Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba

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Riding Mountain National Park

Size: 2,978 sq. km.
Location: Highway 10 connects Brandon, 95 km to the south, with Wasagaming (the park's visitor services center) and continues to Dauphin, 13 km beyond the park's northern border. From the east, Highway 19 enters the park through the scenic escarpment region.

Description: Forming part of the Manitoba Escarpment, Riding Mountain National Park is situated at the crossroads where habitats characteristic of eastern, western, and northern Canada meet and mingle in a diverse pattern of forest and grasslands, hills and valleys. It offers the greatest mix of wildlife and plants in southwestern Manitoba, including 60 species of mammals and 260 species of birds. It also features a captive bison herd and some of the highest concentrations of moose and elk in the area.

Activities: Visitor activities include camping, boating, swimming, scuba diving, fishing, wildlife viewing, bicycling, horseback riding, guided hikes and interpretive programs, junior naturalist program, golfing, tennis, and cross-country skiing. Park features 400 km of hiking, biking, and horse trails.

Places to Stay: Wasagamin, the park's townsite, offers a full range of visitor accommodations, as well as restaurants and shopping. Riding Mountain National Park includes a variety of campgrounds, including group camping. The park utilizes the National Parks Canada Campground Reservation Service. You can reserve a campground online or call toll free at 1-877-737-3783 (TTY: 1-866-787-6221) from 7am to 7pm. Travel Manitoba also provides information on accommodations and campgrounds in the area.

Operating Hours: Riding Mountain National Park is open year round, with the peak season in July and August.

History: Established in 1933.

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Banff National Park

Another National Park to visit!

Size: 6,641 sq. km.
Location: Banff National Park is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains on the Alberta side of the Continental Divide, 128 km west of Calgary and 401 km southwest of Edmonton. The Trans-Canada Highway runs west from Calgary into the park and through Banff and Lake Louise, then continues west towards Vancouver. Buses to Banff and Lake Louise run year round. The 230-km Icefields Parkway connects Lake Louise with Jasper National Park.


Description: Founded in 1885 following the discovery of the Cave and Basin Hot Springs, Banff is Canada's oldest and most famous national park, and is part of the UNESCO Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. It includes a variety of outstanding geological and ecological features, including rugged mountains, glaciers, icefields, alpine meadows, lakes, mineral hot springs, deep canyons and hoodoos. Its diverse wildlife features 53 species of mammals, including elk, bighorn sheep, black and grizzly bear, wolf, coyote, caribou, and mountain lion. The Castleguard Caves in the remote northwest corner of the park form Canada's longest cave system. The Cave and Basin National Historic Site in Banff commemorates the establishment, growth, and development of Canada's national parks through interactive displays and exhibits.

Activities: Camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing (permit required), canoeing, kayaking, rafting, swimming, wildlife viewing, scenic touring, mountaineering, rock climbing, interpretive programs, guided tours, cross-country skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing. There are two Information Centres in Banff National Park: the Banff Information Centre in the Town of Banff (403- 762-1550) and the Lake Louise Visitor Centre in the Village of Lake Louise (403- 522-3833).

Places to Stay: Parks Canada operates all campgrounds in Banff National Park. Demand is heaviest from June through September, with July and August being the busiest. Campground reservations can be made online or by calling 1-877-737-3783.



The resort towns of Banff and Lake Louise are located in the park and each offers visitors a full range of accommodations, including more than 100 motels, hotels, inns, lodges, cottages, cabins, and B&Bs, as well as private campgrounds. For more information on lodging, contact Banff/Lake Louise Tourism at 403-762-8421.


Operating Hours: Banff National Park is open year round. The peak season in the park is during July and August.

History: Established in 1885.

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Elk Island National Park

Size: 195 sq. km.
Location: Elk Island National Park is located 35 km east of Edmonton, Alberta, on Yellowhead Highway 16 east.

Description: Elk Island is one of four national parks that represent the Southern Boreal Plains and Plateau natural region. It protects a portion of the transitional grassland ecosystem, a landscape that once stretched across the central portion of the continent. In addition to wildlife that includes plains and wood bison, elk, moose, deer, coyote, and beaver, park is home to 250 of the 370 known bird species in Alberta.

Activities: Camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, boating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, golfing, environmental education programs. Park campgrounds include Sandy Beach Campground (open May-September), which is located in the Astotin Lake Area and Oster Lake Backcountry Tenting Area (open year round), which is located on the west shore of Oster Lake along Shirley Lake Trail. The Winter Camping Area (open October-April) is located in the Astotin Lake Area, on the east shore of Astotin Lake. You can reserve a campsite in the park online or by calling 1-877-737-3783.

Operating Hours: Elk Island National Park is open year round, though many services and facilities are open only during the summer season.

History: Established in 1906.

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Grasslands National Park

Size: 477 sq. km; planned for 900 sq. km when fully established.
Location: Grasslands National Park is located in southwestern Saskatchewan near the Saskatchewan-Montana border. The park's West Block centers on the Frenchman River Valley and can be accessed near the village of Val Marie (1.5-hour drive south of Swift Current) on Highway. 4. The park's East Block centers on the Killdeer Badlands and can be accessed near the town of Wood Mountain on Highway 18.

Description: One of the largest pieces of virtually undisturbed mixed-grass prairie in North America, park supports a wide range of fauna, including species rarely found elsewhere in the country. Park is located on the site where Sir George Mercier Dawson made the first recorded discovery of dinosaur remains in 1874 and where Sitting Bull and his Sioux followers took refuge from the U.S. Army after the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876.
Activities: Visitor activities include primitive camping, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, bird watching, wildlife viewing, cross-country skiing, nature photography, auto touring, and interpretive programs (limited).

Places to Stay: The Village of Val Marie provides limited essential service such as groceries, restaurant, fuel and accommodations near the West Block of the park. Similar services are available in the villages of Glentworth and Wood Mountain, the nearest towns to the East Block. Municipal campgrounds can be found in Val Marie and the Village Park of Mankota.


Operating Hours: Grasslands National Park is open year round. The Visitor Reception Centre in Val Marie is open daily from the Victoria Day long weekend in mid-May to the first weekend in September (Labor Day). During the remainder of the year, the Centre is open weekdays and closed during holidays.

History: Established in 1981.

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Jasper National Park

Size: 10,878 sq. km.
Location: Jasper National Park is on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains of west-central Alberta, 370 km west of Edmonton along the Yellowhead Hwy 16, and 404 km northwest of Calgary via Trans-Canada Hwy 1 and the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93). The town of Jasper is located in the middle of the park. All major travel routes within the park are maintained throughout the year, although temporary closures may come into effect in the event of adverse weather conditions. Some of the park's secondary roads and facilities are open on a seasonal basis only.

Description: Jasper is the largest and most northerly of the four Canadian Rocky Mountain national parks that comprise the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located at the northern end of the spectacular Icefields Parkway, a 230-km scenic route that passes close to the Columbia Icefield and connects Jasper with Lake Louise in Banff National Park. Along the way, visitors can take a snocoach tour on the Athabasca Glacier, one of six large glaciers that cover more than 325 sq. km of mountain park. Park's rugged topography includes a number of mountains that rise to elevations above 3,000 meters, including Mt. Columbia, Alberta's highest peak at 3,782 meters. Among the five national historic sites located within the park's boundaries are the Jasper House (1813) and the Henry House (1811).

Activities: Camping, hiking, swimming, fishing, boating, bicycling, scenic driving, wildlife viewing, horseback riding, climbing and mountaineering, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, ice skating, snowboarding, snowshoeing, interpretive programs.

Places to Stay: While most campgrounds at Jasper are available on a first-come, first-served basis, Jasper does use the National Parks Canada Campground Reservation Service. To reserve a campsite at selected campgrounds, visit the 24-hour Internet service or dial toll free at 1-877-737-3783. Jasper also has hotels, hostels and home accommodations. For further information, contact Jasper Tourism & Commerce (780-852-3858) or the Jasper Home Accommodations Association (P.O. Box 758, Jasper, Alberta Canada T0E 1E0; e-mail: info@stayinjasper.com).

Operating Hours: Jasper National Park is open year round. The peak season in the park is during July and August, and visitors planning on coming to the park during these months should book their accommodation well in advance.

History: Established in 1907.

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Prince Albert National Park

Howdy Campateers up north,
Size: 3875 sq. km.
Location: Prince Albert National Park is located in central Saskatchewan, 80 km north of Prince Albert. Park is accessible by highways 2/264 and 263 (scenic route).



Description: Representative of the transition from aspen parkland to northern boreal forest, park is home to the second largest white pelican breeding colony in Canada and the only one afforded full protection by a national park. One third of Canada's remaining original fescue grasslands, part of a once vast prairie ecosystem, is located in pockets in the southwest corner of the park, where bison roam freely. Park also preserves the cabin of Grey Owl, woodsman, author, and orator who died in 1938.

Activities: Camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, bicycling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, lake skating, golfing, interpretive programs.
Places to Stay: Park offers both frontcountry and backcountry campgrounds. The fully-serviced Waskesiu Trailer Park (152 sites) offers electrical hook-ups, water, sewer, washrooms and showers. Beaver Glen Campground (213 sites) has 76 sites with electrical hook-ups, washrooms, showers, hibachis, kitchen shelters and centralized water and sewer disposal. Primitive campsites are located along most backcountry canoe and hiking routes and along the shorelines of Crean and Kingsmere lakes (permit required). Prince Albert is part of the Parks Canada Reservations Service. Campground reservations can be made online or by calling 1-877-737-3783.
For information on accommodations near the park, contact the Waskesiu Lake Travel & Tourism Office, the Saskatchewan Tourism Office, or the Northern Saskatchewan Tourism Office.


Operating Hours: The park is open for visitors year-round. Main campgrounds operate from mid-May to the end of September.

History: Established in 1927.

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Waterton Lakes National Park

Howdy Campateers,
Size: 525 sq. km.
Location: Waterton Lakes National Park is situated in the southwest corner of Alberta, 270 km south of Calgary and 130 km southeast of Lethbridge. From Calgary take Highway 2 south to Fort Macleod, then west on Highway 3 to Pincher Creek, then south again on Highway 6 (a 3-hour drive). From Lethbridge, drive south to Cardston on Highway 2, then west to the park via Highway 5 (a 1.25-hour drive).

Description: Park features some of the oldest rock in Canada's Rocky Mountains and Upper Waterton Lake, the deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies. Its physical and biological diversity, partly resulting from the overlap of habitats found in the park, provides an abundance of wildlife. In fact, no other national park in Canada protects so much wildlife within such a small area. The park includes more than 60 species of mammals, 250+ species of birds, 24 species of fish, and 10 species of amphibians and reptiles.
Activities: Camping, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, boating, boat tours, sailboarding, scuba diving, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, bicycling, mountain climbing, golfing (May-October), winter sports, interpretive and educational programs.

Places to Stay: Waterton Park Village, located inside the park, offers complete services including hotels, dining, and shopping. For further information, contact the Waterton Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Association.


Operating Hours: Waterton Lakes National Park is open year round, with the peak season in July and August. From late fall to early spring, most park facilities are closed, and very few services are available in the village.

History: Established in 1895. In 1932, the Waterton Lakes National Park was joined with Montana's Glacier National Park to form the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The International Peace Park, the first of its kind, symbolizes the peace and goodwill between the United States and Canada as exemplified by the world's longest undefended border. Although the two halves are administered separately, the parks cooperate on environmental initiatives and in protecting the alpine backcountry. Both Glacier and Waterton Lakes have been designated as Biosphere Reserves and together were recognized, in 1995, as a World Heritage Site.

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Wood Buffalo National Park

Howdy Campateers,
Size: 44,807 sq. km.
Location: Wood Buffalo National Park straddles the Alberta-Northwest Territories border. It may be reached from two communities: Fort Smith (NWT) and Fort Chipewyan (Alberta). The park headquarters in Fort Smith has year-round road access via the MacKenzie Highway and NT Highway 5. There is no all-weather road access to Fort Chipewyan; access is by air only.

Description: Canada's largest national park was originally established to protect the last remaining herds of wood bison in northern Canada. Today it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects one of the largest free-roaming, self-regulating bison herds in the world and provides the last remaining natural nesting area for the endangered whooping crane. The Peace-Athabasca Delta is one of the largest inland freshwater deltas in the world and a major nesting and staging area for migratory waterfowl in North America. Migratory waterfowl from all four North American flyways pass through the delta in the spring and fall. Archeological evidence shows that aboriginal people have inhabited the Wood Buffalo region for more than 8,000 years.

Activities: Camping, hiking, swimming, boating, canoeing, fishing, wildlife viewing, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing.

Places to Stay: Frontcountry campsites are available at Pine Lake (60 km south of Fort Smith) on a first-come, first-serve basis. Large groups can use the Kettle Point Group Camp located at the south end of Pine Lake (reservations required). Backcountry camping is available throughout the park, with permits required for overnight stays in the backcountry.
Accommodations are available in surrounding communities, including Fort Smith (1-867-872-3065), Hay River (867-874-6522), Fort Simpson (867-695-3555), and Yellowknife (867-873-4262). For additional information contact Northwest Territories Arctic Tourism (1-800-661-0788), which operates year-round.


Operating Hours: Wood Buffalo National Park is open year round.

History: Established in 1922.

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Wapusk National Park of Canada

Howdy Campateers,
Polar bears have long been admired and continue to be protected by conservationists who realize their endangerment. And Wapusk National Park serves as one of the largest protective areas known polar bear maternity denning areas. In fact, Wapusk means "White Bear" in Cree.



It is comprised of a large area of the Hudson James Lowlands, a plain bordering the Hudson Bay, and is full of permanently frozen soil. The land has been slowly rising at a rate of up to one meter every 100 years since the last continental glaciers melted about 9,000 years ago. And this phenomenon, known as isostatic rebound, can be seen in the beach ridges that parallel the coast of Hudson Bay.



History:
Archeological evidence in the park tells us Inuit, Dene, and Cree have lived in the area for more than 3,000 years. During the 17th century, Métis and European traders arrived while aboriginal people began establishing permanent settlements near Prince of Wales Fort and York Factory. Both are now National Historic sites, located north and south of the park.


York Fort is thought to have been the most important post in western Canada throughout the 18th and 19th century. From 1684 to 1957 it served as the Hudson Bay Company's main depot and point of entry to the west.



Prince of Wales Fort was destroyed by the French in 1782, but its successor, Fort Churchill, remained until 1930 when it was abandoned in favor of the port facilities of the east bank.


Wapusk, the land between these two historic sites, was a source of furs and provisions for the two trading centers, and a travel passageway between them.


When to Visit:
Weather in the North is harsh and can change quickly. During the summer, temperatures can range from -10° C to 35°C, and can plunge 20 degrees in less than one hour.
The fall, September and October, are typically stormy, with temperatures ranging from -25°C to 15°C.


Winter lasts from late October to early May. The average December and January temperature is -26°C, but it can drop as low as -50°C, with wind chills pushing temperatures even further.


It is important to remember that snowstorms can happen at any time of year. Current weather conditions can be obtained at Canada's WeatherOffice.



Getting There:
The park is located less than 5 miles from Churchill Airport, which is the most convenient destination for visitors.



Fees/Permits:
Typically there is no daily entry fee, however there are charges for guided walks of other programs. Fees are updated every April 1st so be sure to check the Wapusk offical website before your visit.


Note: Access to Wapusk is through authorized commercial tour operators in Churchill. Unescorted visits to the park are not recommended. For the most current list of operators, email the park office or call at 1-888-773-8888.



Major Attractions:
As noted earlier, York Factory National Historic Site is a must-see. Visitors experience the diverse history of the Hudson's Bay Company and the fur trade of the 1600-1800s. The Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Churchill provides tours, museum fur-trade exhibits, and special presentations.


Because the park is known for its polar bears, it offers many convenient viewing opportunities. In November, Cape Churchill is your best bet. In January and February, Wat'Chee Lodge offers chances to view.


For those looking to see everything at once, try Hudson Bay Helicopter aerial tours for a grandiose view of the park.


Accommodations:
Nearby York Factory National Historic site is Silver Goose Lodge which provides limited accommodations through advanced reservations. Camping is not permitted in the park.
Manitoba offers various hotels, motels, and inns that are still convenient to Wapusk.
Visitors are encouraged to contact the Churchill Chamber of Commerce at 1-888-389-2327 for information on where to stay.


Contact Info:
Mail: P.O. Box 127 Churchill, Manitoba, Canada R0B 0E0
Phone: 1-888-773-8888
Email: wapusk.np@pc.gc.ca