Bison Paddock

Bison Paddock is a managed plains bison enclosure just inside the north edge of Waterton Lakes National Park. You can drive a seasonal loop through the grassland or take a separate short walk to an overlook above the valley. Keep it on your list if you want a chance to watch bison in their mountain setting, but don't count on a sighting: the herd moves around the enclosure and may be out of view.

Bison Paddock Loop Road is for vehicles. Parks Canada does not allow walking, cycling or motorcycles on the loop, and asks visitors to stay inside their vehicles near bison. The road is unpaved, so take it slowly. If you would rather avoid a rough drive, the overlook is a separate way to see the place.

The route is seasonal. The herd spends winter in a smaller paddock, then moves to the larger summer area in late spring and stays there through fall; exact opening dates vary. Binoculars or a telephoto lens help when the animals are across the enclosure.

The paved overlook path is about 0.6 km return, with little elevation gain; allow 10 to 20 minutes. From above the paddock, you can look across Waterton Valley to the surrounding mountains. The landscape also carries long, low eskers left by the last glacial advance, and interpretive signs explain what you are seeing.

Waterton has maintained a plains bison herd here since 1952, usually between five and 20 animals. After the 2017 Kenow wildfire, the former herd was relocated while the rough fescue prairie recovered. Six bison from Elk Island National Park returned on February 19, 2021; Elders from Kainai, Piikani and Siksika Nations welcomed them in a private prayer ceremony.

Bison shape the grassland and help other plants and animals thrive. Rough fescue, a nutritious native prairie grass, feeds the herd; Waterton is the only Canadian national park that protects this prairie type. Parks Canada also describes bison as culturally important to Blackfoot peoples, with ties to southwestern Alberta stretching back more than 10,000 years.