Grasslands National Park

Infobox_protected_area | name = Grasslands National Park
iucn_category = II

---

caption = Location of "Grasslands National Park" in Canada
locator_x = 79
locator_y = 186
location = Saskatchewan
nearest_city = Swift Current, Assiniboia
lat_degrees = 49
lat_minutes = 10
lat_seconds = 37
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 107
long_minutes = 25
long_seconds = 33
long_direction = W
area = 907 km²
established = 1981
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = Parks Canada

Grasslands National Park is one of Canada's newer national parks and is located in southern Saskatchewan along the Montana border. The park is part of the national park system, which aims to protect representative areas of the country's 39 natural regions. Grasslands National Park represents the Prairie Grasslands natural region, protecting one of the nation's only remaining areas of undisturbed mixed prairie grassland. The unique landscape and harsh climate provide niches for several specially adapted plants and animals. The park and surrounding area house the country's only black-tailed prairie dog colonies. Other rare and endangered species that can be found in the park include the pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, prairie rattlesnake, and eastern short-horned lizard.

Glacial meltwater erosion formed many of the park's characteristic features. Highlights of the park's geological landscape include the Frenchman River Valley, the 70 Mile Butte, the Killdeer Badlands and Rock Creek.

In 1874 Sir George Mercer Dawson discovered western Canada's first dinosaur remains in the Killdeer Badlands during the International Boundary Survey. Later, in 1877, Sitting Bull took refuge in the area with around 5000 Sioux after the defeat of Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

At present, there are no camping facilities in the park, though wilderness camping is permitted, and there is an interpretive centre located in the nearby town of Val Marie. The park consists of two widely separated sections.

In 2006 Plains Bison from Elk Island National Park in Alberta were introduced to Grasslands. The park annually gets about 6000 visitors.

Its alternate official name is "Parc national des Prairies" in French.

ee also

*National Parks of Canada
*List of National Parks of Canada
*List of Saskatchewan parks

References

* [http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/sk/grasslands/index_e.asp Parks Canada Grasslands National Park website ]
* [http://vovm.sasktelwebsite.net/ Val Marie Village website]