Location: Approx 20mins north of Brooks, Alberta. Dinosaur Provincial Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Driving Directions: Highway 1 toward Brooks. Turn north on Hwy 36 and then continue east on Hwy 544 Follow the signs (Directions)
Pre-Registration Available? Yes. You can prebook thought the Alberta Parks website
Amenities: pit toilets, potable water (best drinking water we've ever had), some sites have electrical, some sites have large pergolas, playground, convenience store and food counter, interpretive centre, tours
Proximity to Kid-Friendly Attractions: Very close. All hiking trails are under 2k in length. Small interpretive center onsite with great educational programs, series of tours available.
Our Experience:
Warning: There is zero cell service once you are down in the valley.
This is one of the most beautiful campgrounds we have ever stayed at..the landscape is awe inspiring...if you can see it through the mosquitoes. No word of a lie - the campground could be called "Alberta's Official Mosquito Feeding Grounds" At least in early July, when we were there, it could.The sites themselves are a nice size and have green spaces running between them, which is perfect for the kiddos as it gave plenty of wide open and safe play spaces for them to play with all of the new friends they made.
why, yes - that is my kid running around in her jammies, blowing bubbles...
Not many trees, though we had 3 at our particular site - it was really hard to string up a tarp (which we needed because it was a) hot and b) rain was forecasted.
and the view right across from our site
This is a very family friendly campground with plenty for kids of all ages to do. We did one of the hikes around the interpretive center and it was GORGEOUS...you just had to do it at high speed. The twinners became trail runners that day to avoid being bitten by bugs.
There were also areas that were a little tough for their little legs, but they became champion climbers.
Warning: after the rains on the Friday night - the trails became EXTREMELY slippery. Make sure you pack the right footwear for hiking. My brother in law learned the hard way when he ended up slipping down one of the trails.
The trails are mostly single track and there are a wide variety of wildflowers and cacti to be seen.
You also need to be careful out there, because there are prairie rattlesnakes, wolf spiders and scorpions in the vicinity. More trails are located off of the public loop road, not far from the campsites. The public loop is about 3k and has parking at each trailhead.
Tip: If you plan to go here, make sure you pack the bug spray or, even better, bug shirts. You'll find you enjoy it much more if you aren't being eaten alive.
We didn't take any of the tours as a family, though Hubby and his brother did go on the sunset Photography Tour, which cost $24 and they both agreed it was well worth it. You can see the results of their journey behind the scenes here.
We did checkout the interpretive center with the kidlets - it isn't like Royal Tyrell in Drumheller, but there are a couple of skeletons and some nifty interactive displays to learn more about the work that is done there. They also regularly feature free movies in the auditorium (think National Geographic, not Pixar) The kids got bored pretty easy while there so we didn't stay long. Admission was $3 for adults. Under 5 was free.
