Grasslands is an extremely overlooked park.
It is not near any major population center, as the nearest major city, Regina, being a four hour drive away. It has no mountains, canyons, waterfalls, lakes and not even many trees.
Nonetheless, Grasslands is a great park and one which everyone should try to visit if you are in the region one one simple reason: it is one of the few places left in North America which is untouched prairie.
Prairie once covered an enormous part of the North American continents. Today, almost all of it has been plowed over to create farmland.
Grasslands National Park is one of the few remaining places in the world where you can see what the original prairie was like.
Once you get there, you will have almost the entire park to yourself. I was there on a Canada Day weekend, which is one of the busiest of the year. I went hours without seeing another person. Only 3 of the approximately 20 campsites were used.
You will easily see bison and prairie dogs in the park and any storms can be seen coming from miles away, which is a sight in itself.
The park is open 24/7. There are no fees or permits required to enter. There is a visitor center in the nearby town of Val Marie, which is about 10km from the park entrance. It does take a bit of effort to get to Grasslands, but it is an experience that you will not find anywhere else.
What to Do at Grasslands National Park
The Grasslands National Park is one of the most unique parks in the world – it is a rare prairie landscape. Hence, tourists who have the chance to visit this park can relish this unique opportunity. This is the only park that represents the Prairie Grasslands Natural Region of Canada.
In order to maximize the geological resources and landscape of the park, you need to explore the numerous attractions and activities at Grasslands National Park. For example, there are self-guided driving tours. You can also explore marked and unmarked hiking trails. In fact, trails are considered as the best way to see the park. The best trails to consider during your visit include the 70-Mile Butte Trail and 11-km Broken Hills trail.
If you want to enjoy the amazing views of the grasslands, you can also try horseback riding. In addition, you will have interpretative programs, campgrounds, and equestrian camping to enjoy.
View the complete list of Canadian National Parks I visited.