Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
World Heritage Site
Located 18 km north & west of Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada at a location where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains
meet the Great Plains, one of the world's oldest, largest, and best preserved buffalo jumps can be found. Head-Smashed-In
- a UNESCO World Heritage Site - has been used continuously by aboriginal peoples of the plains nearly 6,000 years.
The World Heritage Site
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is an archaeological site known around the world as a remarkable testimony of the life of
the Plains People through the millennia. The Jump bears witness to a method of hunting practiced by native people of the
North American plains for nearly 6,000 years.
Due to their excellent understanding of the regional topography and bison behaviour, native people hunted bison by
stampeding them over a precipice. They then carved up the carcasses and dragged the pieces to be butchered and processed
in the butchering camp set up on the flats beyond the cliffs.
In 1981, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Head-Smashed-In Buffalo
Jump as a World Heritage Site placing it among other world heritage monuments such as the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge and the the Galapagos Islands. For more information on UNESCO, go to www.unesco.org
Come and Visit
The Interpretive Centre is open year round (see Hours and Admissions
for details). We welcome visitors from around the world. Check out the Special
Events and Public Programs to be sure you don’t miss out on special
performances and activities. Schools and youth groups will find our
Education Programs of interest. Commercial Tour Operators are invited to Contact Us
to make special arrangements and bookings for building tours and customized programs. Our Café
is open from May long weekend to Thanksgiving weekend.
Check out the "What's New?" page for current activities, special events
and programs.
Download the
Information Guide to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.
Last reviewed/revised: May 14, 2013
