Culture and history
Grasslands National Park
The park has thousands of archaeological find sites, artifacts, and is one of the largest concentrations of undisturbed precontact cultural resources in Canada. All of these finds help us to understand the type of people that once lived here, where they were located, and how they made use of the land and its resources.
Indigenous connections
Indigenous habitation dates back to 10,000 years ago. By the 1600's, the A’aninin (Gros Ventre) followed the bison herds in this area. More recently, the Nakoda (Assiniboine), Nehiyawak (Plains Cree), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Dakota and Lakota (Sioux) also inhabited this grassland area on a seasonal basis.
History
A story of survival and persistence! Ancient tipi rings and bison drive lanes are just a few remnants of the Indigenous people who once called the prairie wilderness home. Old corrals using river willow fenceposts and remnants of early ranching homesteads dot the landscape to remind us of the end of the ‘wild west’ and the transition to settlement.
Cultural landscape
Throughout history, the Grasslands National Park area was considered the last frontier of the Canadian prairie west. Prairie people sought the land for different treasures.
Special programs
Come and explore our Ecotour Driving Adventure, diverse trails, and guided experiences. Discover some of Canada’s rarest wildlife, darkest skies, astonishing dinosaur fossils, over 20,000 tipi rings, and varied landscapes, from buttes and valleys to breathtaking badlands. Your surprise awaits!
Photos and video
Parks Canada and Explore (explore.org) are teaming up to bring you live video feed of bison on the Canadian Prairie in Grasslands National Park.
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