cross country skiing

courtesy WBNP

Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada’s largest national park. It was established in 1922 to protect the world's largest herd of free-roaming wood bison, currently estimated at more than 5,000. It is the only known nesting site of whooping cranes.

Axe Handle Hill Park is located at the eastern end of the Town of Fort Smith between Pine Crescent and Park Drive. The park was created to recognize the historical significance of the area and to help protect its fragile hiking and skiing trails. Snowmobiles, ATVs, and other motorized vehicles are not permitted on the trails in the park.

The Trans Canada Trail is a 21,500-kilometre recreational trail winding its way through every province and territory, from the Atlantic to Pacific to Arctic Oceans. When completed, it will be the world's longest recreational trail, linking close to 1,000 communities and over 33 million Canadians. Thousands of people use the Trail to walk, hike, cycle, ski, horseback ride, canoe, and snowmobile.

For the average hiker, cyclist, snowshoer, and skier, the Cassette rapids provide some dramatic whitewater vistas, though they appear from shore to be less-impressive than the Pelican rapids. Kayakers will beg to differ, however. The proof is in the vegetation.

Due in large part to the spray generated by these rapids, and the resulting humidity, the trees along this part of the river are enormous compared to their counterparts downstream.

photo by Jessica CoxThe Pelican rapids are accessible all year-round, by foot and bicycle from April to October (depending on snowfall), and by ski, snowshoe, and snowmobile from November to March (depending on snowfall). These are magnificent whitewater rapids, and an outcrop of Canadian Shield granite jutting up from the water allows hikers to walk halfway across the expansive river (dependent on water levels) from June through October.