Wood Buffalo National Park   

Contact Information:
Wood Buffalo National Park
Box 750
Fort Smith, NWT
Canada X0E 0P0
867-872-7900 (Park Administration)
867-872-7960 (Visitor Center - Fort Smith)
780-697-3662 (Visitor Center - Fort Chipewyan)

Size: 44,807 sq. km. 

Location: Wood Buffalo National Park straddles the Alberta-Northwest Territories border. It may be reached from two communities: Fort Smith (NWT) and Fort Chipewyan (Alberta). The park headquarters in Fort Smith has year-round road access via the MacKenzie Highway and NT Highway 5. There is no all-weather road access to Fort Chipewyan; access is by air only. 

Description: Canada's largest national park was originally established to protect the last remaining herds of wood bison in northern Canada. Today it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects one of the largest free-roaming, self-regulating bison herds in the world and provides the last remaining natural nesting area for the endangered whooping crane. The Peace-Athabasca Delta is one of the largest inland freshwater deltas in the world and a major nesting and staging area for migratory waterfowl in North America. Migratory waterfowl from all four North American flyways pass through the delta in the spring and fall. Archeological evidence shows that aboriginal people have inhabited the Wood Buffalo region for more than 8,000 years.

Activities: Camping, hiking, swimming, boating, canoeing, fishing, wildlife viewing, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing. 

Places to Stay: Frontcountry campsites are available at Pine Lake (60 km south of Fort Smith) on a first-come, first-serve basis. Large groups can use the Kettle Point Group Camp located at the south end of Pine Lake (reservations required). Backcountry camping is available throughout the park, with permits required for overnight stays in the backcountry.  

Accommodations are available in surrounding communities, including Fort Smith (1-867-872-3065),  Hay River (867-874-6522), Fort Simpson (867-695-3555), and Yellowknife (867-873-4262). For additional information contact Northwest Territories Arctic Tourism (1-800-661-0788), which operates year-round.

Operating Hours: Wood Buffalo National Park is open year round. 

History: Established in 1922.

See other Canadian National Parks
See other Northwest Territories National Parks