Bison vs Buffalo at Elk Island National Park, AB

Wild Buffalo/Bison at Elk Island National Park, Alberta (Canada).

This is where I found out that bison and buffalo are really the same thing. The First Nations people called them buffalo, but the scientific name is bison. Something like that.

Regardless, there were many buffalo/bison at Elk Island National Park in Alberta. Plains bison roam around wild, chomping on grass and looking seriously at cars that drive by. It’s neat, because you can see them in their natural habitat, bearing in mind that they’re WILD, so don’t make them mad!

This is a real family park and beach. There is 194 square kilometres of land to motor around in and there’s a chance to see moose, elk and deer.

What else can you do? Drive the Bison Loop Road, picnic, hike through many trails, attend the free interpretive programs in the summer, cross-country ski in the winter, birdwatch, golf (9-hole course), camp, boat, cycle and even book a bus tour.

The Beach at Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada.

The beach area isn’t actually as busy as it once was because there is no swimming in the ocean, so if you’re just looking to hang out, see some wildlife and picnic, this is a good place to do that.

What I liked:

• Well, seeing wild buffalo/bison roaming around is pretty special. I wrote about these beasts a couple of days ago and marvelled at their size- man are they big!
• I liked that the beach wasn’t very crowded. I was told it was due to the fact that there is no more swimming in the ocean.

Tags: AB, Alberta, birdwatching, Bison vs Buffalo, boating, camping, canada, cross-country skiing, cycling, deer, elk, Elk Island National Park, golfing, moose