Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada

Hours of Operation

Parks Canada Visitor Reception Centre, Fort Smith, NT
© Parks Canada / WBNP / N. Humenuk-Bourke

Wood Buffalo National Park is open year-round. All-weather road access to Fort Smith and Peace Point is maintained year-round. There are no entry or gate fees for vehicle access to the park.

The peak visitor season in the park is from the long weekend in May to Labour Day in September. The Pine Lake Campground and Kettle Point Group Camp are open seven days a week during this time. Both facilities close after Labour Day. Reservations are required for the Kettle Point Group Camp.

There are two Visitor Reception Centres in Wood Buffalo National Park. The Fort Smith Visitor Reception Centre is located at park headquarters at 149 McDougal Road in Fort Smith. It is open seven days a week from the third weekend in May until Labour Day in September. The rest of the year it is open from Monday to Friday and closed on weekends. Hours of operation for the Fort Smith Visitor Reception Centre are 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon, and 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. on summer weekends.

Parks Canada Visitor Reception Centre, Fort Chipewyan, AB
© Parks Canada / WBNP / N. Humenuk-Bourke

The Fort Chipewyan Visitor Reception Centre is located at the Fort Chipewyan Sub-Office on MacKenzie Avenue in Fort Chipewyan. It is open from Monday to Friday year-round, and open most weekends during the summer months. Hours of operation for the Fort Chipewyan Visitor Reception Centre are 8:30 a.m. - 12 noon, and 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.