Grasslands National Park, SK, Canada

Dark Skies & Prairie Flats

Nestled in the southwest of Saskatchewan and near the Montana (USA) border is a national park which is famous for two things: 

1. it's a 'dark sky' preserve, meaning, it has one of the best locations to star gaze in the whole country and 
2. it's roaming bison.

I visited Grasslands National Park (LINK) about a year ago and camped overnight there. I was able to enjoy hiking, buffalo watching and of course, star gazing. While not as famous as Banff or Jasper in Alberta, Grasslands is a unique experience and worth a visit. 

Enjoy some photos from my overnight stay...

The road in is all gravel and you'll pass by numerous prairie dogs and cattle guards (I think it's to keep the buffalo in, to be honest...)

Slight hills to the right...

I hiked 70 mile butte -- a butte is an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top (Wikipedia).

View from the butte

Another view from the top of the butte.

Prairie flower seen on the hike...I'm sorry I don't know the official name.

While out hiking, you have to be aware of the bison. They are in the park and can be found close to your camp site or on the hiking trails. The park staff provide information and guidance during your visit and while interacting the these animals. The basic rule is: stay far away and bring a zoom lens. 

A lone bison resting. 

To be honest, I was a bit scared of these guys because they are so massive. Bison used to be hunted on the Prairies and their fur and meat were valuable to Indigenous people. Today, there are a few bison farms in Western Canada and there has been a push to increase bison herds here. 

You can read more about bison farming in Canada HERE (Kremeniuk, 2015). 

Grasslands is the kind of place you go to get away from everything and unplug for a while. If you decide to camp overnight, a word of caution: it's extremely windy so come prepared with warmer and/or windbreaker clothes -- even in summer. 

Location & how to get there: (via Google Maps)

References: 

Kremeniuk, T. (2015, March 4). Bison farming. The Canadian Encyclopedia. URL. 

Parks Canada. (n.d.). Grasslands national park. The Government of Canada. URL.