Experience Guide | Tourism Medicine Hat

Police Point Park Birding

Police Point Park Named because it was once the location of a Northwest Mounted Police outpost, the park is now a great place to surround yourself in nature. Kilometres of trails wind through cottonwood forests and sagebrush. Some of the older cottonwood trees are thought to be between 200 and 300 years old. There’s an area located behind the Nature Centre named the ‘Enchanted Forest’, where you are completely surrounded by trees and leaves. A quiet loop submerged in nature. The Nature Centre at Police Point Park Knowledgeable interpreters offer fun and informative scheduled programs in the park and are ready to answer any questions you may have about the area. Each winter, the designated cross-country ski and snowshoe trails offer a unique perspective of the park. In the summer, a paved pathway brings you throughout the area. The Nature Centre has GPS units for hunting geocaches and sets up informational displays year-round. Inquire about family-friendly events that might be happening during your visit to the Park.

From spring to spring, over 120 birds choose Medicine Hat as their habitat or stopping point, allowing for bird watching or “birding” to become a way for many to slow down and bask in nature. Ian Langill has worked at Police Point Park for two years, where many people stroll the paved-trails, learn about the natural area, and bring their camera and binoculars to bird watch. “It’s such a calming experience,” says Langill. “Birding allows you to stop, listen, and take the time to look at everything around you. You become closer to nature and are more observant the more curious you are. Everything starts to become connected.” natureline.info | 403.529.6225 | 1001 Police Point Dr. NE Find the Birding Trails of Southeastern Alberta by Grasslands Nat uralists at the Visitor Information Centre at 330 Gehring Rd. SW

76 City Parks & Trails