KANANASKIS COUNTRY - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 236

room, decorated with hand-hewn cedar furniture, is only a small part of the restaurant,
which also has a café and lounge. Eating here isn't cheap but is comparable to Calgary res-
taurants. The menu sets out to prove great steaks don't need fancy trimmings, and it does
so with the best cuts of Alberta beef and great spuds.
Sheep River Valley
The Sheep River Valley lies immediately south of the Elbow River Valley, in an area of
rolling foothills between open ranchlands to the east and the high peaks bordering Elbow-
Sheep Wildland Provincial Park to the west. Access is from the town of Turner Val-
ley (take Sunset Boulevard west from downtown), along Highway 546. The Kananaskis
Country boundary lies 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) west of Turner Valley through rolling
ranching land, from which point the highway follows the Sheep River for another 21 kilo-
meters (13 miles) to its confluence with Bluerock Creek.
A short distance west of the entrance to Kananaskis Country is Sandy McNabb Camp-
ground and various interpretive trails. Continuing along Highway 546, the road enters
Sheep River Provincial Park. Originally set aside in 1973 as Sheep River Wildlife Sanc-
tuary, the park protects the winter range of bighorn sheep. The sheep spend the summer
farther up the valley, and for hundreds of years they have migrated down to the open slopes
alongside the Sheep River each fall. Sheep are the most common large mammal in the val-
ley; explorer David Thompson reported that the natives also named the valley for its sheep
( itou-kai-you in their language). At Bighorn day-use area, a short trail leads to a viewpoint
of open meadows that are critical winter habitat for approximately 200 sheep. Sheep River
Falls, a short distance before the end of the road, is reached by a short walk.