If you thought the road between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg was long, you saw nothing!
The real Canadian prairies route is experienced by going to the south of the province to Grasslands National Park. Crossing the country that saw the birth of the giant Ferré at Willow Bunch (which also has a huge salt water lake), which is the largest producer of wheat in the world and is also the ideal place to clear your mind and fill up with breathtaking landscapes!
You know when you arrive somewhere and suddenly feel like you had to see that place to understand some of your history! These lands have remained virtually untouched for thousands of years. The feeling of immensity and eternity is at every turn.
The park is divided into two sectors: Rock Creek on the east side and Frenchman River Valley on the west side and both offer totally different experiences.
The Badlands
The Ruisseau-Rock Block offers a hilly landscape as far as the eye can see, hence its nickname Badlands, vestiges of the ice age and the presence of dinosaurs of which fossils can still be found almost everywhere.
On Wednesdays and Saturday mornings, a guided walk is offered at a low cost: 70 million years in 60 minutes, which is worth it for its informative side that young and old alike will appreciate. You will discover fossils, the park being one of the richest deposits in Canada and you will be able to see the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. This is one of the rare places in the world where we can observe this geological phenomenon testifying to the disappearance of the dinosaurs.
Unforgettable hikes
Several hiking trails are accessible from reception for different levels of hikers. The trails can also be covered by bike (preferably mountain bike), but they are very narrow.
Don’t miss the 11 km Badlands Parkway which takes you to 6 different breathtaking viewpoints. The latter is accessible on foot, by bicycle or by car and is the only paved place in the park.
At nightfall, astronomers will appreciate the starry sky without light pollution, allowing them to observe the celestial vault in all its splendor. I even “succeeded” in taking a photo of the Milky Way with my iPhone! Okay, I grant you, I still have some work to do!
The campsite is well equipped with dry toilets and water points (but no showers) and a station for emptying and refilling drinking water, but does not have any shaded camping areas.
Summer temperatures can be very hot and dry and also quite windy. At the time of our visit, we recorded gusts of 57 km/h! It’s better to be warned, especially if you have a tent.
Make sure you have everything you need for the duration of your stay, as there aren’t many options nearby.
The Frenchman River Valley
The Frenchman River valley on the west side is, as its name suggests, a site located in the hollow of a valley where the landscapes are less arid and more green.
It is in this sector of the park that you will be able to observe colonies of black-tailed prairie dogs which are larger and different from the species observed almost everywhere in the prairies, namely the jester ground squirrel which will entertain you with its little dances as you approach on the road! The main attraction of West Park is undoubtedly a herd of plains bison reintroduced into the park in 2005 after 120 years of absence. The herd is currently estimated at between 500 and 650 animals. You can ask park staff where the herd has been seen recently to help you find them. They are sometimes very far away, which I think is a good thing! Don’t forget your binoculars and you will be able to observe several other species including antelocarp, white-tailed deer, mule deer, coyote, which you will hear singing at dusk, and also the prairie rattlesnake, a rattlesnake of which a large colony is present in this section of the park. Ornithology enthusiasts will not be left out with nearly thirty species listed, including the famous burrowing owl.
This section of the park offers the same facilities as the East section with the exception that you can empty the black and grey water, but not fill up with drinking water.
An experience like no other
The two sectors are 173 km apart and several sections of road are not paved and are very, very dusty. It took us weeks to clean everything outside and inside the motorhome, but it was worth it! If you have time, both areas are worth a visit of at least 2 nights each in order to fully enjoy them and take the time to clear your head and fill up with unique images!