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Northwest Territories · Canada
The largest national park in Canada: wood bison, salt plains, the only natural nesting site of the whooping crane, and the world’s largest protected dark-sky area.
In the photo: Landscape of the salt plains in Wood Buffalo 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
Wood Buffalo National Park lies on the border between Alberta and the Northwest Territories and is Canada’s largest park, around 44,800 km²—larger than some countries. It was established in 1922 to protect the last wood bison and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
The park includes boreal forests, wetlands, rivers, limestone sinkholes and the salt plains, where salty springs well up from the ground and leave white crusts on the soil. Here is the largest herd of wild bison in the world, and in the northern wetlands is the only natural nesting site of the whooping crane, one of North America’s rarest birds.
With very little artificial light, the park is the largest dark-sky reserve on Earth, and in August the town of Fort Smith holds a festival dedicated to the stars. From August to April, the aurora borealis appears frequently.
Fort Smith, on the edge of the Slave River rapids, is the base for visiting the park, housing the main office and the access roads.
This destination brings together 1 city: Fort Smith.
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.
✈ Fort Smith Airport (YSM) · 3 km to Fort Smith
Fort Smith Airport (YSM) receives regional flights from Yellowknife and Edmonton. By car, Fort Smith is about 270 km from Hay River and about 760 km from Yellowknife.
The local experience
Plain in Wood Buffalo Park where saline springs emerge and leave crusts and mounds of salt on the ground, with a viewpoint and trail down to the floor.
Green-blue lake formed in limestone sinkholes in Wood Buffalo Park, with a beach, campground and trails through the boreal forest.
Series of rapids on the Slave River by Fort Smith, with viewpoints and trails along the bank and the northernmost colony of American white pelicans on the islands.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
June to September for trails, bison and the salt plains. Late August and September for the aurora borealis and dark skies. Winter is very cold.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Three days: one for Fort Smith and the rapids, one for the salt plains and one for Pine Lake.
Fort Smith has small hotels and inns. The park offers camping at Pine Lake. Book in advance, especially during the dark-sky festival.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Wood Buffalo, about 44,800 km².
Yes, often along the park road, especially in summer.
Yes, from late August to April, under one of the world’s darkest skies.
Yes. Attractions are along dirt roads from Fort Smith.
Fixed year-round: UTC−6, the same as Alberta.
