Cedar & CurrentNature & landscapes
Canada
← Back to the journal
Habitats

Grasslands beyond the open horizon

Prairie terrain includes valleys, badlands and varied plant communities.

Cedar & Current / Background / Source checked: 20 October 2026
Still lake, conifer forest and distant mountains in dawn light.
Editorial illustration of a forest and mountain lake.

More than a flat plain

Grasslands National Park represents native mixed-grass prairie in southern Saskatchewan. Its landscape includes rolling hills, coulees and steep ravines, rather than a single unbroken plain. Parks Canada distinguishes the Frenchman River Valley in the West Block from the Killdeer Badlands and Wood Mountain Uplands in the East Block, giving each area a different setting.

Plants across the terrain

Both cool-season and warm-season grasses occur in the park. Broad valley lowlands also contain sagebrush, greasewood and prickly pear cactus. These details are useful reminders that prairie vegetation is not simply a uniform covering of grass. Looking at the terrain and its plant communities together reveals a more varied ecosystem than a distant horizon might suggest.

A place for many species

The park’s account of its wildlife includes pronghorns, greater sage-grouse, prairie rattlesnakes and black-tailed prairie dogs. It also introduces work on vegetation restoration and species at risk. These are documented features of the ecosystem, not a promise of seeing a particular animal. Follow the park’s species pages to learn how individual animals fit into the wider prairie landscape.

Original source

Parks Canada — Grasslands nature and science

Read the original source ↗

Source checked on 20 October 2026. Practical information may change. Illustrations accompany the theme and do not identify the place or objects described.

Keep exploring.