Experience Grasslands National Park

Located in southwest Saskatchewan, Grasslands National Park (GNP), is near the Montana border. It has two separate blocks. The West Block centres on the Frenchman River Valley and is a 90 min drive through Val Marie via the paved and recently resurfaced Hwy 4 south from Swift Current.

For those travellers coming from Moose Jaw or Glasgow, MT, the East Block can be accessed through Wood Mountain on Hwy 18. Sky News magazine states that the East Block has “darkest skies in Canada” and “best star viewing.” It features the Killdeer Badlands and the Wood Mountain Uplands.

Our Fossil Fever will be Aug. 14-18, 2019. On Saturday, Aug. 17 the ‘Badlands Blast’ family fun day concludes with a finale dinner that brings together the people who’ve participated in the Fossil Fever dig, along with the locals for a BBQ and a jam session dance party. During the dinner, a staff member dresses up as George Dawson, adding flavour to the event. He carries around some fossils and tells dino stories.

Fossil Fever

Photo Courtesy of Parks Canada

The event is held in the Rock Creek Badlands ‘Valley of a Thousand Devils.’ There you clearly see the thin white line that separates dinosaur and mammal fossils. This demarcation is known as the KPG Boundary - the line of extinction.

If you’re the adventurous type who loves solitude and nothing but the wind as your companion, strap on your gear and head for the backcountry. With sweat dripping down your neck, you traverse the East Block wilderness. Within minutes, not a sign of human presence is anywhere to be found.

Watch for hoodoos and quicksand on your way to the Valley of 1,000 Devils! You and your friends won’t want to put your cameras down as you walk where dinosaurs once roamed.

Contact the East Block McGowan’s Visitor Centre at Rock Creek Campground prior to departure for safety and access information. (306) 476.2018 or grasslands.info@pc.gc.ca

Fossil Fever

Photo Courtesy of Parks Canada

Are you interested in camping but prefer the comfort of a bed and arriving to a camp already set-up? Parks Canada oTENTik tents in the Frenchman Valley and Rock Creek campgrounds offer an easy and relaxing way to experience camping. This is a spacious blend of a tent and an A-frame cabin equipped with beds and furniture on a raised floor.

Finding your way:

• Cell phone coverage is not reliable in the park.

• GPS directions are not always correct. Be sure to research your route ahead of time, including road directions to the block of the park to which you are travelling.

• Visitor Centre: weather forecasts, road conditions, park maps.