Age limits for the hikes as stated below will be strictly applied.
Bonebed 30 Guided Excavations
(6 spaces available/day)
Difficulty: Difficult
Minimum Age: 14 years
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a fully authentic dinosaur dig. With an experienced palaeontological technician as your guide you will learn the techniques of excavating dinosaurs and work in a team to uncover fossils never before seen by human eyes!
The experience includes an orientation to the Park and the research project, working in a real quarry, and hiking and prospecting for new fossil finds. Your work will contribute to research going on at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Single and two day packages are available. Two day package includes meals and accommodations. Programs run weekends from July 4th to Sept. 5th. Please see online booking system for more details.
Reservation Information | Reserve Online
Badlands Bus Tour
Seats: 24
Come on a 2 hour bus ride, led by
a park interpreter, into the badlands to see what makes Dinosaur Park
unique: unforgettable landforms, dinosaur remains and wildlife! This is
a great way to get a general overview of the Park. Note:
Most active dig-sites are in remote locations and are not accessible on
this tour. Call (403) 378-4344 for wheelchair tour service. (Toll
free in Alberta 310-0000).
Reservation Information | Reserve Online
Centrosaurus Bone Bed Hike
Seats: 35 in summer; 24 in fall (Until Oct. 11).
Difficulty: moderately strenuous, 2.75 hours
Minimum Age: 7 years old
What is so significant about a bed of bones covering an area about the
size of two tennis courts? What have palaeontologists discovered about
the lifestyle and behaviour of Centrosaurus dinosaurs by studying this
bone bed from 1979-1991? Join an interpreter on this 2
3/4 hour hike to the bone bed and see for yourself one of the world’s
most exciting dinosaur excavations from the 1980’s (now an inactive
site).
Reservation Information | Reserve Online
Fossil Safari Hike
Seats: 24
Difficulty: easy to moderate, 2.75 hours
On this 2 3/4 hour event, a park
interpreter will lead you to a fossil site in the Natural Preserve. You
will see fossils and discover exciting new facts about creatures which
once prowled through this coastal plain environment 75 million years ago.
Children welcome!
Reservation Information | Reserve Online
Camel's End Coulee Hike
Seats: 23 (Until Aug. 30)
Difficulty: moderately strenuous, 2.5 hours.
Minimum Age: 7 years old. For safety reasons toddlers and infants in personal carriers are not permitted on this hike.
Leaving from the Badlands Trailhead parking lot, join us for a trek into the Natural Preserve and discover that ancient struggles for survival from 75 million years ago continue today in the beautiful but harsh world of the badlands.
Reservation Information | Reserve Online
Great Badlands Hike
(Until Aug. 30)
Seats: 17
Difficulty: strenuous, 3.5 hours.
Minimum Age: 10 years old
When: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, July and August.
This is an extended back-country hike and participants must be physically able to hike 5-7 km in rugged badlands terrain. Information delivered will vary depending on the route of the day. Participants must wear sturdy 'closed toe and heel' footwear, a sun hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, and bring at least two litres of water.
Reservation Information | Reserve Online
Fossil Family History (Until Aug. 29)
Seats: 25 standing room only
Length: about 40 minutes
Join us in the lab for a peek at the amazing diversity of life found in Dinosaur Park’s ‘paleo family tree’. From per-mineralized pollen to poop, and almost everything in between, you’ll see life forms that grew, walked, crawled, swam or flew around this area in the Late Cretaceous Period. Barrier-free.
Reservation Information | Reserve Online
Rainy Day Tours & Hikes
During rainy weather and for a period of time afterwards,
the Natural Preserve is CLOSED until the gravel surfaced Bus Tour Road
is dry. On these days we do offer at FULL ticket prices, alternative bus
tours and guided hikes. In the case of bus tours only the location of
the tour is different, information content and program length are nearly
the same as for Natural Preserve bus tours. Since guided hikes are very
site-specific there will be a difference in location, content and event
duration, but we believe these alternative hikes still provide an enjoyable
and educational experience for visitors. Paid reservation ticket holders
can get FULL refunds before the event, if they choose not to participate.
Family
Theatre Programs
Seats: 50 Seats
Length: about 35 minutes
When: 2:30 p.m.; Thursday-Monday, July 2– Sunday August 30;
Where: Sternberg-Anderson Theatre in the Park Visitor Centre.
Join us for these family-oriented fun programs that explore the wonders of the park’s natural history. NOTE: Please reserve your FREE tickets at the visitor centre front desk before 2:30 p.m. show time.
Outdoor
Amphitheatre Programs
Seats:
250 Seats; FREE
When: Friday to Sunday evenings July 3 - August 30
'Broadway comes to the Badlands' when our Deadlodge Canyon Amphitheatre comes alive with fun, drama and songs!
Every show needs audience volunteers, big and small, to help tell the stories of the park's natural and cultural heritage. For these 'cameo' roles, we supply your props/costume and your script. Be sure to bring your camera, in case a family member joins our cast!
Check with on-site posters for program details.
Jackson-Wolf Expedition
If you are a hiker or photographer looking for a breathtaking encounter deep into the park’s panoramic back country, then join us for the Jackson-Wolf Expedition. This full day trek visits two spectacular coulees that will introduce you to unforgettable prairie and valley vistas.
Park staff will share their knowledge of the area’s natural and cultural history as wells as the challenges of protecting a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There will be both planned stops and impromptu 'photo op' breaks, plus some ‘solitude’ time if you prefer.
NOTE: Due to the physical nature and in-depth content of this hike, participants must be at least 12 years old. This event involves about 6 hours of hiking for 7-8 km. The route descends 100 metres to the valley floor and returns in stages to the prairie. Lunch will be in screened tents sheltered in a riverside cottonwood grove.
Where: 9:00 a.m. Orientation in the Park Visitor Centre Legacy Room, followed by a 45-minute bus ride to the staging area.
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturdays, July 4 – August 22.
Bring: sunscreen, bug spray, hat, hiking boots, camera/tripod, and water.
Tickets: Adult (18+): $75 Youth (12-17): $50 GST, bag lunch & extra water included in the price.
Reservations required (VISA/MasterCard). Reservations close at 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time Wednesday prior to each hike.
NOTE: For pre-booking details contact Fred Hammer: Fred.Hammer@gov.ab.ca
