All 4 in 3 days here: ~10%
Elk Island National Park
🇨🇦 Canada
Prairies, Canada 400 spp. recorded
Elk Island National Park is a fenced temperate grassland and aspen woodland preserve located in central Alberta, Canada. Its terrain consists of flat prairie meadows and shallow wetlands connected by dirt walking trails.
53.669° N 112.830° W
🦜 Nature
245 Species sighted
30,591 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jun Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
+ 203 more species with insufficient data
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Elk Island National Park
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
21Jan
18Feb
20Mar
33Apr
52May
62Jun
56Jul
49Aug
38Sep
36Oct
29Nov
31Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Blackfoot Lake Staging Area
-
Astotin Lake · Sandy Beach & Campground
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
Paid
Tourism
Medium
Typical stay
1
dayTrails
Easy
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Good
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
2.9
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 319
🐒 Mammals 70
🦎 Reptiles 2
🐸 Amphibians 9
400 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
15 Threatened 2 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
3.6
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
71% 📊
Coverage (133 species at ≥5% of 400 in the inventory)
33% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (7 bird, 4 mammal, 1 amphibian)
72% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
103 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
8 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
33 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.6
Climate Harsh Low
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism Medium Medium
Trails Easy High
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
It turned out to be a good area for spotting wildlife as well – we startled a female elk who took off into the woods, paused as a coyote jogged across the trail a few yards in front of us, and saw beaver evidence all along the lake.
Our first stop on the Bison Loop Road was a bit quiet, but we did manage to spot a White-faced Ibis, American Kestrel, and a few Franklin’s Gulls flying by.
Along the boardwalk in Summerside this past week, one day was particularly calm and we watched the gulls and crows argue over food the gulls drop from heights to break the shells for the morsels inside.
I found myself walking westward inside the 2.2-metre-high game fence that surrounds Elk Island National Park and then coming to a sudden stop — staring at the massive head and bulky shoulders of a nonplussed, plus-sized bison.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Elk Island National Park?
400 species
Elk Island National Park has 400 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are American Bison (about 90%), Mallard (about 80%), Wood Frog (about 70%), American Beaver (about 70%) and Red-necked Grebe (about 70%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Plains Garter Snake (about 50%).
When is the best time to visit Elk Island National Park for wildlife?
April to July
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 40% in January and February. Those are among Elk Island National Park's wettest months, with about 80 mm of rain a month against 20 mm in December.
Can you see an American Bison in Elk Island National Park?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report an American Bison sighting in Elk Island National Park on a given day, based on 750 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is October (over 90%).
Can you see an Elk (wapiti) in Elk Island National Park?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report an Elk (wapiti) sighting in Elk Island National Park on a given day, based on 177 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January and February (about 90%).
Can you see a Moose in Elk Island National Park?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Moose sighting in Elk Island National Park on a given day, based on 75 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March (about 80%).
Can you see an American Beaver in Elk Island National Park?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report an American Beaver sighting in Elk Island National Park on a given day, based on 229 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February, May and September–November (about 80%).
Where in Elk Island National Park is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Blackfoot Lake Staging Area
The richest sighting zone is around Blackfoot Lake Staging Area, followed by Astotin Lake · Sandy Beach & Campground, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Elk Island National Park good for wildlife watching?
3.3 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Elk Island National Park rates 3.3/5: 240th of 316 parks worldwide and 41st in North America. 39 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
