Area Attractions
The Rolling Hills area has several outdoor features that make it a rewarding destination for recreational activitiy. The immediate area hosts an abundance of wildlife including game animals, migratory birds, upland game birds, several fish species, and a wide range of other bird, animal, and plant life that make up the area ecosystem.
Hunting and fishing are well established activities in the area and the abundance of wildlife habitat and food sources have attracted people from all over North America who return year after year to experience nature at its fullest. Pheasant hunting has been popular since the community was first established and several organizations, with support from the province, work to maintain a healthy stock of both wild and raised birds. A provincial pheasant release site is located west of the town with a variety of terrain and plentiful cover to test the most dedicated hunter. Hungarian partridge are also usually abundant in the area and are one of most challenging upland species to hunt. Private land often affords some of the best opportunity for hunting all types of birds and game. Most owners will grant access to hunters. Time spent getting to know landowners and respecting their property will be the surest way to a rewarding experience.
The nearby Twelve Mile Coulee drainage system is the return flow channel for much of the area irrigation water. It begins on the northern boundary of developed farm land, stretching to the east and south, where it forms a shallow lake and marsh area, before finally becoming a creek and emptying into the Bow River at the southeast corner of the district. The northern portion of the system is a canal that divides prairie grassland on the north from cultivated fields to the south and is an area frequently populated by deer and antelope moving from bedding to feeding and watering areas. The eastern section is a narrow, shallow coulee that allows draining water to form a lake area ranging in depth to around 12 feet at the deepest. The lake has large populations of northern pike as well as some walleye and even a few trout. Most of the lake can be traveled with propeller-driven boats and can be accessed at a gravel launch area just off the speed curve on SH 525. In winter, Twelve Mile Lake is a popular spot for ice fishing.
As the drainage waters flow southwesterly, the coulee becomes quite shallow, to form a marsh area that supports an abundance of migratory water fowl. Ducks Unlimited Canada has a dam and control structure at the bottom end of marsh used to regulate water levels that maintain an ideal nesting zone along the shoreline. A number of artificial islands have also been constructed in the marsh to provide protected resting areas for migrating water fowl.
Downstream from the dam, water flows into the 12 Mile Creek channel for a short distance, then empties back into the Bow at a popular fishing spot that is known for its excellent fall walleye run.
The stretch of Bow River that borders the southern boundary of Rolling Hills can be accessed at several locations, with landowner permission, and provides good fishing, canoeing, kayaking and rafting through much of the spring, summer, and fall. The river valley provides a range of scenery from farm and prairie landscapes, to badlands-style hoodoos that can only be appreciated from the water. Many forms of wildlife can also be viewed in their natural surroundings and tend to be less concerned with human intrusion than other modes of transportation. Easily accessible entry and exit points are located along the river valley but local information should be consulted to determine if access is permitted in non-public areas.
Rolling Hills is a short half hour drive from Kinbrook Provincial Park at Lake Newell and the excellent Rolling Hills Reservoir Campground and Marina, operated by the Eastern Irrigation District. Both locations offer first rate camping, boating, watersports, and fishing, and are perfect for day trips from Rolling Hills, or as a base when visiting Rolling Hills to golf, fish, hunt, or explore the area. An easy day trip from Rolling Hills is the World Heritage Site at Dinosaur Provincial Park, the Brooks Aquaduct Historical site, and area museums at Scandia and Brooks.
Permission is required for hunting access and is appreciated for any other type of activity on the native grasslands that surround the Rolling Hills district. By far, the majority of this area is owned by the Eastern Irrigation District, however, some holdings are private. Owner information may be available by contacting the EID office or the County of Newell. Please note: There are no "public lands" in this area.
Contact the Eastern Irrigation District: Contact the County of Newell:
Phone - Daniel Buell - 403-362-1414 Phone - 403-362-3266
Email - [email protected] Email - [email protected]
Web - www.eid.ca Landowner Maps - County of Newell Maps
Hunting and fishing are well established activities in the area and the abundance of wildlife habitat and food sources have attracted people from all over North America who return year after year to experience nature at its fullest. Pheasant hunting has been popular since the community was first established and several organizations, with support from the province, work to maintain a healthy stock of both wild and raised birds. A provincial pheasant release site is located west of the town with a variety of terrain and plentiful cover to test the most dedicated hunter. Hungarian partridge are also usually abundant in the area and are one of most challenging upland species to hunt. Private land often affords some of the best opportunity for hunting all types of birds and game. Most owners will grant access to hunters. Time spent getting to know landowners and respecting their property will be the surest way to a rewarding experience.
The nearby Twelve Mile Coulee drainage system is the return flow channel for much of the area irrigation water. It begins on the northern boundary of developed farm land, stretching to the east and south, where it forms a shallow lake and marsh area, before finally becoming a creek and emptying into the Bow River at the southeast corner of the district. The northern portion of the system is a canal that divides prairie grassland on the north from cultivated fields to the south and is an area frequently populated by deer and antelope moving from bedding to feeding and watering areas. The eastern section is a narrow, shallow coulee that allows draining water to form a lake area ranging in depth to around 12 feet at the deepest. The lake has large populations of northern pike as well as some walleye and even a few trout. Most of the lake can be traveled with propeller-driven boats and can be accessed at a gravel launch area just off the speed curve on SH 525. In winter, Twelve Mile Lake is a popular spot for ice fishing.
As the drainage waters flow southwesterly, the coulee becomes quite shallow, to form a marsh area that supports an abundance of migratory water fowl. Ducks Unlimited Canada has a dam and control structure at the bottom end of marsh used to regulate water levels that maintain an ideal nesting zone along the shoreline. A number of artificial islands have also been constructed in the marsh to provide protected resting areas for migrating water fowl.
Downstream from the dam, water flows into the 12 Mile Creek channel for a short distance, then empties back into the Bow at a popular fishing spot that is known for its excellent fall walleye run.
The stretch of Bow River that borders the southern boundary of Rolling Hills can be accessed at several locations, with landowner permission, and provides good fishing, canoeing, kayaking and rafting through much of the spring, summer, and fall. The river valley provides a range of scenery from farm and prairie landscapes, to badlands-style hoodoos that can only be appreciated from the water. Many forms of wildlife can also be viewed in their natural surroundings and tend to be less concerned with human intrusion than other modes of transportation. Easily accessible entry and exit points are located along the river valley but local information should be consulted to determine if access is permitted in non-public areas.
Rolling Hills is a short half hour drive from Kinbrook Provincial Park at Lake Newell and the excellent Rolling Hills Reservoir Campground and Marina, operated by the Eastern Irrigation District. Both locations offer first rate camping, boating, watersports, and fishing, and are perfect for day trips from Rolling Hills, or as a base when visiting Rolling Hills to golf, fish, hunt, or explore the area. An easy day trip from Rolling Hills is the World Heritage Site at Dinosaur Provincial Park, the Brooks Aquaduct Historical site, and area museums at Scandia and Brooks.
Permission is required for hunting access and is appreciated for any other type of activity on the native grasslands that surround the Rolling Hills district. By far, the majority of this area is owned by the Eastern Irrigation District, however, some holdings are private. Owner information may be available by contacting the EID office or the County of Newell. Please note: There are no "public lands" in this area.
Contact the Eastern Irrigation District: Contact the County of Newell:
Phone - Daniel Buell - 403-362-1414 Phone - 403-362-3266
Email - [email protected] Email - [email protected]
Web - www.eid.ca Landowner Maps - County of Newell Maps