Fort Assiniboine Sandhills Wildland Park is located along the north shore of the Athabasca River. The park contains two distinct environments: upland dunes and riparian forests. The upland dunes include jack pine lichen forests with numerous intervening fens. The fens represent a diversity of types including open water, sedge fens in various stages of succession, and fens dominated by larch. Riparian communities consist of a series of meander scars with a variety of forest types including white spruce, balsam poplar and aspen poplar in various mixtures. Intervening oxbows vary from open water through bog birch-Labrador tea communities, to those dominated by black spruce and larch in either pure or mixed stands. Forests harbour species such as pileated woodpeckers, various wood warblers and flying squirrels that favour old growth. Sandhill cranes nest in the fens. More than 435 plant species have been recorded in the park.