Wood Buffalo National Park

Welcome to Wood Buffalo National Park, a landscape of truly staggering proportions. To comprehend the scale of this wilderness, consider that encompassing over forty-four thousand square kilometers, it is not merely the largest…

As we emerge from the dense spruce forest, the landscape suddenly, almost shockingly, opens up to reveal the Salt Plains. Before you lies a blindingly white, desolate expanse that stretches to the horizon, shimmering under the…

We now hike along the Benchmark Creek Trail, navigating our way toward the fascinating depression known as Grosbeak Lake. The terrain here requires careful footing, as we are traversing a classic karst landscape. …

In stark contrast to the barren, white expanse of the Salt Plains, we arrive at the oasis of Pine Lake. Nestled deeply within the boreal forest, the first thing that strikes you is the water's color—a brilliant, unnatural shade…

We now venture into the dense, grassy meadows that intersperse the forest, seeking the true monarchs of this park: the wood bison. Wood Buffalo National Park is home to the largest free-roaming herd of these massive herbivores in…

To fully understand the bison, one must understand their shadows. We are standing on a ridge overlooking a vast expanse of boreal wilderness, prime hunting territory for the timber wolf. …

Let us embark on a long hike through the heart of the deep woods, perhaps tracing the path of the Salt River. The trail is narrow, hemmed in by a seemingly infinite wall of spruce and trembling aspen. …

As our arduous journey through Wood Buffalo National Park comes to an end, take a moment to look out over the vast, unbroken canopy stretching infinitely toward the horizon. This park is not designed for easy consumption. …