National Parks and National Historic Sites of Canada in Northwest Territories and northern Yukon

Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada

Bison, Bears, Wolves and Whooping Cranes

There’s poetry in the sound of a dripping paddle. You think about this as the canoe catches the Peace River’s main current. Slowly the white gypsum cliffs near Peace Point Reserve disappear into the early-morning mist. Sweetgrass Landing is two days away. You’re on the edge — the very edge — of the Peace-Athabasca Delta, a slipstream of solitude so big and so primal that the mind slows just to take it all in.

© Parks Canada

Why You Will Love It!

• Wood Buffalo is home to the largest free-roaming and self-regulating bison herd in the world and the last remaining natural nesting area for the endangered whooping crane.
   
• Water is everywhere. Canoeists of all skill levels can find routes to suit their styles, from easy day-paddling on Pine Lake to wilderness adventures on the Peace, Athabasca and Slave rivers for experienced backcountry paddlers.
   
• The park has wetlands of international significance. Birdwatchers love the Peace-Athabasca Delta, one of the largest inland freshwater deltas in the world. Migratory birds from all four North American flyways pass through the delta every spring and fall.
   
• Fall and winter visitors can often get amazing views of the aurora borealis, or northern lights. Wood Buffalo is ideally situated in an area of intense aurora activity.

Endless Opportunities

Walking and Hiking

The park's trail system offers a choice of hiking experiences, from short, relaxing strolls to energetic day hikes. Frontcountry trails include the Salt River Trail System and the Lane Lake Trail. Experienced paddlers and hikers may enjoy backcountry trails, such as the Sweetgrass Station Trail, a rough bison path leading to vast meadows in the heart of the Peace-Athabasca Delta.

Wildlife Viewing

The Salt Plains are a must-see attraction. Spy on sandhill cranes or other wildlife using the spotting scope at the top, then trek down the escarpment to the brilliant white salt flats below. Look for signs of bison while travelling along park roads.

Accommodations

Fort Smith, the gateway to Wood Buffalo National Park, has a hotel, campground, and bed & breakfasts, as well as air charter services and commercial airline flights. Fort Chipewyan has a hotel and bed & breakfasts.

Getting There

Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada straddles the border between Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Fort Smith, NT, is accessible year-round via the Mackenzie Highway. Fort Chipewyan, AB., a fly-in community, has winter road access for three months of the year.

Significance

Big. Bigger than Switzerland. Established in 1922, Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada's largest national park and one of the largest in the world. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more than 8,000 years, Aboriginal peoples have been sharing this vast boreal wilderness with bison, bears, wolves and whooping cranes. It's a veritable Garden of Eden for wildlife. Solitude is one of the hallmarks of this park. Water is another. It is truly a place where you can walk or even paddle where few have been before. In winter, even the wolves are moved by the mystery and clarity of the northern lights.

Contact

Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada
Box 750
Fort Smith, NT, Canada X0E 0P0
Fort Smith (867) 872-7960,
Fort Chipewyan (780) 697-3662
www.pc.gc.ca/buffalo

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