Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Street art in Cartagena.
Colombia • 10 days, 9 nights
Colombia Discovery: Coffee, Art & Music
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Muc Lien’s 18 Gates of Hell.
Muc Lien's 18 Gates of Hell
Lighthouse and Museum of Jára Cimrman (Maják a muzeum Járy Cimrmana).
Lighthouse of Jára Cimrman
Markers honor 865 war dead.
Sovjet Ereveld (Soviet Field of Honor)
The intaglio leaves a subtle impression on the land along Riverside Drive in Fort Atkinson.
Panther Intaglio
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
about 11 hours ago
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
2 days ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
3 days ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada Alberta Fort Macleod Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Historic site where Native American hunters once trapped and killed buffalo.

Fort Macleod, Alberta

Added By
Jo
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  http://farm1.static.flickr.com/74/16990153...
  http://farm1.static.flickr.com/74/16990153...
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-Smashed-...
The interpretive center and museum.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Head-Sma...
  http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/270822...
  http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1365/106847...
  Gogostevie / Atlas Obscura User
  KieraLee / Atlas Obscura User
  KieraLee / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Thanks to their careful understanding of topography and bison behavior, Native American hunters killed the beasts by chasing them over this precipice near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains for nearly 6,000 years. (It was abandoned in the 19th century after European contact.) After driving the buffalo off the edge, the hunters would then climb down to the camp below and carve up their carcasses for use in all manner of daily life.

The Blackfoot drove buffalo from a grazing area in the Porcupine Hills more than a mile and a half from the jump through carefully constructed lanes that directed the animals to the cliff. At more than 30 feet, the cliff was high enough to break the animals' legs upon impact.

The site was used as a buffalo jump for so long that bones have been discovered nearly 40 feet underground. One estimate suggests that more than 120,000 buffalo were slaughtered at Head-Smashed-In over the years.

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 for its testimony of prehistoric life and the customs of aboriginal people, the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is also home to a museum that celebrates Blackfoot culture.

The Interpretive Centre at Head-Smashed-In opened in 1987, built directly into the ancient sandstone cliff. In addition to showcasing the mythology, lifestyle, ecology, and technology of Blackfoot peoples, it offers hands-on educational workshops in moccasin making, drum construction, and more. Visitors can enjoy demonstrations of traditional drumming and dancing every Wednesday in the summer.

Related Tags

Cultures And Civilizations Rites And Rituals

Know Before You Go

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is located 18 km northwest of Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada on Highway 785. Good footwear is recommended for walking on the trails. 

Community Contributors

Added By

canuck

Edited By

Blindcolour, tedking321, nbj914, KieraLee...

  • Blindcolour
  • tedking321
  • nbj914
  • KieraLee
  • Gogostevie

Published

August 23, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Wikipedia: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-Smashed-In_Buffalo_Jump
  • Trip Adviser: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g182207-d184444-Reviews-Head_Smashed_In_Buffalo_Jump-Fort_Macleod_Alberta.html
  • Yahoo! Travel: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Calgary: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-12798777-head_smashed_in_buffalo_jump_calgary-i
  • World Heritage Site: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump: http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/headsmashedinbuffalojump.html
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Fort Macleod, Alberta, T0L 0Z0
Canada
49.705594, -113.653179
Visit Website

Nearby Places

The Burmis Tree

Bellevue, Alberta

miles away

Frank Slide

Bellevue, Alberta

miles away

International Yarn Bombing Day

Lethbridge, Alberta

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alberta

Alberta

Canada

Places 81
Stories 5

Nearby Places

The Burmis Tree

Bellevue, Alberta

miles away

Frank Slide

Bellevue, Alberta

miles away

International Yarn Bombing Day

Lethbridge, Alberta

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alberta

Alberta

Canada

Places 81
Stories 5

Related Stories and Lists

Best of the Week -- 2010.08.31

By Nick Jackson

Related Places

  • Footprints

    Kgatleng, Botswana

    Matsieng Footprints

    Local legend has it that the first humans were created in the pools here, leaving their footprints behind in the rock.

  • Chios Rocket War.

    Chios, Greece

    Chios Rocket War

    Two churches shoot bottle rockets at each others' bell towers in an unusual Easter celebration.

  • A monster with two smaller monsters in tow.

    Mohács, Hungary

    Busójárás

    Festival of Perpetual Life and Rebirth.

  • Other logs lie in wait for purchase and an eventual fireplace beating

    Barcelona, Spain

    Tió de Nadal

    Catalonia Tradition: Beating the hollow Christmas log until it defecates in your fireplace.

  • Boca do Acre, Brazil

    Boca do Acre

    Hub for hallucinogenic Amazon religion.

  • The wars.

    Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

    The Pennsic War at Coopers Lake

    An otherwise quiet campground becomes a bustling medieval town for two weeks every year.

  • Mexico City, Mexico

    Mercado de Sonora

    Superstitious? Discover the witchy side of Mexico through its largest esoteric market.

  • Rapa Nui, Chile

    Orongo

    This was once the center of the Birdman cult, and is now a World Heritage Site.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.