The Cypress Hills are a geographical region of hills in southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta, Canada. The hills are part of the Missouri Coteau upland. The hills cover an area of approximately . About or 16% of this area is an interprovincial park.

The highest point in the Cypress Hills is at Head of the Mountain in Alberta at . The highest point in Saskatchewan is an unnamed point () at .

Name

thumb|left|Cypress Hills Grassland

The Cypress Hills have been known by a wide number of Indigenous and European names throughout their history. An 1882 Blackfoot–English dictionary written by C. M. Lanning provided the Blackfoot language name , which translates as 'striped earth' or 'earth over earth'. The Cree language name, in use at the same time, is , (spelled in a variety of anglicized forms including ), sometimes said to mean 'beautiful upland' but more accurately referring to 'an area to be respected, protected, taken care of and/or taken care with'. The Assiniboine language name is . Early Métis hunters, who spoke Métis French, called the hills , in reference to the abundance of lodgepole pine trees. In the Canadian French spoken by the Métis, the pine is called , although it is not a true cypress tree. The English translation is 'Cypress Hills'. They are the remnant of a more widespread plateau, most of which has been removed by erosion. The plateau is capped by the resistant conglomerate and sandstone beds of the Cypress Hills Formation. That formation was deposited by rivers that flowed from the mountains of southwestern Alberta and northwestern Montana during late Eocene to middle Miocene time, and is known for its wealth of vertebrate fossils.

During the Pleistocene, the top of the Cypress Hills was not overridden by the Laurentide Ice Sheet and remained unglaciated. As the ice sheet paused periodically during its final retreat, a series of morainal ridges of glacial till built up around the hills. Rivers of meltwater cut large channels through the area as the retreat continued, and smaller streams carved coulees and areas of badlands.

Today the Cypress Hills are part of a major drainage divide that separates rivers that drain south to the Gulf of Mexico via the Missouri River system from those that drain to northeast to Hudson Bay via the Nelson River system. and they support a flora and fauna that is much like that of the mountains south of the Canada–United States border in Montana and Wyoming.

Flora

The north-facing slopes and some of the valleys host forests of aspen, lodgepole pine, and white spruce. The remainder of the area is covered by mixed grass prairie, with fescue prairie in higher areas. Wildflowers include prairie crocus, three-flowered avens, lupine, blue bells, and prairie rose. There are fourteen species of orchids, including the Venus's slipper orchid and the striped coralroot orchid, which are found primarily in wooded areas and along the banks of springs and streams.

Fauna

Small mammals of the area include a wide variety of rodents, as well as shrews, bats, jackrabbits, skunks, mink, weasels, foxes, bobcats, Canada lynx, and others. Large mammals include moose, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, coyotes, cougars, and more. There are several species of snakes, including the prairie rattlesnake, as well as lizards and turtles. The many species of birds range from mountain bluebird and greater sage-grouse to the great horned owl and other birds of prey. The highest single day snowfall is which occurred on 28 May 1982. The highest snow depth recorded is on 28 February 1994. The highest temperature recorded is and occurred on 29 May 1988. The lowest temperature recorded is and occurred on 13 January 2005.

  • Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan