| Grasslands National Park | |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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| Location | Saskatchewan |
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| Nearest city | Swift Current, Assiniboia |
| Coordinates | 49°10′37″N 107°25′33″W / 49.17694°N 107.42583°WCoordinates: 49°10′37″N 107°25′33″W / 49.17694°N 107.42583°W |
| Area | 907 km² |
| Established | 1981 |
| Governing body | Parks Canada |
Grasslands National Park is one of the Canada's newer national parks, located in southern Saskatchewan, and one of 43 parks and park reserves in Canada's national park system. The system 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,
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.
See also
References
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