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Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada's largest national park, straddling the border between northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It was created to protect the last herds of wood bison and is a World Heritage Site for its boreal plains, its vast inland delta and its role as the natural nesting ground of the endangered whooping crane. It is also designated as a very large dark sky preserve.
Most visits are based around the road network near Fort Smith. Wood bison often stand along the highway, and the Salt Plains overlook descends to white flats of salt deposited by underground springs. Pine Lake, with clear water and a campground, is the main summer recreation spot. The park's karst landscape shows up in collapsed sinkholes, including the trail around the Rainbow Lakes and the viewpoint at the Angus Fire Tower. Farther south, the Peace-Athabasca Delta is one of the largest freshwater deltas in the world, typically explored by boat or plane. The Whooping Crane Summer Range is remote and protected. Late summer evenings bring dark sky viewing, often including the northern lights.
This park suits self-sufficient travelers comfortable with long drives and few services. Fort Smith provides lodging, outfitters and the Northern Life Museum, which covers regional history.
WiserMap travel guideWood Buffalo National Park Alberta Bison and Salt PlainsPlan a trip to Wood Buffalo National Park: wood bison, Salt Plains, sinkhole lakes, the Peace-Athabasca Delta, whooping cranes and a vast dark sky preserve.Read the guide
The Salt Plains are a wide, flat area where salty springs bubble up and leave white crusts and mounds across the ground, unusual so far inland. A viewpoint and a steep trail lead down onto the plains, where bison and cranes sometimes appear. It lies off the Parsons Lake Road west of Fort Smith; bring boots, as it can be muddy.
Wood Buffalo lies on one of the largest gypsum karst landscapes in North America, dotted with sinkholes, caves and small deep lakes. Short trails near Pine Lake, such as the Karstland and Rainbow Lakes trails, show how water dissolves the bedrock. Stay on the path, since the ground near sinkholes can be unstable.
One of the largest freshwater deltas in the world, the Peace-Athabasca Delta is a vast maze of wetlands and channels on the park's southeast side, vital for migrating waterfowl, muskrats and bison. It is reached by boat or plane, usually from Fort Chipewyan. Go with a local guide who knows the waterways.
Wood Buffalo protects the largest free-roaming herd of wood bison in the world, and they are often seen on or beside Highway 5 between Hay River and Fort Smith. Drive slowly, especially at dawn and dusk. Stay in your vehicle near bison and give them plenty of space, as they are large and unpredictable.
The remote northern wetlands of the park hold the only natural nesting grounds of the endangered whooping crane, which migrate here from Texas each spring. The area is closed to visitors to protect the birds. Learn about them at the park visitor centres in Fort Smith and Fort Chipewyan instead.
Pine Lake, south of Fort Smith, is a clear lake formed in a sinkhole and is the park's main recreation spot, with a campground, beach, picnic areas and Kettle Point group camp. It is ideal for swimming and paddling on warm summer days. Bring insect repellent, and watch for loons and other birds on the water.
A day use area on the road south from Fort Smith, Angus Fire Tower has a viewing platform beside a large sinkhole, giving a clear look at the karst landscape and boreal forest. Interpretive signs explain how the sinkholes formed. It makes a short, worthwhile stop on the way to Pine Lake.
Wood Buffalo is the world's largest dark sky preserve, and its northern location makes it a superb place to see the aurora borealis from late August into spring. Pine Lake is a popular viewing spot, and a dark sky festival is held each August. Bring warm clothes and a red light, and allow your eyes time to adjust.
Just across the border in the Northwest Territories, Fort Smith is the main gateway to the park, with the park headquarters and visitor centre, accommodation, stores and restaurants. It sits on the Slave River beside spectacular rapids. Use it as a base, and check road and fire conditions with the visitor centre.
Founded in 1788, Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca is one of the oldest settlements in Alberta and home to Cree, Dene and Métis communities. It is reachable by air year-round and by winter road. The Fort Chipewyan Bicentennial Museum tells local history, and boat tours go into the Peace-Athabasca Delta.
On the Slave River in Fort Smith, the Rapids of the Drowned are powerful whitewater rapids visible from a riverside trail and viewpoints in town. They are home to a nesting colony of American white pelicans on the river islands, the most northerly in North America. Never approach the islands, and keep back from the bank edges.
In Fort Smith, the Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre displays Indigenous artifacts, fur trade items, river transport history and natural history exhibits from the Slave River region. It is a good introduction to the area's people and past. Check opening hours, which are limited outside the summer season.
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Photo: Ansgar Walk, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: Ansgar Walk, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: Ansgar Walk, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
