Experience Southeastern Alberta

Discovering the Milk River Valley from the Water

On a hot summer day in the badlands, there’s no better place to be than in a canoe as you lazily paddle down the Milk River. Families will also enjoy floating through the campground on tubes and playing in the sand at the beach.

Last summer we leisurely floated down the Milk River through spectacular sandstone cliffs. We watched cliff sparrows flying out of their nests along the river, we stopped to swim and to play in the mud.

From the campground, you can paddle 8 km downstream to the Deer Creek Bridge. You can also start upstream at the Weir Bridge and then paddle back to camp in 10 km. Both will require a vehicle shuttle, and it’s recommended you have actual boats (with paddles and life jackets) for both trips rather than attempting an 8-10 km float with tubes. Save the tubes for floating through the campground.

Amelie experiences the dino-thrill at Devil’s Coulee Museum, near Warner, Ab

Photo By Tanya Koob

Dinosaur Country!

Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is a national and cultural heritage site dedicated to the protection of the First Nations rock art. Visit the Milk River Valley though, and you’re still in 'Dinosaur Country'.

In the nearby town of Warner is Devil’s Coulee Dinosaur & Heritage Museum. It has a Hadrosaur (duck-billed dinosaur) nest and embryo, fossils, dinosaur models, and information on how dinosaurs cared for their young.

You can also sign up for a guided tour through the museum to visit a Hadrosaur nesting site and see dinosaur eggs first hand. There is also a small museum located inside the Writing on Stone Provincial Park Visitor Centre. Here you can learn all about the area and its rich history before joining a guided hike through the reserve.

Visit albertaparks.ca/parks/south/writing-on-stone/

Photo and Story By Tanya Koob