Welcome to the Park of the Week Newsletter for July 11, 2024. This week we’re featuring the largest national park in Canada and second largest national park in the world.
Wood Buffalo National Park
Location
Northeast Alberta and the Northwest Territories, Canada
Claim to fame
At nearly 45,000 sq km (over 17,000 sq miles), Wood Buffalo National Park is larger than the nation of Switzerland and the second largest national park in the world.
The park’s namesake–the wood bison–is a threatened species, and the park’s bison herd–around 3,000 animals–makes up almost half of the remaining wood bison population on Earth. A distinct subspecies of American bison, the wood bison is larger and heavier than plains bison; in fact it is the largest animal in North America.
Reason to visit
Wood Buffalo National Park is a park of superlatives. One of the largest national parks in the world, it is also the world’s largest Dark Sky Preserve. The park’s Peace-Athabasca Delta is one of the largest inland freshwater deltas in the world. The park contains the only natural nesting site for the endangered whooping crane.
Wood Buffalo National Park features diverse and abundant wildlife species as well as varied opportunities for recreation and stunning scenery. The park is remote, but accessible year-round by road.
Wild Fact
Wood Buffalo National Park is home to the world’s largest beaver pond. Discovered via satellite images (it is so large it can be seen from space), the beaver pond is 800 meters (over 2,500 ft) long and has a surface area of 70,000 square meters (over 750,000 sq ft).
The pond is the work of generations of beavers, a sign of the health of the park’s beaver population. The pond isn’t accessible via road or trail, and can only be viewed by charter plane, which is how park staff monitor its health.
Thanks for reading. Each Thursday, we send out an image and description of a unique natural or cultural treasure like the one above. Learn new things, explore special places, and find your inspiration: sign up for the free newsletter today.