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Saskatchewan · Canada
The Saskatchewan native prairie national park: colonies of prairie dogs, bison, the Frenchman River valley, badlands with fossils and one of the darkest skies in Canada.
In the photo: Frenchman River Valley, in Grasslands National Park.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
Grasslands National Park lies in southern Saskatchewan, near the Montana border. It protects one of the last areas of mixed-grass prairie that has never been plowed, with gentle hills, ravines, buttes and the Frenchman River valley. The landscape is open to the horizon, with few trees.
The park has two separate blocks. The West Block, near the village of Val Marie, is the most visited: there live black-tailed prairie dogs, the only ones in Canada, in colonies with thousands of burrows, and a herd of plains bison reintroduced in 2005. Burrowing owls, pronghorn and prairie rattlesnakes also appear. The East Block has the Killdeer badlands, where dinosaur fossils have been found.
With little artificial light around, the park is a dark-sky reserve, with the Milky Way clearly visible on clear nights. Val Marie is a small village with the visitor centre and few services.
It’s a destination for nature, silence and space, for those who enjoy open landscapes.
This destination brings together 1 city: Val Marie.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence) / geoBoundaries. Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Regina International Airport (YQR), in Regina · 360 km to Val Marie
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Regina (YQR), about 360 km from Val Marie. By car, Val Marie is roughly 120 km from Swift Current via Highway 4.
The local experience
About a 20 km unpaved road through the Frenchman River valley in the West Block of the park, with prairie dog colonies, bison and prairie overlooks.
A solitary hill above the Frenchman River valley in the West Block of the park, with a trail to the top and wide prairie views.
Badlands of the East Block of Grasslands National Park, with striped clay hills, buttes and layers where dinosaur fossils have been found.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
From May to September. May and June have green prairie and blooms; July and August are hot and dry. September has mild days and good nights for starwatching.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Two or three days: one for the Ecotour road and the prairie dog colonies, one for the butte trails, and, if possible, one for the East Block.
Val Marie has guesthouses and a former school converted into lodging. Inside the park there is camping, including Indigenous-style tents. Swift Current has hotels.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Only in Grasslands National Park and its surroundings, in the West Block near Val Marie.
Yes, a herd of plains bison has lived in the West Block since 2005.
Yes. Park roads are unpaved and there is no public transportation.
Yes, it’s a dark-sky reserve, with the Milky Way visible on clear nights.
Saskatchewan does not change clocks: UTC−6 year-round.
