Dinosaur Provincial Park Campground
The campground has everything your family would need: nice campsites with shade, playground, flush toilets and showers, hikes, bike paths, activities, water close by, picnic areas, concession stand, small store, museum/visitors center, plenty of history, dinosaurs & nature. My autistic children loved it there. They enjoyed the wide space to wander around and landforms to climb. The stream and river were a big hit and helped us cool off in the hot summer sun. As a special needs and neurodiverse family we appreciated the peaceful landscape. We definitely recommend this unique and exciting campground for your next family vacation.
Dinosaur Provincial Park
Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded. They are characterized by steep slopes, minimal vegetation, lack of a substantial regolith, and high drainage density. Badlands are found on every continent except Antartica. Albertas Badlands are unique due to the large concentration of dinosaur bones and and other fossils.
Dinosaur Provincial Park is the 'world's most abundant and diverse dinosaur locality, yielding more than 166 vertebrate taxa, including 51 species of non-avian dinosaurs', and is included in the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world.
This beautiful terrain was made a Provincial Park in 1955 and UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
The campground is perfectly situated in a green area with plenty of shade. Red Deer River is a slower moving river and runs alongside the campground. The surrounding picturesque badlands are perfect for exploring, learning about natural history and the environment as well as taking pictures.
Making Reservations
Online Booking through Alberta Parks website is the best way to make a reservation. It’s interactive and you can choose your exact site and date making booking pretty easy - Book Here
Alberta Parks - General online reservation
Phone Reservations 1-877-537-2757
other questions 403-378-4342
When we stayed here our sites were 113 and 92 (we camped with family). It was a great great to have connecting sites and we loved haveing a large amount of space to hangout. It was a little too close to the bathrooms - which are outhouses/vault toilets - so I wouldn’t book that specific site again if I had other choices.
You pay online when you book your stay.
Print off you Reservation Confirmation and Camping Permit. You’ll need to bring them with you when checking in.
Getting There
driving time and distance to DPP
(All driving times and distance is approximate)
Brooks (AB) 40min - 50km (closest city)
Medicine Hat (AB) 1hr 30min - 130km
Drumheller (AB) 2hrs - 170km
Lethbridge (AB) 2hrs 30min - 210km
Calgary (AB) 2hrs 30min - 220km
Red Deer (AB) 3hrs 30min - 330km
Banff (AB) 3hrs 45min - 340km
Edmonton (AB) 4hrs 45min - 440km
Saskatoon (SK) 5hrs - 475km
Golden (BC) 5hrs 15min - 480km
Alberta Parks has useful driving instructions
Driving from Calgary was super easy on the flat divided highway. We grabbed lunch at Subway in Chestermere and ate out on the grass. There arent many places to stop after Chestermere so it’s a great place to eat and go to the bathroom.
Checking In
Check-in is pretty standard. Park in the main lot or off to the side on the road close to the main building. Check in at the out door check in counter.
Check-in time is 4 pm
Make sure to bring your reservation confirmation and camping permit - the ones they email when you originally book and pay.
You’ll need to attach the camping permit to the wood post at your site.
The Campground
Main building with small store, concession stand, flush toilets, showers, laundromat, firewood, ice & areas for eating
29 Unserviced campsites with designated picnic tables and fire pits
92 Serviced campsites with designated picnic tables and fire pits
7 Comfort cabins
Group campsite
Picnic shelters
General use picnic areas with tables and fire pits
6 Outhouses throughout the campground
Comfort camping flush toilets
Comfort camping outdoor sink - wash hands as well as dishes
Large playground
11 Drinking water taps
Amphitheater
Hand boat launch
Small stream through the campground
Slow moving river beside the campground
Multiple hikes and bike trails
Visitors centre & gift shop within walking distance
Garbage and deposit recycling throughout campground
Dump station
The Main Building
Check-In
Shop with essentials and small gifts
Concession stand with food and ice cream
Flush toilets and showers
Laundromat - coin operated
Ice & firewood
Tables for eating
Picnic tables outside the building
XL Parking Lot
Individual Campsites
The majority of campsites have a decent amount of shade and greenery. We were surprised with the amount of trees in the campsite, especially considering the surrounding area. Each campsite has flat gravel pad as well as a fire pit and picnic table. There are 92 powered sites and 29 non powered sites. We camped in a non powered site, which was ok. I prefer powered sites (even when tent camping) because we can charge our phones and other electronics.
Comfort Camping
A camping experience with more home comforts. I havent personally stayed in these tents but they look really nice. Go to the Alberta Parks website for more information. There are more pictures in the general campsite area of this article.
What to Bring
Living & Sleeping – we sleep in a tent so we bring it all! tent, sleeping bags, cots, etc. For comfort camping you’ll probably need to bring bedding.
Clothes & toiletries - bring everything you need since there aren’t stores close by. Bring mainly warm weather clothes since it gets hot and dry in the area. Bring some cool weather clothes since it can get chilly at night - think desert. ;) Bring a swimsuit - the stream is fun to play in, as well as the river flowing right beside the campground.
Food - Bring all food you’ll need for your stay as well as everything to cook it with. The store has some basic camping food essentials as well as a concession stand where you can grab a meal or snack. Besides that, the closest grocery store, fast food or restaurant is in Brooks, which is 45 min away. Theres fire pits and picnic tables at each campsite and firewood available for purchase.
Extras – Sunscreen is a must! Also bring bug spray, after sun lotion, regular lotion (it gets dry), prescription meds, stocked first aide kit, flashlight, lantern, etc.
Entertainment - anything your kids enjoy doing outside. Theres NO wifi or even an internet signal through most of the area. So prepare them (and yourself) for no internet connection. Heres some suggestion for activities to pack:
Books about dinosaurs, deserts, cactuses, etc.
Activities, toys or items relating to dinos & deserts
Art books or journals and writing tools
Bikes & helmets
Balls - football, soccer, baseballs, etc.
Bucket, small shovel, dinosaurs, cars or other small toys
Swimsuits, towels & tubes or rafts to float town the river
Board games & card games
Lawn games
Activities
Hike & Bike - Theres plenty of hiking trails through the park. Oksana and Max at Drink Tea Travel has a great article on the hikes through Dinosaur Provincial Park
Playground
River and stream
Visitors Center/museum
Photography, especially the stunning sunrises and sunsets
Nature and natural history exploration - plants, rocks, fossils, animals and small creature, etc.
Other activities you can register for - guided walking and bus tours. Indoor and outdoor activities
Checkin Out
Check out time is 2 pm. Pack up everything you brought and put garbage and recycling in the proper disposal containers.
Make sure to do a sweep/close look throughout your site to check for small garbage and other items. Leave the campsite better than you found it.
Autism Travel Rating 9/10
Physical Accessibility – Good accessibility to campsites - all are flat. The roads are moderately smooth gravel so depending on the wheelchair or stroller its not too challenging to navigate. The main building has wheelchair accessible showers and bathrooms.
Sensory - When we were there it was pretty quiet, but it really depends on your camping neighbours. The weather was getting hot so make sure to have things that help your temperature sensitive child - fan, ice packs or cool cloths, lots of water, etc.
Entertainment – Dinosaur info galore! If your dinos are your thing then this is the place for you. Theres also gorgeous scenery, land formations, sunsets and sunrises. Lots of space to run around with trails for hiking and biking. A calm stream & river to play in. A play ground with in the campground.
The lack of TV or Wifi was a little challenging but it’s no problem when the weather is nice. If you have autistic kids that depend on internet access for comfort or regulation it’ll be challenging. We made sure to download lots of shows the kids liked. Make sure to bring entertainment for both indoors and outdoors.
Location - Beautiful location and surrounding area. I can see why its a World Heritage Site. The drive isn’t too exciting but as you drive down into the park it looks like you’re driving into a movie set. About 2.5 hour drive from Calgary.
Land Acknowledgment
Dinosaur Provincial Park is on the traditional territories of Cree, Assiniboin, Salteaux, and Chipewyan First Nations. We acknowledge all of the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands within and around Dinosaur Provincial Park for centuries.
Have you visited Dinosaur Provincial Park? What were your experiences?
Hello!
I’m Kate and I’m a mom of four. Since 2010 we’ve had one baby born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate and three children diagnosed with autism. Parenting certainly hasn’t been what I was expecting - it’s been harder (like A LOT harder) and much more wonderful. My world has expanded and knowledge deepened as I’ve spent the last decade raising these four special kids. Supporting other moms of autistic and cleft children is my passion. Here you’ll find information, strategies and first hand experiences to help you navigate these special challenges on-the-go and in your own home.
