History and Overview of Alexander Wilderness Park

This river valley park was named for an original settler, Lorenzo Alexander, who came to the area in 1885. Not much is recorded about this man other than that he was a dairy farmer, and his farm was in this locale. The 98-acre floodplain portion is isolated from the rest of the long valley by the Oldman [Belly] River on one side and steep slopes on the other.

The park is situated on a floodplain west of Hardieville and accessed through the Legacy Ridge subdivision. As you enter the subdivision on Mildred Dobbs Boulevard, continue north to the very end where you turn left. The entrance is on the right side of the road leading to a gravel road. There is a parking lot at the top behind the houses and one closer to the bottom. From this parking lot you carry on by foot. You can either take the red shale trail from the picnic area to the lookout and then down to the floodplain or walk directly to the floodplain from your car. Whichever direction you chose to walk, you’ll find there is a protected tranquility in the natural environment, an abundance of dead cottonwoods among thriving younger trees, dense thickets, islands, shoreline habitats and cliff faces which provide refuge for numerous wildlife species.

There are no structures of any kind within the floodplain park. Washrooms and picnic tables are located at the lower parking area.

Nature lovers will enjoy the tranquility of the park, the wildlife, and just being outdoors. As you approach the bottom of the floodplain, the shale/ asphalt trail branches in three directions north, west towards the river, south, and north. The path heading west and to the river is a mixture of red shale and asphalt. It winds around close to the Oldman River. There is evidence of the 1995 flood along the route. The red shale path heading south towards the High Level Bridge winds through a treed area. The north path brings you to the bend in the river. There is a bench for relaxing and viewing the surroundings.