Prairie dogs
From the roadside.
Claude Charbonneau — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tupulak from Calgary — CC BY 2.0 · Cephas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Paul Gierszewski — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cephas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cephas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cephas — CC BY-SA 4.0
Grasslands National Park lies in southern Saskatchewan along the border with the US state of Montana, near the village of Val Marie, the gateway to its West Block. Created in 1981, it protects one of the last large areas of untouched mixed-grass prairie in Canada, in two separate blocks, East and West. Its landscape of rolling grassland, coulees and badlands is cut by the Frenchman River valley, under a sky that feels huge. The park holds the only colonies of black-tailed prairie dogs in Canada, whose burrow towns can be watched from the roadside, and plains bison were brought back in 2005 after more than a century. Pronghorn, burrowing owls, rattlesnakes and the endangered greater sage-grouse also live here, and dinosaur fossils have been found in the East Block badlands. The Ecotour Scenic Drive in the West Block passes prairie dog towns and lookouts, and trails such as 70 Mile Butte climb to wide views. With very little light pollution, the park is a dark-sky preserve and one of the darkest places in Canada for stargazing. A national park entrance fee applies. Services are few, so bring water and fuel, and expect hot summers and strong winds.
From the roadside.
Back since 2005.
Dark skies.
Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Canada
Few, so bring water and fuel.
On the Ecotour Scenic Drive in the West Block.