The Castle area has a long history of traditional, recreational, and commercial activity.
First Nations groups have made practical and ceremonial use of the area long before the
European settlement of Canada. Nations such as "
Blackfoot,
Piegan, and
Blood tribes have long hunted, fished, and gathered foods and medicinal plants throughout [the] territory". In 1895, the area was included in the newly created Waterton Dominion Park. In 1921, the area was removed from the Dominion Park and transferred to the Alberta Government to become a Provincial
Game Reserve. In 1954, the Provincial Game Reserve status was removed. Logging, mining, and oil and gas extraction were conducted resulting in a network of roads spread through the area. In 1974, the Alberta Government recommended a park be established in the headwaters of the Castle River. The government intended to place the West and South Castle watersheds into a protected area. In 1977, the
Eastern Slopes Policy created areas of "Prime Protection, Critical Wildlife, and General Recreation in the Castle area". In 1992, an Access Management Plan was developed to address the increased use of off-highway vehicles in the Castle River area. In 1993, the
Special Places 2000 Committee recommended the sites identified for protection, including the Castle area, be established by the end of 1994. In September 2014, the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan was adopted which included the plans for establishment of Castle Provincial and Wildland Parks. ==Ecology==