GRASSLANDS

Grasslands National Park preserves a wide expanse of the broad Frenchman River Valley with its weathered badlands, untouched native prairie, and grassland flora and fauna. The park is home to the plains bison and is the only one of our 39 national parks that represents Prairie Grasslands. It is the only place in Canada where colonies of black-tailed prairie dogs still exist and is the new home of the black footed ferret, once considered to be extinct. You will also find a unique blend of common and endangered species including the pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, short horned lizard and the prairie rattlesnake.

Waterways such as the Frenchman River add to the diversity and are important habitats. Unique combinations of landscape and climate create niches for specific plants and animals, and illustrate the character of this ecosystem. You'll find flora such as blue grama grass, a favourite with bison, prickly pear cactus, which only breathes at night; and gumbo evening primrose, whose flowers change colour in 24 hours.

The expansive valley with its coulees and buttes provides an impressive view characterized by layers of Bearpaw, Eastend, Whitemud, Frenchman and Ravenscrag formations. This exposed sedimentary rock opens a window to the extinction of the dinosaurs, and led to the first recorded find of dinosaur remains in Western Canada by Sir George Mercer Dawson back in 1874.

If You Go: Grasslands National Park