History
It was created in the 1930's to represent the transition from the prairies open grasslands through aspen parklands popular and other deciduous trees with open spaces between clumps and boreal forest coniferous trees, lakes, beaches. Grey Owl Archie Belany was a famous naturalist who made a home in the park prior to his death at Lake Ajawaan.
Climate
Summers are generally warm but not excessively hot. Days in June and July may achieve more than 30 C. May and August are often warm, but may also have daytime temperatures some years as low as 5-10 C, and near freezing overnight. The townsite accommodations at Waskesiu Lake are often heavily booked from ~June 15 to ~August 20 because of being almost certain to have fine sunny weather. The park is open in winter for cross country skiing and other adventures, but little used.
Landscape
The landscape varies from open plains where buffalo bison roam wild to northern lakes with dense forest cover and many lakes. The main townsite is on Waskesiu Lake and is called Waskesiu. It has many fine sandy beaches accessible by automobile, with picnic grounds with public tables where a fire may be lit and food cooked. Other lakes easily accessed are Sandy Lake - which has a camping ground on the shore and a nice sand beach; Namekus Lake - same as Sandy L, but smaller; Trappers Lake - smaller still, no beach; the Hanging Heart Lakes - 3 small lakes which lead into the park's largest lake Crean, these lakes are usually accessed for fishing only; Crean Lake - takes a boat ride to get to, it has beaches, but these are little used.
Understand
English will be spoken everywhere. There will be a government employee in most places who will also speak French. Most people will ask you all sorts of things if you have another language, and it is perfectly safe to make friends for the weekend or week. You will be offered coffee or a drink, and maybe something to eat from you new friends.
Flora and fauna
The main trees in the park are trembling aspen, paper birch, black spruce, white spruce, jack pine and balsam fir. Most travellers to the park will see elk wapiti - different than European elk, white-tailed deer, much water fowl ducks and geese and many birds. Those who hike even short distances off highways may see foxes, black bears, moose often standing in water, eating, and more rarely wolves and bison buffalo. The lakes have many fish, and can be caught with a rod and reel - a National Parks fishing license is required. The types of fish often caught are northern pike locally called "jackfish", walleye locally called "pickeral, white perch, whitefish. The park also has a restricted zone for travel at Lake Lavalee on the norther border where white pelicans breed. Most travellers would not venture "into the bush" by canoe and wet trail to make the restrictions important.