Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta

---

There are quite a few different hiking trails with really incredible view points in Dinosaur Provincial Park and we thought we would recommend our favorites. These trails provide easy access to drive along the "Public Loop Rd" and there is parking at each trailhead. The other option is to hike the entire loop for those who are looking for a challenge and fully take in the scenic landscape. 

Also see our "Dinosaur Visitor Centre" section below for options on guided tours which will provide more in-depth knowledge on the history of Dinosaur Provincial Park.  

The trails listed below are our personal favorites that have interpretive signage & information boards providing origin stories of settlers, landscape information, and the dinosaurs who roamed the area millions of years ago.  

• Badlands Trail (loop) - 1.3km in length with 37m of elevation gain and is considered to be "easy/green" in difficulty. 

• Trail of the Fossil Hunters (Out & Back)  - 1.4km in length with 23m of elevation gain and is considered to be "easy/green" in difficulty. 

• Cottonwood Flats Trail (loop) - 1.4km in length with 20m of elevation gain and is considered to be "easy/green" in difficulty

• Prairie Trail (DPP Short Loop) - 0.5 km in length with 3m of elevation gain and is considered to be "easy/green" in difficulty. 

We always recommend bringing water, sunscreen, snacks, hats, closed toe shoes and anything else that will help with making these hikes more comfortable during the hot summer months. 

For anyone who doesn't know, John Ware was considered a legend around southern Alberta as a respected rancher and incredible horseman. This cabin was the location of his last 5 years of life and even though it was for only a short period of time, we can assure everyone John had one heck of an amazing & adventurous life. 

John Ware was unfortunately born into slavery sometime in 1845 (no birth records available) on a plantation near Georgetown, South Carolina. Thankfully, once the American Civil War ended in May of 1865, John was now a free man and decided to pursue his dream of becoming a rancher. He ended up making his way west to Texas in order to learn the art/skills of horsemanship & cattle herding; this helped him on his way to become one of the most recognized cowboys in southern Alberta. 

After his time in Texas, John worked his way north to Montana landing a job to drive 3000 head of cattle to the North-West Cattle Co. in the southwest foothills of Calgary, Alberta. After he completed this heroic journey, he then found work at few other local ranches before saving up enough money to open his own ranch near the Red Deer River. 

In 1884, Ware's dream of owning his own cattle became a reality and registered his very first cattle brand labelled "9999" (four-nines) or, in other terms, "walking-stick brand." By the time 1887 rolled around, John established his own ranch around Millarville, Alberta and rebranded his cattle to "999" in 1898 because (as the legend goes) he felt branding his cattle with four 9's was too painful for them to endure.  

Fun Fact - Even though John established himself with his physical attributes in the ranching industry, he was also pretty great at farming and was actually one of the first farmers in the area to develop an irrigation system for his crops. 

Once Millarville started to become more populated with new settlers, John and his family decided to re-locate their ranch along the Red Deer River outside of Brooks, Alberta. They ended up building a cabin along the river bed and in the late spring of 1902, his newly built home was destroyed from a flood caused by the spring thaw and eventually rebuilt his cabin on higher ground. 

3 years later his beloved wife, Mildred Lewis, be came ill. Legend has it that John attempted a 7 week journey during the harsh Alberta prairie winter to do what he could to acquire medicine for his wife. Even after all of John's efforts to obtain her medicine, Mildred ended up passing away in late March of 1905 from pneumonia.  

It wasn't long after his wife's passing where John's fate came calling in September of 1905. The story goes that Ware was out riding with his son when his horse's foot fell into a badger hole causing him to fall off his mighty steed. His horse ended up landing on him and broke his neck resulting in John dying almost instantly.

People came from all over to attend John's funerial in Calgary because he was considered such an incredible & respected man who had done so much for the ranching community. Ware's funeral was noted as one of the most attended funerals at the time and think it's wonderful so many people attended to honor such a great man.   

We feel John Ware's story and journey is something that should not be forgotten due to what he did for the southern Alberta ranching industry. We hope everyone pays their respects to this incredibly talented & amazing man. 

A large portion of the park is a Natural Preserve and accessible only through guided programs. The reason for this is to protect the local wildlife, the landscape and the fossils along with the people visiting the park. These boundaries were put in place for a very important reason and please ask anyone visiting to respect them. 

For those who like to "fly by the seat of their pants," there are also options for additional walk-up programs. These programs generally go on sale two-ish days before they launch and say it never hurts to contact the Visitor Centre to see what they have in place before planning to visit. 

The tour options offered are designed for people of all ages and abilities so we thought we would provide our personal recommendations! 

Guided Bus Tours 

For those who may not be as mobile for the hikes and still want to experience DPP in the Natural Reserve.    

Explorer's Bus Tour - Historic tour that is approximately 2 hrs and is considered "easy/green" for difficulty. 

A tour designed to view the natural preserve from the eyes of the the First Nations people, fossil hunters & palaeontologists who first visited the area.  

• All Ages welcome
• Adult (18 & older) - $25.00 per person
• Youth (7-17) - $16.00 per person
• Child (4-6) - $8.00 per person
• Toddler (3 & under) - $2.00 per person

Bare Bones Bus Tour - Nature tour that is approximately 1.25 hrs. and is considered "easy/green" in difficulty.  

This is a great option for those who don't have the time for the Explorer's Bus Tour and still want to get an in-depth look at the park's Natural Preserve.  

• All Ages welcome 
• Adult (18 & older) - $18.00 per person
• Youth (7-17) - $12.00 per person
• Child (3-6) - $6.00 per person
• Toddler (2 & under) - $2.00 per person 

Guided Interpretive Hikes: 

These paid guided tours offer a very in-depth informational experience inside the Natural Preserve and have the best options to see actual fossils in the wild! They include a ride on the bus to and from the starting/end points of the hike and highly recommend these options for those who are looking for a fulfilling experience.  

Bonebed Express - 3km in length taking roughly 2hr. 15min to complete and considered to be "moderate/blue" in difficulty.

This starts off with a bus taking the group into the Natural Preserve before this amazing hike starts.

Once the bus arrives at the trailhead, the guide will take people on a beautiful scenic hike to the Centrosaurus bonebed for an amazing adventure plus some really incredible scientific information. 

• Ages 10 + Only 
• Adult (18 & older) - $25.00 per person
• Youth (7-17) - $16.00 per person

Centrosaurus Bonebed Hike - 4km in length taking roughly 3 hrs. to complete and considered to be "difficult/black in difficulty. 

The guide takes everyone up the steep sandy terrain and through different valleys to a former fossil dig site. This particular site once had hundreds of horned dinosaur remains and everyone will get to learn about why this area is such a great landscape to preserve the dinosaur fossils discovered. 

• Ages 10 + Only 
• Adult (18 & older) - $30.00 per person
• Youth (7-17) - $18.00 per person

Fossil Finders - 2km in length taking roughly 3 hrs. to complete and considered to be "moderate/blue in difficulty. 

Looking for a more in-depth experience finding fossils and bit of a challenge? Look no further because this tour takes people to a location inside the Natural Preserve to learn the in's and out's of palaeontology along with the fossil prospecting trade. 

• Ages 14 + Only 
• Adult (18 & older) - $30.00 per person
• Youth (7-17) - $18.00 per person

Great Badlands Hike - 7km in length taking roughly 4 hrs. to complete and considered to be "difficult/black in difficulty. 

This adventurous hike will explore the badlands terrain with a very cultivated guide. The hike  traverses through the stunning landscape of fossil-bearing surfaces, grassy plateaus of the plains, and stunning coulees that make Dinosaur Provincial Park a place people will remember forever.  

• Ages 12 + Only 
• Adult (18 & older) - $35.00 per person
• Youth (7-17) - $20.00 per person

Golden Hour Wander - 1km in length taking roughly 2 hrs. to complete and considered to be "difficult/black in difficulty.

The sky at dusk in the prairies is a remarkable view all on its own. Now picture the beautiful colours of the sky as they dance across the Hoodoos in Dinosaur Provincial Park during this "Golden Hour Wander."

Guide's offer smaller groups of people a more customized experience with less stops and more time to soak up the views of the badlands under the setting sun.  

• Ages 14 + Only 
• Adult (18 & older) - $30.00 per person
• Youth (7-17) - $18.00 per person

**Please note** 

These tours fill up quickly and always recommend to book ahead for a guaranteed a spot. We have provided the contact info and hours of operation to assist with planning you next great adventure.  

Comfort Camping (or "glamping" as some may call it) is an experience we feel everyone should try. It brings a feeling of being taken back in time when new pioneers, fossil hunters and Palaeontologist's visited these parts over a hundred years ago.    

Here are some of the details for Comfort Camping: 

• These amazing canvas walled tents have a wooden floor so people are raised off the ground and provide plenty of ventilation. 
• Each tent includes a queen bed, futon, table, chairs, mini fridge, coffee pot, kettle, an electric heater, lamps, electrical outlets, a fan, a portable BBQ along with a fire pit & picnic table to enjoy the great outdoors. 
• Wondering about washrooms? Not to worry because there are both Men's and Ladies flushing toilets plus an outdoor washing sink for the comfort camping community to share. 
• Water is also available to transport back to the campsite
• The location of these tents is exclusive among the trees providing some shade and privacy while staying. 
• There is a concession that is walking distance away which also has flush toilets and coin operated showers. 
• Parking is nearby for easy access and the tent sites do provide a route to drop off supplies for ease upon check-in.  

If all this sounds as enticing as we hope it is, there are supplies each group of visitors will have to bring while staying: 

• Personal water containers such as water bottles and/or a large water jug.
• Pots, pans, plates, cutlery and any other cookware people may need for meals. 
• Bedding including sheets, pillows & extra blankets just incase it gets cold
• Towels, linens & toiletries. 
• Firewood is available to purchase and recommend bringing a hatchet or axe to enjoy the fire pit. 
• Bug spray & sunscreen 
• Chairs to place around the fire pit at night or to relax in during the day.  
• Portable stove with mini propane bottles to open up options for cooking. 

The waterfront views are something dreams can be made of and hopefully our recommendation will guide everyone towards a camping adventure they will never forget. 

If comfort camping isn't everyone's cup of tea, there are also options for general camping, group camping and even backcountry camping at Dinosaur Provincial Park. 

The other neat thing is that winter camping is available for those who are looking to take in a few nights during the brisk prairie winters. Just a heads up, water services are shut off between late October to early May and always like to let everyone know so they can plan accordingly. 

There are some really fantastic amenities available with fun activities for everyone to enjoy!  

• Pit/Vault style washrooms 
• Sewage disposal area for those who have washrooms in their campers
• Firepits
• Firewood available from mid May to late October
• Showers
• Options for laundry if people are planning a longer trip
• Water tap (available early May - late October) 
• Sheltered communal cooking area
• Sites with power hook ups (15/30amp)
• A hand boat launch for canoe's, rafts, paddle boards, other flotation devices
• Playgrounds for the kiddo's 
• An amphitheater 
• Fast food Concession (open early May to late October) 

The campsites are broken off into sections with the "North Campground" (sites 66-126) and the "South Campground" (sites 1-65) as well as 10 group campsites for those big family trips to cover a wide variety of adventurists. 

We have included a map below to view where the sites are located and the booking link provided also offers pictures of each campsite. 

Thank you to all the people involved who keep this amazing campground up and running every year.