the area.

There are different ecological zones in this mountain range, because vegetation density varies with altitude. The most important one is located between mountains and peaks, and is dominated by conif(e)rous forests.

As you approach higher altitudes, the vegetation becomes less dense. However, several wildflower spe(i)cies are successfully growing in the highest altitudes of the mountains.

There is also a diversified fauna. Many wild animal spe(i)cies live in the Canadian Rockies.

Several large carnivorous predators (grizzly bears, wolves) share the territory with deer and mountain goats. Smaller animals such as groundhogs live in these mountains.

Thanks to their amazing landscapes, the Rockies welcome more than 4 million people every year. While taking in the natural beauty of this amazing wi(i)lderness area, visitors can enjoy the hospitality of Canada’s most enchanting cities, towns and resorts.

The Canadian rocky mountain parks were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

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