Grasslands
I visited Grasslands National Park for the first time back in July 2019, when I was coming from the east coast to visit my family in British Columbia. Seven years later (to the month) here I am once again visiting this wonderful park. I remember thinking then how stunning the landscapes were. I was accompanied by my friends Heather and Taryn. [1]
As this is the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists it seemed appropriate to visit now.
View from one of the trails in Grasslands National Park (2019)
“Consider the kind of man that successfully established a homestead here, adjacent to the Frenchman’s muddy waters and 45 miles (72 km) from the nearest services. That man was Walt Larson! From humble beginnings, he managed grass and water to sustain a cattle operation modeled by those that followed. Ranching stewardship would eventually enable the establishment of Grasslands National Park.”
We were hoping to see Buffalo but even after a few days of trying we only saw them as black dots against the hills far in the distance. We did however get to see lots of native prairie plants, birds, black-tailed prairie dogs, coyotes and even some burrowing owls. Sadly, (for me) we only saw one snake - a dead rattlesnake. We hiked a few of the trails and enjoyed good summer weather.
The scenery in the park is breathtaking!
We also took a look in the visitor centre in Val Marie. It had lots of information, as well as some artifacts from the park. I recommend stopping there.
It is a truly beautiful park, and less busy than some of the other big National Parks. There is camping within the park and lots of hiking trails.
Have you been? Feel free to let me know your impressions in the comments below.
[1] See also my post Secret Skies.
