Elk Island National Park

Trip Date: July 2018

I was asked to give an Outdoor Education presentation to a group of pre-service teachers and master's students at the University of Alberta, which I graciously accepted. I headed up to Edmonton a day early to finalize my presentation, but mostly to do some hiking in Elk Island National Park, which has been on my bucket list for quite some time. I'd always wanted to see the bison that call the park home and explore the landscape that is unique to central Alberta.

Welcome to Elk Island National Park

 Unfortunately the weather wasn't very cooperative on the day of my visit, but some rain and wind weren't going to stop me from enjoying a day outside. I arrived at the park early in the afternoon and headed for the Bison Loop Road, which is supposed to be a hot spot for viewing the park's resident bison. Bison are North America's largest terrestrial mammals and two separate species, Wood Bison and Plains Bison, call the park home. Elk Island is Canada's only fully fenced national park and the two species of bison are kept in separate areas to ensure they don't interbreed. The Wood Bison are larger than the Plains Bison and they can be found south of Highway 16. I spent all of my time on the north side of the highway, so my only chance of seeing bison would be the smaller Plains variety. Even though the park, which is 194 square-kilometres, is completely fenced, the bison are free to roam within its confines. Although there weren't any bison along the road I did stop at the famous red chairs that are present at all national parks and national historic sites across the country.

"Did you know that there are more bison at Elk Island National Park today than the whole of North America in 1890?"

You can read more about the Parks Canada Red Chair program by clicking here

After coming up short on the Bison Loop Road I continued north to the Amisk Wuche Trailhead. Amisk Wuche is a 2.5km moderate trail that winds through aspen, birch, and spruce stands. There are a series of floating boardwalks that assist in crossing small kettle lakes and beaver ponds. The trail also provides some elevated views of the surrounding forest and grassland habitat. Due to the weather I only saw two other people the entire time, but I did share the trail with hoards of mosquitoes! According to my visitor's guide I received upon arrival this is a moderate trail, featuring moderate to steep terrain and is 2.5km in length. The informative sign at the trailhead reads, 

"'Amisk Wuch' is Cree for 'Beaver Hills'. Elk Island National Park is situated within these hills, 30-60 metres above the surrounding plains. For thousands of years these forested hills attracted Aboriginal people from the northern plains. Imagine the appeal as you follow ponds that harbour Ruddy Ducks and Mallards. The slosh of Moose feeding along the edge reminds us that the Beaver Hills have always sustained wildlife. Explore the rich cultural and natural heritage of the home of the amisk (beaver) in Elk Island National Park."

Hiking along the Amisk Wuche Trail

Just one of the floating boardwalks you'll cross during this hike

You will also see several beaver lodges in the various wetlands

The trail is lush with vegetation

Look closely and you'll see a Wood Frog well-camouflaged with its surroundings. I was amazed at how many of these amphibians I saw. There were easily dozens of them throughout the hike.

Overlooking the wetlands from the trail

After completing the Amisk Wuche Trail I made my way down to the Astotin Lake Area, which could be considered the hub of Elk Island. The area includes a visitor centre, beaches, a golf course, campground, boat launch, and more. It's also home to several trailheads, including the one for my next hike; Lakeview Trail. This trail features panoramic views overlooking Astotin Lake and traverses through both Aspen and Black Spruce forest. The trail is considered easy with limited steep sections and a distance of 3.5km.

Another set of the Red Chairs overlooking Astotin Lake. What a view!

The classic view of Astotin Lake

Entering the Lakeview Trail

A typical section of trail

The trail offers great views of Astotin Lake and wetlands like the one above

As I was hiking the Lakeview Trail I came around a corner and was hit with the unmistakable smell of bovine. Bison smell an awful lot like cattle, so I instantly became very aware of my surroundings as I didn't want to spook any of the wildlife. I didn't end up seeing any bison, but the tall grass beside the trail was trampled down, possibly the site of a bed, and there were tracks along the muddy trail, which I am assuming are bison. Take a look at the photos below and see for yourself. What do you think?

Could this be where a bison bedded down?

I apologize for not putting something on the ground for scale, but I do believe these are bison tracks

One final view of Astotin Lake before making my way back to the parking lot

It would have been very easy, albeit unprofessional of me, to spend the rest of the day exploring the park and doing some more hiking, but I had other responsibilities that needed my attention in Edmonton, so I bid farewell to Elk Island. 

I feel like my brief visit was a great introduction to the park, but I barely scratched the surface of its full potential. I hope to return someday soon and do more exploring. I would love to hike one of the longer trails in the park, such as Tawayik Lake Trail or Wood Bison Trail, to get the full experience of what this park truly has to offer. As I was leaving I was disappointed I didn't see any of the park's famous wildlife, but Elk Island still had one last surprise for me. I spotted three large bulls grazing just inside the fence. It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for in terms of photos, but still really cool seeing them in their traditional territory like this. I could have watched them a lot longer than I was able to.

A Plains Bison bull grazing at Elk Island National Park

Close-up of this bull chewing grasses

They are certainly majestic animals

Until next time Elk Island...