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Grosbeak Lake in Wood Buffalo National Park

401 · The Wider World

Wood Buffalo National Park

A vast northern park connects boreal habitat, wetlands and the conservation of distinctive wildlife populations.

PhotographAnsgar Walk · CC BY-SA 2.5

Summary

Wood Buffalo National Park is a vast protected landscape in northern Canada. Boreal forest, wetlands and open salt-plain environments support distinctive wildlife, with the Peace-Athabasca Delta forming an important part of the wider park.

Its scale connects several ecological worlds. The relationship between northern forest and wetland life makes the park compelling as a living system, beyond the significance of any single animal population.

401–500 · The Wider World

The essentials

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Allow time

3 days as an initial allowance, excluding approach travel

Choose a base

Fort Smith or Fort Chipewyan

Getting there

Use Fort Smith as the main park base, reached by road via Highways 1, 2 and 5 or by an available regional flight. Fort Chipewyan is a different access point.

Plan ahead

Check park road and wildfire information before choosing your route. Arrange camping or remote excursions with the park; a winter road is not a year-round shortcut.

Practical notes updated 30 September 2026. Visitor information and sources

Canada · Nature
Country guidesCanada
Open my 100Record a visit

The essential experience.

A detail that changes the visit

The park is enormous; seasonal road, water and insect conditions matter more than a single map pin.

Peace-Athabasca Delta with Lake Claire and mouths of Peace River and Athabasca River
Peace-Athabasca Delta with Lake Claire and mouths of Peace River and Athabasca RiverPhoto: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC · Public domain

For the curious reader

History, landscape and context.

Wood Buffalo National Park is the largest national park of Canada at 44,741 km² (17,275 sq mi). It is in northeastern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories. Larger in area than Switzerland, it is the second-largest national park in the world. On June 28, 2013, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada designated Wood Buffalo National Park as Canada's newest and the world's largest dark-sky preserve. The designation helps preserve nighttime ecology for the park's large populations of bats, night hawks and owls, as well as providing opportunities for visitors to experience the northern lights.

Abridged background from Wood Buffalo National Park, by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and shortened; this adapted background remains under the same licence. Retrieved 23 September 2026. Source revision.

Grouse sp. in Wood Buffalo National Park (in the Alberta part of the park) in Canada in 2007
Grouse sp. in Wood Buffalo National Park (in the Alberta part of the park) in Canada in 2007Photo: Naturedata · CC0
NWT Metis Nation sign posted just outside the Wood Buffalo National Park boundary. The nation has posted other provocative signage throughout the territory
NWT Metis Nation sign posted just outside the Wood Buffalo National Park boundary. The nation has posted other provocative signage throughout the territoryPhoto: awmcphee · CC BY-SA 4.0

From inspiration to a practical plan

Plan your visit.

Physical demands
Short visitor trails contrast with remote backcountry travel; distances, insects and limited services need preparation.
The consequential detail
The park is enormous; seasonal road, water and insect conditions matter more than a single map pin.
Add to my travel workbenchResearch access requirements

Through the seasons

A place in the world.

Canada.

A place in the world
Wood Buffalo National Park location mapWood Buffalo National Park location map

Select the pin to open a detailed map. Use Closer look to see the surrounding region. Drag to move a zoomed map.

Map: Natural Earth
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In pictures.

Wood Buffalo’s salt plains and wetlands add open spaces to the northern boreal forest.

Grosbeak Lake in Wood Buffalo National ParkPhoto: Ansgar Walk, CC BY-SA 2.5
Grouse sp. in Wood Buffalo National Park (in the Alberta part of the park) in Canada in 2007Photo: Naturedata, CC0
Peace-Athabasca Delta with Lake Claire and mouths of Peace River and Athabasca RiverPhoto: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC, Public domain
NWT Metis Nation sign posted just outside the Wood Buffalo National Park boundary. The nation has posted other provocative signage throughout the territoryPhoto: awmcphee, CC BY-SA 4.0
A road through the Peace–Athabasca DeltaPhoto: awmcphee, CC0
Black bear covered in mosquitos in Wood Buffalo National Park (in the Northwest Territories part of the park) in Canada in 2007Photo: Naturedata, CC0
Grouse sp. in Wood Buffalo National Park (in the Alberta part of the park) in Canada in 2007Photo: Naturedata, CC0
Wood Buffalo in Wood Buffalo National Park, August 2007Photo: Naturedata, CC0
Open the complete galleryDiscover the world in photographs

Follow the connection

Keep exploring.

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Sandstone landforms and rock art form a cultural landscape with enduring significance for Blackfoot people.

Useful links and further reading.

Choose a source for the job: official visitor information for access, the UNESCO record for the named property’s designation, and background or library resources for deeper reading.

Visit · pc.gc.ca

Wood Buffalo National Park: official website

The official website associated with this place. Look for visitor information, contact details and local announcements; availability varies by provider.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Understand · UNESCO World Heritage Centre

UNESCO World Heritage property record

Read the named property’s significance, maps, components and conservation documents. The World Heritage boundary may cover only part of this guide’s wider destination.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Read · Wikipedia

Wood Buffalo National Park: background reading

Encyclopaedic context and its bibliography. Follow the cited research for a deeper examination of particular claims.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Books · WorldCat

Find books about Wood Buffalo National Park

Search library holdings and editions, useful for finding specialist histories, field guides and works beyond a general travel guide.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Maps · OpenStreetMap

Explore the local map

Inspect the surrounding area.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.
Visitor information behind these practical notes