Consisting of a free museum, wildlife displays, Esson Gale Art Gallery and Bighorn Gallery Gift Shop, the Grande Cache Tourism Interpretive Centre was officially opened on October 5, 1996. The Tourism Interpretive Centre offers local and regional tourist information, maps and brochures.
Immediately south of the Tourism Interpretive Centre is Bird's Eye View Park, officially opened August 28, 2010. The park features interpretive trails and picnic areas with three gazebos. Here you can see a replica of a "cache” along with other historic buildings that include the Muskeg Ranger Station built in 1942, Adams Creek Lookout built in 1940 and other buildings.
At the northeast corner of the park ia a group of historic buildings, primarily ranger cabins and forestry lookout. This was the Muskeg River Forestry Cabin, AKA the Muskeg River Ranger Station.
The Muskeg River Forestry Cabin 1942 - 1970
This forestry cabin is typical of the cabins that were built by the Forestry Department in the mid twentieth century in Alberta. It was constructed at Muskeg by Ranger Charlie Chapman in 1942. Muskeg is about 30 kilometres south of Grande Cache.
The walls are made of logs, while the roof and floor are made of whipsawed lumber. It was heated by a wood cook stove.
A telephone line connected it to headquarters in Entrance near modern day Hinton.
Over the years, many rangers served the district from this cabin. Some of the rangers were single, while others were married. A married ranger would live with his wife and family in this tiny cabin.
Over the years, the ranger's duties included such things as fire prevention, repairing the telephone line, trail maintenance, road construction, campground construction, timber cruising, cutting firewood, preparing horse pasture, constructing boat houses, constructing airstrips, acting as a game warden and helping out in emergencies.
Ernie Stroebel was the last ranger to inhabit the cabin. He was in charge of the station until 1970. The cabin was moved to its present location in 1997 and has been outfitted in the 1940s era by the Grande Cache Historical Society.
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It was the end of an era...! — Chief Ranger Wally Harrison
By Richard Wuorinen for the Grande Cache Historical Society
From the Historical Marker at the Cabin