204 KM | Best for wildlife viewing
Wood Buffalo Route
The Wood Buffalo Route begins just outside Hay River, following Highway 5 and provides plenty of opportunities for wildlife and birdwatching. This scenic drive offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Salt Plains and highlights several attractions, including Wood Buffalo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At Fort Smith, you can explore three Territorial Parks and enjoy thrilling activities like white-water rafting or kayaking on the Slave River.
Kilometres reflect distance from the junction of Highways 2 and 5, not total driving distance.
Route Detail
Wood Buffalo National Park
Buffalo Junction / intersection of Highways 5 and 6
Points of interest near Buffalo Junction include:
- The Angus Fire Tower (Kilometre 107) This lookout point features a giant sinkhole, evidence of the unique karst topography of this area.
- Nyarling River Pull Off (Kilometre 120.8) This pull off features interpretive displays describing the unique geology of the Nyarling River and where the river begins travelling underground.
- Wetlands Pull Off (Kilometre 201) Follow a short interpretive trail down to a peaceful area overlooking habitat similar to that of the whooping crane nesting area.
Wood Buffalo National Park
Wood Buffalo National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, at 44,800 km², is the largest national park in North America. Established in 1922, the park protects one of the last remaining free-roaming herds of wood bison in the world. There are other park attractions, including the last remaining natural nesting ground of the endangered Whooping Crane, the biologically rich Peace-Athabasca River Delta, extensive salt plains that are unique in Canada, and some of the finest examples of gypsum karst topography in North America. Stop at the Wood Buffalo Visitor Information Centre in Fort Smith to learn more about the park through interpretive displays.
Little Buffalo River Falls Territorial Park
Little Buffalo Falls Territorial Park
This park offers six non-powered sites in a uniquely picturesque spot. The area was devastated by a forest fire in 1981, but re-growth has been swift. Now, the area is an ideal spot to observe and learn about how nature revives and replenishes the land. Relax by a small waterfall or launch your canoe in the gorge below. Camping permits are available at the on-site self-registration kiosk. Sites are available on a first come, first-served basis.
Of Special Interest
The Salt Plains Overlook (Kilometre 230) is accessed by a 13 km road that ends with a amazing panoramic view of the salt plains. For a close-up view, take the hiking trail down. There is a picnic area and outhouses.
Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park
Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park
Located in the community of Fort Smith, this park has 24 powered campsites, group camping, and great views of the Slave River, whose rapids are a world-class venue for white water kayaking and rafting. There are trails around the park and to the Slave River's four major rapids: Cassette, Pelican, Mountain, and Rapids of the Drowned. Keep your eyes peeled for summer colonies of white pelicans in their northernmost outpost in the world.
Of Special Interest
The Fort Smith Visitor Information Centre shares space with the Wood Buffalo National Park Visitor Information Centre. It is open daily from June - August, and on weekdays from September-May.
Fort Smith
Once the political capital of the Northwest Territories, Fort Smith is the southernmost community in the NWT and is known as "The Garden Capital of the North". Situated on the shore of the Slave River, on the original portage route around the Slave River Rapids, the town began as a fur trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company in 1874, but fur traders travelling down the Mackenzie River had been using the area as a stopover for more than a century.
There are several recreation facilities in town, including a golf course, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a recreation complex. The Northern Life Museum has extensive galleries depicting the traditional lifestyle and activities of the Indigenous people of the area.
Fort Smith Mission Territorial Park Day Use Area
Located in the centre of Fort Smith, the Fort Smith Mission Heritage Park is all that remains of the original 151-acre Oblate Catholic Mission Church. The park provides an extensive self-guided tour of the site, with interpretive signage describing various aspects of the history and activities of the mission. The most prominent features in the park, the Bishop's Residence, is surrounded by five out-buildings, St. Isadore's Church, and fields that were once used to produce food for the mission.
