Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park and Protected Area

Purcell Wilderness Conservancy
Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park and Protected Area
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
The Leaning Towers Group
Location	Purcells, Columbia Mountains
Nearest city	Argenta, British Columbia, Invermere, British Columbia
Coordinates	50°09′00″N 116°32′00″W / 50.15000°N 116.53333°W / 50.15000; -116.53333Coordinates: 50°09′00″N 116°32′00″W / 50.15000°N 116.53333°W / 50.15000; -116.53333
Area	202,709 hectares (500,900 acres)
Established	1974
Governing body	Province of British Coulumbia

The Purcell Wilderness Conservancy (full name Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park and Protected Area) is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It was established in 1974, and encompasses six large drainages in the Purcell Mountains in the southeast of the province. It contains high peaks, alpine meadows and ridges, deep creek and river valleys, and hot springs at Dewar Creek.

The northern part of the park covers an important historical trade and transportation route used by First Nations people for centuries, linking the Rocky Mountain Trench and Kootenay Lake via Toby Pass. Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey, Governor General of Canada, traveled the trail in 1908, after which it was named in his honour. Grey was impressed by the area and built a cabin on Toby Creek. He also approached Premier Richard McBride about protecting the area within a park, but the plans did not come about.

The region saw periods of mining activity, including the Argenta Mine near Hamill Peak. It operated for only one year in 1904 and 1905. Some of the equipment is still found inside the park. By the 1960s, logging had reached further into the Purcells. Area residents, outdoor clubs, and conservation groups lobbied the Provincial and Federal Governments for a park in the region. In 1974, the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy (PWC) was established, protecting 131,500 hectares (325,000 acres). The 9,164-hectare (22,640-acre) St. Mary's Alpine Provincial Park, adjacent to the southern boundary of the PWC, was established in the same year. The PWC was one of the first areas in Canada conserved because of citizen activism. In 1995, the PWC expanded to its current size and was named a Class A Provincial Park by the government.

The Purcell Wilderness Conservancy covers the central region of the southern half of the Purcell Range in the south east of the province, often referred to as the Kootenays. The nearest settlements are Argenta, to the west, and Invermere to the east.