Get our newsletter and latest tour information first! 85 mammals, and half of the birds in North America which is amazing! It can be difficult to fathom the wilderness of Wood Buffalo National Park since there are not a lot of viewpoints of height other than the salt plains lookout so if you can I highly recommend an aerial sightseeing flight with North West Air located at the airport right on the edge of Fort Smith. The chief of the Mikisew Cree First Nation wants his people to play a bigger role in managing Wood Buffalo National Park, a world heritage site that straddles the Alberta-N.W.T. Pine Lake campground (open May long weekend to the end of September) has 19 non serviced sites. The 44,000-square-kilometre park is Canada's largest national park and home to one of the largest free-roaming wood bison herds in the world. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. If you are driving up from Edmonton like I was then about half way is a town called La Crete. Wood Buffalo National Park, Northwest Territories Picture: photo0.jpg - Check out Tripadvisor members' 265 candid photos and videos of Wood Buffalo National Park They can cover 100m in 7 seconds which is faster than Usain Bolt! Plains bison were shipped to the park … Canada's federal government submitted a progress report to UNESCO updating its conservation efforts last month, nearly three weeks after its Dec. 1 deadline. This unique geology is one of the reasons Wood Buffalo National Park is world heritage listed. It is a short 1 km hike or snowshoe from the main road shortly after the main entrance to the park. border and is at risk of losing its status. It is a 45 minute hike from halfway meadows which is not signed – it’s simply the only pullout half way to Fort Fitzgerald (when driving from Fort Smith). UNESCO will review Canada's progress report this summer to determine whether the park will remain a world heritage site. We need to be part of that," said Chief Peter Powder in a recent interview with The Trailbreaker. Give them a lot of space, they are especially aggressive in late summer during mating season – if their tail is up drive away or you risk getting your car dinged up. Wood Buffalo National Park was created in 1922 to protect the last remaining herds of wood bison in northern Canada. Wow. Backcountry camping options exist at Sweetgrass Station and Rainbow Lakes – enquire at the Parks Canada information centre in Fort Smith. That's what we're going to have to be doing with any future management with the park," Powder said. Just outside of Fort Smith over the border in Alberta you can find a series of rapids, 4 main sets, between Fort Fitzgerald and Fort Smith. I was looking particularly for access points along the Peace River to explore the park at my leisure. Marvel at the animal tracks around you & maybe you will even be lucky enough to witness something in the wide open terrain. The wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) or mountain bison (often called the wood buffalo or mountain buffalo), is a distinct northern subspecies or ecotype of the American bison.Its original range included much of the boreal forest regions of Alaska, Yukon, western Northwest Territories, northeastern British Columbia, northern Alberta, and northwestern Saskatchewan. How about walking out onto Canada’s only salt flat, stargazing in the largest dark sky preserve in the world which is perfect for observing the aurora borealis displays common at this latitude, catching sight of wildlife including the endangered whooping crane which is protected here within a Ramsar site (Wetland of international significance – Wood Buffalo National Park has two of these areas making it the only National park in the world with two – the other is for the Peace-Athabasca River Delta), paddling one of the many rivers and lakes in summer, or staying in one of two equipped cabins in the heart of the park year-round! Wood Buffalo is Canada’s largest national park. The 44,000-square-kilometre park is Canada’s largest national park and home to … At nearly 45,000 sq-km, it contains a unique mosaic of wild places, including salt plains, wetlands, grasslands, and boreal forest. Wood Buffalo National Park and the Slave River offer many opportunities for paddling trips for different people of different skill levels. 30% of those birds breed here. big game. The 44,000-square-kilometre park is home to one of the largest free-roaming wood bison herds in the world. Very well thought out. These will be held in late August/early September and who knows, maybe we will chase the lights all the way to Wood Buffalo National Park since its not that far away! Most leave for the winter months so spring and summer is the best time for bird watching. In early September the fall colors come alive adding to the natural beauty of the area giving an extra edge to your photographs. If you have a 4wd in summer months you can continue along this road (Parsons Lake Road) and connect up with the only other road in Wood Buffalo National Park near Pine Lake. 6 amazing banff accommodation recommendations. It is Canada’s largest National Park (2nd largest in the world), it is UNESCO World Heritage listed as of 1983, and it contains the world’s largest herd of free roaming bison, but its uniqueness doesn’t stop there. that Parks Canada has been working with to manage the park. These numbers really reveal how special this place is – there are even important fish migrations going on beneath the surface too. Parks Canada – Wood Buffalo National Park Moose Population Monitoring Objective: to provide an estimate of the number of moose in the park. This is increasingly rare and we are lucky to be able to go to a place like this and truly contemplate. Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada’s largest national park and the fifth largest in the world. The 44,000-square-kilometre park is Canada’s largest national park and home to one of the largest free-roaming wood bison herds in the world. There was plenty of chopped wood for the fireplace and it felt remote but comfortable as I am used to roughing it in a tent when I am in the backcountry or a National Park. The texture was the only giveaway. It is Canada’s largest National Park (2nd largest in the world), it is UNESCO World Heritage listed as of 1983, and it contains the world’s largest herd of free roaming bison, but its uniqueness doesn’t stop there. Moderate (Green): Under moderate fire danger conditions, fires generally spread along the surface of the ground with the occasional tree or clump of trees igniting. It also showcases Canada's largest national park, one that covers more than 17,000 square miles. The chief of the Mikisew Cree First Nation wants his people to play a bigger role in managing Wood Buffalo National Park, a world heritage site that straddles the Alberta-N.W.T. There is a week-long event called the Slave River paddlefest held in the first week of August (August 2-5 2019) which includes canoe races, guided hikes to the rapids, learn to kayak clinics and the learning of traditional Dene games – The indigenous Dene and the Metis hunted and fished in the area and used the rivers for transportation, following the animals and the seasons. In Wood Buffalo there are 47 species of mammals, most of which are typical of the boreal forest, and a much larger number of birds. As you can see regardless of your starting point you will need to approach it from the Northwest Territories. Larger in area than Switzerland, it is the second-largest national park in the world. A great place to take off your shoes as it can get muddy. "I use the word collaboration. A short 1km downhill takes you to a bridge, cross it, then uphill meandering through forest for a few km’s before taking a sharp left downhill and out onto a beautiful pink granite headland which extends right out for a close up view of the rapids. big game means bison (buffalo), wapiti (elk), any member of the deer family whether known as caribou, moose, deer or otherwise, bear and any part of such animals; (gros gibier) So you’ve committed to the road trip to Wood Buffalo National Park. Today, thousands of these animals graze the park, together with moose, black bear, … I came back twice it was so interesting and I still only explored about half of the rock formations! Find the second story here and the third story here.. Wood Buffalo national park, which straddles Alberta and the Northwest Territories, is at risk of being placed on Unesco’s endangered list following a … One of the only elevated viewpoints you can find in Wood Buffalo National Park too. Wood Buffalo National Park in 2018. How: every 10 years aerial surveys are conducted in early winter. Wood Buffalo National Park offers you the chance to explore a winter wonderland on snowshoes or skis, following any of the popular summer hiking trails. Featured "There's a lot of people to collaborate with to make sure that we get what we are looking for. Wood Buffalo National Park is at risk of losing its UNESCO Heritage Status. That's a big word these days. Contact me for more details: I enjoyed your blog. So we need to talk to a lot of people.". Ottawa also announced an additional $60 million in funding over three years to implement its action plan to protect the park. The new report on the state of Wood Buffalo National Park conservation was due on Dec. 1. Thanks Allan! Whatever your choice of activity, a visit to the Visitor Reception Centre is recommended to help you plan your stay. and oilsands projects in Alberta. If you have a group of more than 8 you can also reserve Kettle Point group camp, a lakeside facility on Pine Lake (call 867-872-7960 after April 1st to reserve). The National Park was created in 1922 to save Wood Bison from extinction and initially this meant bringing a whole lot of Plains Bison up which nearly decimated them due to the different diseases they had. If you are interested I am offering aurora chasing photography workshops starting next year (2020) in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. It is spread in 44,807 SQ KM area and now listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. I saw a couple of them grazing for grasses along the highway and they were still in the same spot the following evening. 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