Untouched by time
The Canadian Prairie as it was 10,000 years ago
Yes, the goal was to spend two weeks in the Canadian Rockies, which we did, but there was far more than mountains to see and experience in our 43 days on the road, covering 10,485 kilometres from Ontario to British Columbia and home again.
Without question, a highlight of the trip was Grasslands National Park in Southwestern Saskatchewan bordering Montana. It is filled with incredible biodiversity almost as intact as it was 10,000 years ago.
We encountered close to 100 Plains Bison, at least a thousand Prairie Dogs, and some very nice humans at remote Frenchman Valley Campground. On the drive in to the campground at dusk, we saw Coyotes on the prowl, at least a dozen graceful Pronghorn Antelope and too many Mule Deer to count.
Had we known in advance what an enchanting place Grasslands was we would have planned to stay, explore and enjoy for a full week. As it was, one full day and two overnights were all our itinerary allowed.
Here's a five-minute video produced by Tourism Saskatchewan that provides an excellent introduction:
Plains Bison are symbolic of the prairies and provide visitors a greater diversity of native species to view when visiting the park.
They were re-introduced to Grasslands National Park in December 2005, after an absence of 120 years. Prior to European settlement, the prairies were home to tens of millions of free-roaming bison. Bison were both an ecological and cultural keystone species, shaping the grassland landscape through grazing and sustaining the Indigenous peoples that lived on the land. By the 1880s, the large herds that once roamed the Great Plains were driven to the brink of extinction by overhunting.
When Grasslands National Park welcomed Plains Bison back to their home, the initial herd consisted of 71 bison, including 30 male calves, 30 female calves and 11 yearlings, all of which originated from Elk Island National Park in Alberta. Elk Island has been a seed source of Canadian plains bison for many years, as they have no record of cattle or wood bison gene introgression and are free from diseases of conservation concern.
Today, Grasslands National Park manages a population of 400-500 bison. The bison reside in a large parcel of the park which totals 181 square kilometres (70 square miles).
Bison were initially reintroduced to restore the historic grazing regime of large herbivores in the West Block of the park. Bison grazing, in combination with fire, creates a diverse mosaic of habitats, which can benefit many grassland species, especially those at risk. For example, their habit of wallowing creates small bowl-like depressions of bare soil that fill with water during spring runoff or after heavy rains. These wallows can provide habitat for prairie plants that require moist soils and serve as a water reservoir for insects, which in turn feed other grassland species.
Although bison are identified as the preferred large herbivore species, domestic grazers, namely beef cattle, are also used in other sections of the park to achieve ecological objectives where bison are not suited.
Grasslands National Park is located in Southwestern Saskatchewan near the Saskatchewan-Montana border. The park has two separate blocks. The West Block centres on the Frenchman River Valley near the village of Val Marie and the East Block features the Killdeer Badlands of the Rock Creek area and the Wood Mountain Uplands.
During our brief visit, we stayed in the West Block and spent a memorable afternoon on the Ecotour Scenic Drive, a 20-km self-guided driving tour through the Frenchman River Valley which features:
Prairie Dog colonies
Bison sightings
Walking and hiking trails
Archaeological sites
Historical homesteading and ranching sites
Stunning views of the coulees, buttes and Frenchman River Valley.
Our arrival at Grasslands turned into quite the adventure. We picked up our key at the Visitor Centre in Val Marie, which had just closed for the day, studied the map and decided to take a shortcut. The big arrow on the roadside sign in Val Marie clearly pointed to Grasslands National Park West Block.
That was the last sign we were to see. Somehow, we lost our way. It was getting dark. There was no sign of life on the open prairie, except for one tractor-trailer loaded with gravel that almost ran us down. We had to retrace our route back toward Val Marie and start over again.
Mule Deer and Pronghorn Antelopes by the hundreds at dusk on the road and in the fields. We were worried about hitting one and drove very slowly, finally reaching our campground in the dark.Â
For accommodations, we chose an oTENTik, a cross between a tent and an A-frame cabin equipped with beds and furniture on a raised floor.
Our oTENTik featured beds for up to six people, a table and seating for six people, electricity for light and charging devices and a small heater. Outside, we had a front deck for viewing the amazing prairie landscape and the equally amazing night sky, fire pit, picnic table, barbeque and Adirondack chairs.
You need to bring your own blankets, sheets and pillows, or sleeping bags. There is no cooking permitted inside. There was no plumbing in the oTENTik. A clean vault toilet was nearby. Showers were available only back in Val Marie.
We paid $213.00 for two nights including taxes (or $106.50 per night), plus $11.50 non refundable reservation fee, for total of $224.50.
We were so glad we didn’t have to set up a tent. It’s not fun putting up a tent and assembling cots and all when you’re tired and hungry—and it’s dark except for the stars.
The next morning, we awoke to the silence of Grasslands at dawn. It was like a scene out of Little House on the Prairies. Very still, very barren, but striking nevertheless.
We spent our time in the West Block but Jennifer Bain, who visited Grasslands about a month before us, had a great time in the East Block as she described in articles for National Park Traveler and The Globe and Mail. Jennifer spent 18 years running the food and travel sections at the Toronto Star before retiring to become Canada’s most prolific travel freelance—and our idol. We first met in 2014 when she covered the launch of Canadian Cheese Awards.
TRIP DATA
Day 34: 7,163 kilometres from home
Next stop: Moose Mountain Provincial Park
Grasslands web cam:
Grasslands resources:
Grasslands videos:
Fantastic article Georgs!
I really enjoy your writing.
Grasslands National Park is one my favourite places in Canada.
A real secret gem!