We knew from pictures a little of what to expect from Dinosaur Provincial Park, a park with the highest concentration of Cretaceous fossils in the world. But pictures do no justice to the landscape that you drop into from the otherwise flat plains surrounding the Red Deer River Valley. The drive from Calgary is devoid of all sensory stimulation, unless you count the dry summer heat and relentless prairie wind. Then, seemingly out of no where, the ground starts to open up revealing Alberta’s infamous Badlands.

The term badland comes from the 1900’s when French-Canadian fur trappers called it “les mauvais terres pour traverse;” simply meaning, ‘bad lands to travel through.’

Years of wind and water erosion have carved these features into the sandstone.

The campsite is an oasis in the surrounding dust bowl. Tent camping at Dinosaur Provincial Park is $29/night, drinking water and showers included. Free camping can be found 20 minutes outside of the park at Steveville Campground. This site has picnic tables but no other amenities.

The park offers a variety of guided tours though the natural preserve, which is otherwise closed to the public. Be sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

There are also five self guided hiking trails and a 3 km scenic drive. We highly recommend getting out on the trails for both sunrise and sunset.

After Dinosaur Provincial Park we made our way to Drumheller.

The Royal Tyrrell Museum has the right mix of thrilling displays and informational literature to keep all ages entertained from open to close. If you ever want to feel insignificant just compare the time that humans have walked the Earth with that of the dinosaurs.

There is more to Drumheller than dinosaurs though. Take a drive down the Dinosaur Trail to learn about their mining history, walk the suspension bridge, find a hiking trail and much more!

If you do find yourself in the Drumheller area make sure to stop at the Last Chance Saloon in Wayne. We can’t think of quite the right word to describe this place. It has enough decor to keep a game of ‘I spy’ going for hours. There is even a grill your own steak option on the menu. However, in our experience, we have found that this can be done at home for a lot cheaper. 😉