Dinosaur Provincial Park is a provincial park near Brooks, in Southern Alberta. It has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the 58 unique dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and for its badlands landscape. It's one of only eleven palaeontological UNESCO World Heritage Sites (as of 2021) in the world. It is an important site for Palaeontology in Canada.

Understand

History

The park was established on 27 June 1955, as part of Alberta's 50th Jubilee Year with the goal of protecting the fossil beds. In October 1979, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its nationally significant badlands and riverside riparian habitats, and for the international importance of the fossils found there.

Flora and fauna

The ecosystem of Dinosaur Provincial Park mainly comprises of prairie grasslands, badlands, and riverside cottonwoods. Types of fauna seen in the park include the cottontail rabbits, mule deer, and pronghorn, and also the somewhat frightening the prairie rattlesnake, bull snake and the red-sided garter snake. There are 165 bird species in the park, including curlews and Canada geese.

Visitor information centre

• 1 Dinosaur Visitor Centre, ☏ +1 403-378-4342. 1 April-20 May, 7 September-30 November: 9AM-4PM, 21 May-6 September: 9AM-5PM. Visitor centre exhibits features about dinosaurs, fossils, and the geology and natural history of the park. Includes a video theatre, fossil prep lab area, and a gift shop. Child (under 3): free, youth (4-17): $2, adult (18-64): $4, senior (65+): $3. (updated Nov 2021)

Get in

The park is about 48 km from Brooks, the nearest town. Brooks is about halfway between the cities of Calgary and Medicine Hat, a couple of hours drive from either on the Trans-Canada Highway.

From Brooks, head north onto Alberta Highway 873 for about 13 km, until Alberta Highway 544. Continue on AB-544 until before the town of Patricia, where you'd need to turn left onto AB-876, and then head right onto Township Road 204, until Dinosaur Provincial Park. The route is fairly well signposted from Brooks, but there are times where it's not signed well.

If you're coming from Medicine Hat, head west onto the Trans-Canada Highway towards Calgary, and then turn onto Alberta Highway 884 until Highway 554 for about 50 kilometres where then turn left. After turning left, continue for about 37 kilometres until Patricia, where you should then follow the directions mentioned above from AB-876.

Fees and permits

Getting around the park is via guided tour only.

Get around

By car

There aren't many roads in the park, with the two major roads with the first being the Public Loop Road, a loop road going from the visitor centre to the two gallery displays and back to the visitor centre. The second is the road heading west from the visitor centre and out of the park.

By bike

Going around in the park by bike is generally okay, although leaving marked trails and roads is not allowed in order to protect the area. There are no places in the park where you can rent a bike, meaning you'll need to bring your own bike with you.

See

An Albertausorus skeleton in the visitor centre gallery

Display houses

Along Public Loop Road, there are two display houses along the way, and are accessible all year.

• 1 Display house 1, Public Loop Rd. Contains a skeleton of the duck-billed dinosaur, and is near complete, and are believed to have been buried at least 75 million years ago. (updated Nov 2021)
• 2 Display house 2, Public Loop Rd. A recreation of a Centrosaurus Bone-Bed, deemed to be an important quarry in the park. (updated Nov 2021)

Other points of interests

• 3 John Ware Cabin. John Ware (c. 1845-1905) was a black cowboy, one of Alberta's first ranchers. (updated Nov 2021)

Buy

The visitor centre has souvenirs.

Eat and drink

• 1 Cretaceous Café. May 18-June 15: Su-Th 9AM-6PM, F Sa 9AM-9PM; June 16-September 2: 8:30AM-9PM; September 3-October 8: 9AM-6PM. A small cafe, and includes a convenience store, and food services. (updated Nov 2021)

Sleep

One of the campsites

The only places where you're allowed to rest your head in the park is in designated camping areas. Camping elsewhere is not permitted, in order to protect the area, and lodging is not an option, because there are no lodging sites in the first place.

• 1 Dinosaur Campground. (updated Nov 2021)

Stay safe

All roads in the park are paved and can be done in nearly all types of vehicles, however, the nearest gas station is either around 50 kilometres away in Brooks or 35 kilometres in Duchess.

Go next

• Midland Provincial Park is another provincial park, with a similar landscape and also holds a large number of fossils, and home to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Canada's only museum into palaeontology
• Drumheller is the nearest town to Midland Provincial Park
• Head back to Brooks, the nearest town to the park about 48 km away