Two and half hours drive east of Calgary, the prairie suddenly plunges into the Red Deer River valley. You have entered the badlands, domain of rock pinnacles called hoodoos.

These sentinels rise up everywhere, transformed by erosion into eerie shapes sunbathed in tones of terra cotta and bronze. Look closely for mushrooms of all sizes, a camel with a nearby pyramid, and even three gossiping ladies.

The heat of the sun might send you seeking refuge by the river. Here with abundant water and fertile soil, towering cottonwood trees form a canopy, filtering heat and light.

This living roof supports an under storey, which in turn nurtures the moisture-loving residents of the forest floor.

This diversity creates ideal living spaces, especially for birds, in a narrow riverbank corridor called the riparian zone. Although the smallest habitat in the park, it hosts the greatest concentration of life.

As you explore the valley, its true character emerges: a landscape that simultaneously presents itself both in the present and the past. As you explore the semi-arid badlands, the rocks begin reveal evidence of life in the late Cretaceous Period, 75 million years ago, when this region was a warm temperate coastal plain.

Tall cypress trees lined rivers teeming with fish, turtles, and crocodiles. Lush forests of sycamore and magnolia along with ferns and mosses provided food and homes for all manner of creatures, including small mammals. About 100 km to the east, the warm waters of the Bearpaw Sea were filled with a variety of invertebrates, sharks, and marine reptiles.

The skies were patrolled by flying reptiles, some with a wingspan wider than a small plane.

Dominating the land was an amazing group of animals called the dinosaurs. Over forty species have been found here, joining a list of another 450 fossil organisms.

Their ancient remains give us the world’s most complete record of the late Cretaceous Period, and provide a rich fossil legacy for you to discover today.

Welcome to Dinosaur Provincial Park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site likeand a place like nowhere else on earth!