Elk Island National Park is Canada's smallest mainland national park and one of the most accessible — about 35 kilometres east of Edmonton, an easy day trip. The park is a fully fenced nature reserve containing one of the highest densities of hoofed animals in the world: plains bison, wood bison, moose, deer, and elk are all present in numbers that make wildlife sightings essentially guaranteed.
The bison are the centrepiece. Plains bison roam the south side of the park; wood bison — the larger, darker subspecies — are on the north side. Driving the park road in early morning or evening is reliably productive; bison regularly block traffic, which is the correct order of priority. Walking trails through the aspen parkland take you among the animals on foot, which is a different experience entirely.
The park is also excellent for birds — over 250 species have been recorded, with waterfowl particularly abundant. In winter, the park offers cross-country ski trails through one of the more scenically productive landscapes in the Edmonton region.