As you turn the corner and the road starts to descend into the valley, the landscape around you completely transforms from rolling rangelands to otherworldly badlands. Dinosaur Provincial Park has the best and most unique landscape and geological features of the Canadian Badlands, crammed into about 26 kilometres of badland glory. It’s great in the summer, but you’ll also love winter camping in Dinosaur Provincial Park.
Coulees, hoodoos, creeks, cottonwood trees, coyotes, and the Red Deer River make an ecosystem of stark but breathtaking beauty. The most interesting thing about this park is the remarkable discovery of dinosaur fossils.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains some of the most important fossil discoveries made in the ‘Age of the Dinosaurs.’ Here are some cool facts:
- Over 50 species of dinosaurs have been found here
- More than 150 complete dinosaur skeletons from these finds reside in 30 major museums worldwide. (We saw a few in the British Natural Museum in London, UK)
- Random concentrations of dinosaur bones, called “bone beds,” have been found here.
- In total, over 450 fossil organisms have been found, in addition to the dinosaurs
Dinosaur Provincial Park is a very popular Alberta Park and can get busy in the summer. If you plan to visit then, you should be prepared to book your campsite as soon as possible. If you want the park (nearly) to yourself, visit it in the winter.
Dinosaur Provincial Park is located in Treaty 7 territory. It is the sacred homeland and traditional territory of the Blackfoot people (Siksika) who considered the dinosaur fossils here “grandfathers of the bison.”
A glyphstone sits above the valley of the Red Deer River at the park’s entrance. This boulder is covered in etchings made by Indigenous people of the past. It was found west of the park and relocated here in 1958. The etchings on this stone could be landmarks for travel or sacred offerings before or after a bison hunt.
Why you should try winter camping in Dinosaur Provincial Park
No crowds
This provincial park is one of the few in Alberta that remain open for camping year-round. The Dinosaur Campground, which is usually row-by-row of RVs and tents in the summer, is virtually empty in the winter.
Less snow compared to other parts of Alberta
The landscape is quiet, and though there is snow in the valley and the rivers are frozen, the hills and hoodoos have been nearly snow-free the three times we’ve gone winter camping in Dinosaur Provincial Park. This made the quiet trails and viewpoints accessible and free of crowds.
It’s peaceful
The peace and quiet of this park during the winter is surreal. During our last visit, the entire park was covered in thick hoar frost. It was foggy, and I could hear a pack of coyotes howling and communicating with each other as they trotted through the valley. The sound of the campfire crackling, the immensely starry sky and the sunrises over the hills make for an unforgettable camping trip.
What to know about winter camping in Dinosaur Provincial Park
Booking your campsite
Since September 2024, this park no longer offers self-registration on a first-come, first-served basis. Now, campsites are available by reservation year-round, and you can book one of the 10 available winter campsites online.
Book your campsite online. You can also call the Alberta Parks’ reservation line at 1-877-537-2757.
Pack everything you need
While there is a cafeteria, shop and showers during the warm season, all this is closed in the winter. There is nowhere to buy food or supplies nearby, so make sure you stock up on everything you need before heading out. The closest stop for gas and convenience snacks is Duchess Station, which is a little country corner gas station about 30 minutes west of Dinosaur Provincial Park.
For larger grocery stores, gas stations, shops and restaurants, you can stock up in Brooks, about 45 kilometres southwest of the park.
If you want to have a fire, you can purchase wood at the Visitor Centre in the park from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Otherwise, bring your own.
There is no cell reception
As you dip into the park’s valley, cell service in the campground will be lost. However, you can get a few bars of service up the road toward the fossil houses, and decent service is available near the second fossil house. During the summer, the café has free public Wi–Fi—but not in the winter.
You could be alone
If being completely alone in a remote park makes you feel uncomfortable, this might not be the destination for you. During the week, there might be the odd Alberta Parks staff and some day-time visitors (most drive through and head up to the driving loop towards the fossil houses), but you won’t have much company. However, the Visitor Centre is open on weekends during the winter, and there are far more day-trippers and even campers on Saturdays and Sundays.
Bring water and prepare for pit toilets.
During the winter, the only bathrooms available are the campground’s outhouses. The shower house and all water are shut off for the season. Bring your water!
It’s illegal to remove fossils
If you find a dinosaur bone, that is super exciting! However, it is illegal to remove any fossils found in the park and doing so is subject to significant fines. Do not remove it. Instead, report it!
You can take a photo of the fossil, drop a pin, or use another GPS to locate it on a map and email that to tyrrell.fossilreport@gov.ab.ca with your name, phone number, email address, and the location of the find.
Do not hike in restricted areas!
This is a protected World Heritage Site, which means visitors are not permitted to roam freely through the hills. Fortunately, the park has several designated trails that provide the area’s best views and nature experiences. There are guided hikes that can be booked in the summer that will take you closer to that prohibited scenery.
Obey all signs, don’t hop over ropes and fences, and check trail conditions. Some trails in the park have steep sections or long stairs and can get hazardously slippery when wet or icy. Sometimes, Alberta Parks will close those trails due to unsafe conditions, so be sure to obey any closure signs.
What to do in Dinosaur Provincial Park in the winter?
If you plan to go winter camping in Dinosaur Provincial Park, come prepared for a quiet time in nature, nestled in some of the most stunning natural landscapes you’ve ever experienced. This special place feels magical, and there are things to discover year-round.
Hiking
Most trails in Dinosaur Provincial Park are open in the winter. In my experience, there is less snow here than in other places in Alberta, making for smooth sailing around these easy-to-moderate hiking trails.
My favourite place to hike is the Coulee Viewpoint Trails, located in the hills just above the campground. These trails give you the best taste of the badlands scenery and ascend to a little ridge that overlooks the campground and the valley. Some parts can be steep, so wear micro-spikes if it is icy and avoid the trail altogether if wet.
The Badlands Trail is also a must-do while in the park. Access it on the scenic driving loop and hike through the park’s huge nature reserve. It’s an in-and-out trail that showcases hoodoos and sandstone formations and offers sweeping views of the park.
Fossils
If you want to see fossils, hike up the driving loop road to the two fossil houses. One shows an example of a ‘bone bed,’ which is a disorganized but vast collection of dinosaur bones in one area. These indicate that many species died simultaneously or close together. The other has a more complete dinosaur skeleton.
If you want to learn more about the park and its history with dinosaur bones, hike the Trail of the Fossil Hunters. This quick out-and-back trail takes you to a 1913 quarry site. It shares interpretive signage so you can relive the excitement of early fossil hunters who went on dino-bone discovery missions here.
Relaxing
Quiet walks along the Red Deer River or in a silent cottonwood grove will add peace and quiet to your camping trip. The hikes mentioned above are very rewarding, stunningly beautiful and interesting, but none are extremely difficult or overly time-consuming.
That leaves plenty of time to cozy up by the fire, take out your binoculars for wildlife and birdwatching, and have slow mornings with your coffee and book. Winter camping in Dinosaur Provincial Park is an adventure, but it will also be a destination where you can move slowly and relax.
