Nemiskam National Park

Nemiskam National Park was a protected grassland area in south-central Alberta situated between the Chin Coulee and Etzikom Coulee valleys. The site was established to provide refuge for pronghorn antelope on the Canadian Prairies and remained active as a reserve for several decades.

The area received protection in 1914 as the Nemiskam National Antelope Reserve and gained full national park status in 1922. Operations ended in 1947 when pronghorn populations had recovered enough to no longer require active protection.

The name Nemiskam comes from a First Nations language meaning "between two valleys," describing the Coulee valleys that shape the landscape. This geographic name shows how Indigenous peoples understood and described their territory.

The site is no longer publicly accessible as a park, since the land returned to agricultural and community use after 1947. Visitors interested in learning about its history can visit regional museums and archives in nearby towns.

This reserve was one of the first areas in North America created specifically to restore a wild animal population, an experiment that succeeded before the park closed. Its early work on pronghorn recovery predated modern wildlife conservation practices by decades.

Inception: 1914

GPS coordinates: 49.53920,-111.41700

Latest update: December 14, 2025 15:00