Wood Buffalo National Park was established in 1922. It is located in the province of Alberta and covers 44,802 square kilometers. This makes it the largest Canadian national park. UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site in 1983.
Landscape of the Wood Buffalo National Park
In the east of the area are the rivers Athabasca River and Slave River. In addition, the Peace River flows through the park area. Seen from above, this landscape of lakes, swamps and rivers looks like a huge labyrinth.
The predominant tree species are conifers and mixed forests. The most important gypsum karst area of North America is located west of the Slave River. This is a region that is home to hundreds of caves, sinkholes, and karst springs. A network of underground rivers has also been discovered here.
The plains, which are covered with a salt crust, are also impressive. These can be found in the northeast of the park. They were created when water from underground springs, which was enriched with salt, was transported to the surface. The salt crust was left behind by evaporation.
In the park’s permafrost zone, hot and dry weather can occur in the summer months of July and August.
Wood Buffalo National Park fauna
Around 300 different animal species live in the Wood Buffalo National Park. 250 different species of birds were counted here. In addition, the area is crossed by thousands of migratory birds every year, which rest here and then fly on.
We are particularly proud of the world’s last nesting sites for whooping cranes, which have settled here in the protected area. The rhinoceros pelicans are also rare. Here you will find the northernmost of their colonies.
These two animal species are also responsible for the fact that the park was designated a protected area, as they wanted to keep their nesting places.
Bison also live in the park. The forest and prairie bisons are estimated at around 6,000 animals. Wolves, lynxes, grizzlies, black bears, moose and foxes have also made their home here. They share their habitat with marmots and beavers, among others.
Flora of the Wood Buffalo National Park
Because of its rich and lush flora, the national park is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems of all. The special thing here is that many swamp and prairie plants thrive on salty soil. Obviously, these plants are able to adapt to the subsoil.
Tourist in Wood Buffalo National Park
The Fort Smith considered by visitors and tourists as the best starting point to take a trip through the park. If you want to drive your vehicle through the park, it is also best to do so from here. Because here a junction of the Mackenzie Highway leads along and so you can get over the Hay River. Of course, it is also possible to get to the area by plane. These start from Edmonton and Yellowknife in the direction of Wood Buffalo National Park.
Once in the park, one would like to start walking straight away. That Visitor center has some informative brochures about hiking routes and areas of the park that are particularly worth seeing. Due to its size, it is advisable to plan tours lasting several days, because this is the only way to really visit everything interesting in the park. Some campsites and picnic areas have been set up so that resting and sleeping is not a problem in the park.