Grasslands national park of canada VISITOR GUIDE 1 Yukon Northwest Parks Canada Territories Nunavut administers over 150 Canada national sites, 42 British national parks and Columbia Alberta Newfoundland and Labrador 3 national marine Manitoba conservation areas. Saskatchewan Grasslands National Ontario Quebec P.E.I. GRASSLANDS New NATIONAL PARK BrunswickNova Scotia Park is the only park in West Block Canada to represent GRASSLANDS the Prairie Grasslands NATIONAL PARK East Block U.S.A. Natural Region. Legend Biggar SASKATOON Grasslands National Park 4 (proposed and current holdings) 7 Fort Walsh & Cypress Hills Massacre National Historic Site Rosetown 11 Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park Old Man On His Back – Prairie & Heritage Conservation Area T-Rex Discovery Centre 4 Wood Mountain Post/Regional Park and 11 2 Rodeo & Ranch Museum 1 St. Victor Petroglyphs 1 Provincial Historic Park MOOSE REGINA Big Muddy Badlands SWIFT JAW CURRENT 2 6 1 Gull 1 Lake 4 Maple Creek 271 37 Cadillac 21 13 13 Assiniboia Shaunavon Eastend Mankota Wood 13 18 Mountain 2 13 Grasslands 6 Alberta 18 Climax Val Marie National Park Rockglen 13 18 Big Beaver Saskatchewan 18 18 2 18 18 Canada 37 4 18 Canada 2 United States United States 241 242 24 13 16 2 TABLE OF WELCOME CONTENTS Grasslands National Park of Canada celebrates the • Welcome ................3 native prairie: bison raising dust in a wallow, swift • National map ..........2 fox pups playing in a coulee, a creek finding its way • Regional map ..........2 along an ancient glacial valley, and you discovering • Visitor Centre ..........5 a timeworn ring of stones on a windy ridge… and… • Contact information much more. and Fees .................5 • Help Us Protect Parks Canada welcomes you to this open wilderness Your National Park ..6 – a diverse, resilient and evolving prairie ecosystem. • Park Map .............. 10 The West Block encourages you to explore the • The Prairie People ...7 Frenchman River valley and marvel at unexpected • Working With Our encounters with rare animals and plants. Communities .........8 Astonishing geological formations and rich fossil • Species At Risk beds are yours to discover in the East Block. Here Conservation .........9 the uninterrupted vistas will hold you breathless. • Welcome Campers 14 Glowing sunsets, striking badlands, ancient tipi • Park Exploration .... 15 rings, expansive river valleys and rare plants and • Activities ............... 16 animals are just a few of the unique attractions • Interpretive waiting to be discovered! Programs .............. 18 • Be Safety Aware! ...20 • Prairie Climate ........22 • Services and Amenities ...............28 Grasslands National Park is located 11 in southwestern Saskatchewan near the Saskatchewan/Montana border. The West Block has access points off Highways #4 and #18 near Val Marie. The East Block has access points off Highway #18 – one south of Wood Mountain and the other located east of Glentworth. Watch for signage. 3 GRASSLANDS NATIONAL PARK IS A REPRESENTATIVE PART OF THE PRAIRIE GRASSLANDS NATURAL REGION DIVERSE The grasslands that surrounds you is situated at the northern tip of North America’s mixed-grass prairie. It is unique in Canada bringing with it many uncommon plants and animals. Find a yellow-bellied blue racer coiled under the lavender blue blossoms of slender beardtongue. Watch a threatened ferruginous hawk 12 swoop down to catch a rare black-tailed prairie dog. RESILIENT Once the grassland is broken by the plough, it takes many years and a nearby seed source for the native plants to return. If the protective grass, moss and lichen ground cover is removed, the fertile soil is soon blown 13 away by the strong prairie wind. With care and a gentle hand, it will survive and thrive. EVOLVING Less than one quarter of Canada’s original mixed- grass prairie remains in its natural state. Grasslands National Park and area is one of the largest and least 14 disturbed of these remaining pockets of native prairie in North America. Grasslands continues to evolve by reintroducing prairie species and restoring native prairie vegetation. 15 4 Contact VISITOR CENTRE Information The Visitor Centre will make your trip most memorable, Grasslands National Park as friendly knowledgeable staff provides up-to-date P.O. Box 150 information on park programs, camping opportunities, Val Marie, Sask. S0N 2T0 maps, road conditions, weather, safety and more! Telehone: The centre exhibits significant prairie stories: grassland West Block – Visitor Centre ecosystems, endangered species, human history, (306) 298-2257 palaeontology and geology. East Block It is located in Val Marie, Saskatchewan at the Poverty Ridge Station junction of Hwy # 4 and Centre Street. (306) 476-2716 Fax: HOURS OF OPERATION (306) 298-2042 ISITOR EASON Email: V S : [email protected] May long weekend to Labour Day weekend, daily ............ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Website: www.parkscanada.gc.ca/ SHOULDER SEASON: grasslands (closed noon hours, weekends and statutory holidays) Operations Compound Phone: (306) 298-2166 Fall: After Labour Day weekend to Oct. 31st ............................................ 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Emergency Spring: April 1st to May long weekend…………………..8:00 am – 4:30 pm Phone Numbers Emergency: 911 FF EASON Park Emergency: O S : West Block Nov. 1st – March. 31st ...................... limited hours (306) 298-2257 or (The Administration Office adjacent to the Visitor Centre (306) 298-2166 press 2 is open during business hours. Visitor Services are East Block limited - call ahead.) (306) 476-2716 or (306) 298-2166 press 2 RCMP – West Block FEES (306) 625-6400 Fees apply for overnight camping and interpretive Ponteix 24 hours programs, which support the development of visitor RCMP - East Block services and facilities. Currently, there are no entry fees. (306) 642-7110 Assiniboia 24 hours 5 HELP US PROTECT YOUR NATIONAL PARK LEASE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING Please report P any concerns or • Open fires are not permitted • Vehicles must remain on designated roads and pull-offs unlawful activities at all times to a Parks Canada • Collection and/or removal of any natural or cultural warden or the objects from the park is strictly prohibited RCMP. We salute • Visitors must camp a minimum of 1km off a primary over 100 years of access road • It is illegal to harass, hunt or attempt to handle wildlife dedicated service • All terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles are of the exceptional prohibited men and women • All pets must be leashed who contribute • Researchers must obtain a permit • Grazing is conducted for ecological purposes, to outstanding using bison as the preferred species and livestock visitor experiences, in other areas. Livestock grazing is done under a education and superintendent’s permit – contact staff for further conservation in information Canada’s treasured RESPECT OUR NEIGHBOURS natural and historic • Closed or open? Always leave gates as you find them! places. • Stay on park property. Visitors must have landowner permission prior to accessing private land. 16 6 THE PRAIRIE PEOPLE FIRST NATIONS AND MÉTIS One after the other, they came – the Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, Cree and Blackfoot. They hunted bison, elk and mule deer and left behind their bison drive lanes and tipi rings for you to see. Sitting Bull camped here briefly as he fled the USA after the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The Métis came searching for the last of the bison. RANCHERS HOMESTEADERS By the early 1890’s small Between 1908 and the First cattle ranches prospered into World War, traditional big operations such as the farming practices were Turkey Track and 76 Ranch. applied to these hot, dry, Ranching and the cowboy way windy prairies. They of life survived blizzards and were not productive and droughts. homesteaders had to adapt to the demanding grassland environment or 19 leave. The ranchers and homesteaders who stayed combined ranching and farming with hospitality and friendliness to create our regional prairie communities. 7 WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITIES The Wood Mountain Rodeo Prairie Wind & & Ranch Museum in the Wood Silver Sage – Friends Mountain Regional Park near of Grasslands is the East Block of Grasslands a volunteer, non- National Park offers day-use and profit organization camping permit visitor services. based in Val Marie, Visitors can experience a wide Saskatchewan on the range of historical activities as edge of Grasslands they explore the Rodeo & Ranch National Park. The Museum, the Métis Adobe or organization provides additional visitor services the Heritage House featuring (on a seasonal basis) at the historic Little Brick homesteaders from eastern Schoolhouse. Europe. In addition to museum ERVICES INCLUDE activities and group tours, the S : local Historical Society offers an • publication and sale of Grasslands National archive including an extensive Park Field Guide photograph collection, and a • museum featuring the natural history of the bookstore featuring books by grasslands local authors. • art gallery exhibiting work by Saskatchewan The Visitor Centre and the visual artists Museums are open daily from • gift shop emphasizing books, pottery and the May long weekend until other gift items with a connection to the the September long weekend landscape from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM • coffee bar offering delicious things to eat and 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM. and drink, including the best lattes in Tel. 306-266-4953 or email southwest Saskatchewan woodmountainhistoricalsoc@ • wireless internet access sasktel.net • special programmes in support of both park and community activities To see more, volunteer or donate, email [email protected] , visit www.pwss.ca . 20 8 SPECIES AT RISK CONSERVATION GRASSLANDS NATIONAL PARK IS A LEADER AND CONTRIBUTOR TO THE 28 RECOVERY OF CANADIAN SPECIES Second only to the AT RISK park, Brad Dixon’s ranch is home to HOME ON THE RANGE Canada’s largest Visitors from around the world come to Grasslands population of prairie National Park in southern Saskatchewan to see a who’s dogs. He is the who of prairie species at risk: burrowing owls, sage only private citizen grouse and the crowd pleasing colonies of prairie dogs, just to name a few.