Background
On the plains of north-central Canada, Wood Buffalo covers 44,807 km² and is home to North America's largest population of wild bison. UNESCO says it is also the natural nesting place of the whooping crane and holds the world's largest inland delta, at the mouth of the Peace and Athabasca rivers.
Larger than Switzerland, the park was created in 1922 to protect the last free-roaming herd of wood bison, straddles Alberta and the Northwest Territories, and has its headquarters at Fort Smith. Wikipedia notes its karst sinkholes and its status since 2013 as the world's largest dark-sky preserve. Wikivoyage says a paved road runs from Hay River through the park to Fort Smith in three and a half hours, that Northwestern Air flies in from Edmonton, and that the park holds the world's largest beaver dam.
- 1922The park is established for the wood bison
- 1983Inscribed as World Heritage
- 2013Named the world's largest dark-sky preserve
- 2019The road into the park is fully paved
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1The Salt PlainsHiked on the park's weekly guided tour.
- 2Peace-Athabasca DeltaOne of the world's largest freshwater deltas.
- 3Pine LakeGuided canoe tours on Saturdays in summer.
- 4The SinkholesKarst country in the north-east, where Wikivoyage says you can swim.
- 5Whooping CranesThe nesting ground of the endangered crane.
- 6The Night SkyDark skies and the northern lights.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
Salt Plains and Pine Lake
Not yet in a GoGo guide
- 09:00Salt Plains3 hrsAcross the white flats.
- 13:30Pine Lake3 hrsCanoe or swim.
- 22:00Night Sky1 hrStars and, with luck, the aurora.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: Jun–Aug. Freezing days in Oct–Apr.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER