Grasslands National Park (French: ') is a
Canadian national park located near the village of
Val Marie,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
, and one of 44 national parks and park reserves in
Canada's national park system (though one of only two in Saskatchewan itself). This national park is north of the
U.S. state of
Montana and lies adjacent to the
international boundary
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ca ...
.
The park was established in 1981. Prior to this the province's only national park was
Prince Albert National Park. Grasslands annually receives about 12,000 visitors.
Grasslands National Park represents the Prairie Grasslands natural region, protecting one of the nation's few remaining areas of undisturbed dry mixed-grass/shortgrass prairie
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...
. The park is located in the
World Wildlife Fund
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the W ...
-defined Northern short grasslands ecoregion, which spans much of southern Saskatchewan, southern
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...
, and the northern
Great Plains
The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, a ...
states in the US. The unique landscape and harsh,
semi-arid climate provide niches for several adapted plants and animals. The park and surrounding area house the country's only
black-tailed prairie dog colonies. Fauna found in the park include
bison
Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised.
Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North A ...
,
pronghorns,
greater sage-grouses,
ring-necked pheasants,
burrowing owls,
coyotes,
ferruginous hawks,
swift foxes,
prairie rattlesnakes,
black-footed ferrets,
eastern yellow-bellied racers, and
greater short-horned lizard
The greater short-horned lizard (''Phrynosoma hernandesi''), also commonly known as the mountain short-horned lizard, is a species of lizard endemic to western North America. Like other horned lizards, it is often called a "horned toad" or "horn ...
s. Flora includes
blue grama grass,
needlegrass The term needlegrass may refer to any of several genera of grasses, including:
*''Achnatherum''
*''Aristida'' (three-awns)
*''Hesperostipa''
*''Nassella''
*''Stipa''
*''Triraphis''
See also
* Spear grass (disambiguation) Spear grass or speargrass ...
,
plains cottonwood
''Populus deltoides'', the eastern cottonwood or necklace poplar, is a cottonwood poplar native to North America, growing throughout the eastern, central, and southwestern United States as well as the southern Canadian prairies, the southern ...
and
silver sagebrush.
History
Erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is d ...
by glacial
meltwater formed many of the park's characteristic features. Highlights of the park's geological landscape include the
Frenchman River Valley, the Seventy Mile Butte, and the
badlands
Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, mi ...
of Rock Creek.
In 1874, Sir
George Mercer Dawson discovered
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...
's first
dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
remains in the Killdeer Badlands during the
International Boundary Survey. Later, in 1877,
Sitting Bull took refuge in the area with around 5,000
Sioux after the defeat of
General Custer
George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars.
Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, ...
at the
Battle of Little Bighorn.
Grasslands National Park is on the traditional territory of the
Blackfoot (Niitsítapi) people of the Canadian and American plains and is
Treaty 4
Treaty 4 is a treaty established between Queen Victoria and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nation band governments. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of what are today western Ma ...
land. A 2022 agreement between the
Métis Nation - Saskatchewan
The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derive ...
and Parks Canada provides for the transfer of 24 bison.
West and East Blocks
The West Block of the park is located one hour south of
Swift Current, and the main visitor reception centre is located in the town of
Val Marie. Highlights of the West Block include the
Frenchman River Valley, a herd of over 300
plains bison as well as
prairie dog colonies. A ten-mile wide stretch of land on either side of the Frenchman River is an
Important Bird Area of Canada, ''SK 024 Grasslands National Park (west) Val Marie''. Frenchman Valley Campground offers visitors serviced
camping
Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...
sites,
teepee camping, and a cook shelter.
Backcountry camping is also available. The West Block is located in
Census Division No. 4.
The East Block of the park is located about an hour's drive south of
Assiniboia on the south side of the
Wood Mountain Hills
Wood Mountain Hills are a hilly plateau in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The hills are located in the southern part of the province and are part of the Missouri Coteau, which is part of the Laurentian Divide between the watersheds ...
in
Census Division No. 3. The interpretive centre is in the McGowan House at the new Rock Creek Campground and the information centre is at the museum in
Wood Mountain Regional Park. The East Block is more of a wilderness area but has views of the
badlands
Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, mi ...
of Rock Creek, the
Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, and prairie skies. A one-lane, 11-kilometre parkway traverses the Rock Creek Badlands. There is also an Important Bird Area, ''SK 023 Grasslands National Park (east) Killdeer'', in the East Block.
In 2006,
plains bison from
Elk Island National Park in Alberta were reintroduced to Grasslands. By 2015 the herd had grown from the original 71 animals to over 300. The herd is maintained on a 181 km
2 section in the park's West Block. On 2 October 2009, in a ceremony at Belza House, the park was declared a
dark-sky preserve, and a small population of black-footed ferrets was reintroduced into the prairie dog towns after a 70-year absence. Improved night-lighting practices under the dark-sky agreement ensure that the park remains dark at night, preserving a natural environment for all nocturnal wildlife.
See also
*
List of National Parks of Canada
*
List of protected areas of Saskatchewan
*
List of protected grasslands of North America
The protected grasslands of North America consist of prairies, with a dominant vegetation type of herbaceous plants like grasses, sedges, and other prairie plants, rather than woody vegetation like trees. This ecosystem was generally dominant wi ...
*
Tourism in Saskatchewan
References
External links
The Prairie Learning Centre*
- Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan
{{Authority control
Grasslands of Canada
National parks in Saskatchewan
Protected areas established in 1981
Dark-sky preserves in Canada
Important Bird Areas of Saskatchewan
1981 establishments in Saskatchewan