Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park

The rugged rocky terrain is habitat for mountain goats, white-tailed deer, moose, elk, lynx, and marten. Coyote are also found in the park. Small but very important species are the blue listed western harvest mouse, Nuttall's cottontail (the furthest northerly occurrence) and spotted bat. The northern alligator lizard and western skink can be found under rocks or bark in open wooded areas while the yellow-bellied racer prefers grasslands and open fields. Other reptile species found in the park include western painted turtle, rubber boa, gopher snake, western blue racer and western rattlesnake. The park protects habitat for bird species including the western grebe and white-headed woodpecker. ==Wildfire==

In 2003, a wildfire started in the park near Rattlesnake Island and spread quickly, eventually burning most of the park. The burned trees and other fire-related hazards posed an extreme danger and the park was closed. In 2005, the park was reopened after much cleanup work, though many burned trees still are a significant danger. == Gallery ==

File:Early Morning Runoff at Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park.webm|Early Morning Runoff at Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park File:Forests Recover from 2003 Fire on a Spring Morning on Okanagan Mountain.webm|Forests Recover from 2007 Fire on a Spring Morning on Okanagan Mountain File:Spring Morning over a Frog Pond at the base of a face of Okanagan Mountain.webm|Spring Morning over a Frog Pond at the base of a face of Okanagan Mountain File:Dying Light on Okanagan Mountain.webm|Dying Light on Okanagan Mountain File:Mule Deer foraging at Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park.webm|Mule deer foraging on a late winter morning at Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park File:2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire.jpg|2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire ==References==