Dinosaur Provincial Park: A vacation 85-million years in the making

Beware of dinosaur snot! This is the first piece of advice we’re given as we strike out on foot through Dinosaur Provincial Park. A unique landscape set in the Canadian Badlands, the park was once stomping ground for over 40 species of dinosaurs dating back 85 million years.

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When it rains heavily, as it has just done, mudstones comprised of bentonite (a volcanic ash) turn green and become super slick. Fortunately, it’s dried off enough that we don’t slip on the mucous-looking material.

Our family is on a dino hunt, and if there’s one way to get kids interested in fossil foraging it’s
A) combining their favourite creatures with
B) the possibility of stepping on “snot”

Better still, you can lure littles with the opportunity to stand, stomp and romp atop hundreds of skeletons. I’m not talking human remains, but the bones of dinosaurs buried deep within this land.

Visiting Dinosaur Provincial Park

That’s what makes Dinosaur Provincial Park so appealing to all ages.  This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the world’s most significant fossil beds. “Very few places have this number of complete dinosaur skeletons and species,” avows David Terrill, Alberta Parks Interpreter.

Best for families, the park offers plenty of opportunities for encounters with T-Rex and his fierce friends.

Finding dinosaur bones

Back to standing upon skeletons… It’s actually pretty hard to tell the difference between dinosaur bones and the fragments of sandstone they’re embedded in. You’ll be finding dinosaur bones everywhere!

Cries of “Look what I found!” can be heard all throughout the park. And you’d be amazed at how quickly pre-schoolers learn to correctly identify fossils.

That’s the beauty of stepping back in time at this true Jurassic park. You never knowing what you’re about to uncover.

Even if you’re not die hard dino fans, the aesthetic value alone demands a visit. Flat prairie suddenly gives way to vast craters in this otherworldly landscape of the Canadian Badlands.

What is a hoodoo?

If you’ve ever wondered what a hoodoo is, you’ll only need to step foot in this region. Hoodoos – sandstone pillars topped with large flat stones look like something out of the Flintstones. There’re riddled throughout this riparian habitat.

With all the strange looking sandstone rocks, it’s hard to believe this was once a fertile, subtropical climate.

Fossil tours in Alberta

There are several options for families to peel back the layers of this desolate land, and this is one of the best spots to take fossil tours in Alberta.

Self-guided tours allow kids to roam the grounds, just as these Jurassic giants once did. Head out on foot to hunt for bits of teeth and vertebrae that litter the landscape.

If you’re keen to dig deeper into the prehistoric past, families can learn to identify dinosaur bones and explore the park’s backcountry (including several excavated sites ripe with relics) on guided tours.

Try your hand at fossil prospecting or traverse over rugged sandstone ridges on the Centrosaurus Quarry hike to reach a bone bed chockfull with the remains of hundreds of horned dinosaurs.

Ideal for young families is the Explorer’s Bus, a hop-on hop-off tour to several excavated sites. Our first order of business on this tour is learning how to identify dinosaur bones, a relatively easy process once you know what you’re looking for.

The trick is to spot what appears to be brownish coloured rocks that have the texture of an Aero chocolate bar. “If you’re not certain, go with the lick test,” recommends Terrill. “A wet finger will stick a bit if it’s a bone,” he says.

Our family digs in with the other kids, finding teeth, vertebrae and bits of turtle shell. Because this spot contains one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur bones on the planet, pretty much everywhere you look, you’ll find fragments.

Despite visiting mid summer with too many toddlers to count, there are no meltdowns. There’s more than enough fossils to go around.

Digging up dinosaurs

Hands on learning goes beyond picking through the fossil fields. Yes, you’ll be digging up dino bones just like legit palaeontologists do!

First up, everyone gets a shot using the field jack, a tripod that brings fossils out of the ground. Next, you’ll learn how to apply a burlap plaster cast to a skeleton.

This mummifying process is how fossils are safely transported from the field to museums around the world. Surprisingly, this process remains unchanged since palaeontologists descended upon the site in droves in the early 20th century.

It wasn’t until a rancher from Drumheller, Alberta went to the American Museum of Natural History in 1910, that this region, riddled with the remains of the giant beasts, got on the map. After his visit, over 300 skeletons were dug up within a decade.

Fortunately, the government put the breaks on plundering, and the park is now a dedicated natural preserve. Meaning: you can hunt and admire the fossils, but you can’t take them (or anything else) home with you.

Dinosaur Provincial Park camping

While it’s possible to explore the park as a day trip from Calgary, Dinosaur Provincial Park is best experienced over a few days, which means camping is in order. Dinosaur Campground has a playground, and offers both serviced and unserviced campsites all year round.

From mid-May until mid-October you’ll find a food concession, convenience store and laundry facilities, in addition to showers and flush toilets. Camping here is pretty popular, so you’ll want to reserve your campsite well in advance.

Hotels near Dinosaur Provincial Park

If you’re not into roughing it, you can stay at family-friendly hotel. Your best bet for finding hotels near Dinosaur Provincial Park is in the town of Brooks, about a 30-minute drive away.

I’m partial to the Heritage Inn in Brooks. Rooms are large and there’s coin laundry, which is great for families. Of course, kids love the hot tub and indoor pool, and there’s a fitness facility. Oh, free continental breakfast, too!
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Another one to consider is the Canalta Brooks hotel. It also has a laundry room and an indoor pool – with a waterslide!
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My other recommendation would be Days Inn. It’s pet-friendly with free breakfast, plus an indoor pool.
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Where to Eat

No journey to the Canadian Badlands is complete until you’ve moseyed into the saloon at the Patricia Hotel. Located just a few miles from the Park, the town of Patricia appears to be almost extinct itself, were it not for the bar’s loyal patrons.

Beloved by bikers, hunters and families (who are welcome on Sundays), all walks of life converge amid the taxidermy to participate in the prairie tradition of grilling your own hunk of beef (or bison) at the saloon’s steak pit.

For approximately $20, you can compliment a New York strip, ribeye or T-bone with soup, salad, garlic toast, plus a baked potato with all the fixings.

Dessert lovers will want to brake for Prairie Cottage Bakeshop in the nearby town of Duchess. This Mennonite bakery is quickly gaining a foodie following, thanks in part to the fantastic glazed donuts served up on Wednesday and Fridays. Pretty much everything is worth the calories and there are several gluten-free items, too. Note: the bakery is closed Saturday to Monday.

Know Before You Go

• Dinosaur Provincial Park is approximately a two hour drive from Calgary.
• Interpretive tours run mid May until the end of September. Be sure to register prior to your visit, as these interactive programs book up fast.
• Camping reservations often sell out. Alberta Parks opens their reservation system each April. They have a 72-hour cancellation policy, so continue to check throughout the summer months.
• Visit: albertaparks.ca/dinosaur.

Have you ever gone a dinosaur holiday? I’d love to hear where you went and how your experience was.

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