Monalisa Dash Dwibedy
Elk island park is only thirty five minutes east of Edmonton, but a world away. I’m exploring Alberta these days and currently I live in Edmonton (the capital city of Alberta).
My travel stories will remain incomplete if I do not tell my readers about this wonderful wildlife conservatory park. Explore nature, watch bison, carve a new path and seek new adventures in the wilderness of this beautiful national park.
Share the stories around the campfire as you watch the stars in the night sky. You can reserve your campsite either in Astotin lake campground or Oster lake campground. Astotin lake camp ground is within walking distance of the Astotin lake beach, playground and theatre.
This campground offers drinking water, hot showers, picnic shelters, flush toilets and bundled firewood (for purchase). The theatre shows documentaries on the bison conservation. The Oster lake campground is a hike-in only campground which provides a unique camping experience on the west shore of Oster lake.
Elk island national park is the only national park that maintains herds of both subspecies of North American bison; wood bison and plains bison. Wood bison are the largest land mammals in North America. This famous national park provides bisons for conservation initiatives around the world. We watched a bison grazing grass from a very close distance while driving through the park.
One can bring a bike and breathe in the fresh air while cycling along the trails or roadways in the park. Watch wildlife as you cycle through the forest or across the open grasslands. If you love walking, it will be like a forest bath for you. Listen to singing birds or enjoy a sunset over Astotin lake. Most trails have parking, viewpoints, washrooms and garbage facilities.
Come experience a place where the bison still roams as the stars twinkle in the sky. Meet the plants, varieties of mushrooms and animals that call the park home on one of more than eighty kilometer trails or paddle in the park lakes or learn how the park contributes to global bison conservation.
There is something for everyone at Elk Island.
(The author is an IT Consultant living in Toronto. Views are personal)
