Experience Dinosaur Provincial Park

My family plans an annual spring camping trip to Dinosaur Provincial Park (DPP) since my son was a wild preschooler ripping around the campground on a balance bike. We love camping in the heart of the badlands where we can hike out the door of our tent onto great family-friendly trails, walk over to the dinosaur-themed playground, or send the kids down to play in the mud beside the creek.

The DPP campground has become one of our favourite base camps where we can go hiking, biking, and exploring without having to jump in a vehicle. Families with young children will especially love camping here for the options of short walks or adventures between naps and rest periods.

Regardless of your family’s interests or outdoor hobbies, there is something for every adventure style in this fun park.

Photo By Tanya Koob

Top Things to do while Camping in DPP

Guided hikes and interpretive tours

There’s always something new to see or discover in this park. This year my family participated in a guided quarry hike to a Centrosaurus bone bed where we saw an astonishing number of dinosaur bones and fossils all over the ground at our destination. The hike was interesting and we had a lot of fun scrambling around inside the natural reserve.

For families with younger children or folks not up for a big hike, there are bus tours where you view the beautiful scenery of the natural reserve from the comfort of your bus. Families will also enjoy the guided safari, a short walk to a site where you can learn about fossil finding and identification.

Insider Tip: Programs fill up early in the summer months so book before you arrive at the park. For more information visit albertaparks.ca and navigate to the DPP visitor centre or call 403-378-4342 ext. 235.

Photo By Tanya Koob

Hiking the public trails through the badlands

The park has 5 public trails including the amazing Badlands Trail, our family favourite, the only trail bordering the natural reserve (restricted to visitors with a park guide.) The trail is a 1.3 km loop with interpretive signs along the way.

The other trail we love is the Coulee Viewpoint Trail, starting from the visitor centre. This short 0.9 km trail climbs up to an amazing viewpoint over the Little Sandhill Coulee. It’s a great sunrise or sunset hike and kids will have fun scrambling down the end of the steep trail back to the campground.

Insider Tips: Start early, bring lots of water, and avoid the heat of the day if visiting the park in summer. If mornings aren’t your thing, sunset hikes are gorgeous in this park.

Photo By Tanya Koob

Exploring along the public loop road

You can drive, walk or bike the 3.5 km long scenic public loop road around the campground. We love biking the road through the badland landscape, stopping at the fossil display houses along the way.

We also love scrambling on hoodoos, climbing up and down coulees, and running around inside the “random access area” inside the public loop road. This is the one area of the park where hikers are free to explore off-trail. It is illegal to remove fossils from a provincial park so please leave any fossil material where you find it.

Paddling on the Red Deer River

We like to drive up river to the Steveville Campground for a 14 km float back to the DPP. At a relaxed pace, this is a half-day outing that can be enjoyed on those hot summer days when it’s refreshing to be on the water. I like to make the trip on my stand up paddleboard, and my 8-year old used a sit-on-top kids’ kayak this year for his journey down the river. Needless to say, it’s a very mellow float most of the time.

Photo By Tanya Koob

Know before you Go

The DPP Campground is open all year. It is especially enjoyable in the “off-season” when the deer and other wildlife come around. The temperature is also much more comfortable in spring or fall, and you’ll enjoy camping without any bugs.

Comfort camping in canvas wall tents is available for visitors from May to October. There is also a group campground in the park, which can accommodate 10 units (tents or trailers.)

Book your campsite at Reserve.AlbertaParks.ca. You can book 90 days in advance. Comfort camping and group campsite reservations begin in February for the whole booking season. Make sure you reserve a campsite in advance if planning on traveling in peak summer season.

Images and Story By Tanya Koob