Sample Tours: Prairies

Detailed vehicle instruction will be provided. Do your grocery shopping and head out!

Today the museum has more than 80,000 specimens and 35 complete skeletons, more than any other museum in the world. All are strikingly and imaginatively presented with the crowd-pleasers being the original Albertosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex, as well as more unusual creatures such as the Xiphactinus. The museum alone is worth several hours, but you can spend a full day here by tacking on a short hike, guided May thru September, or on your own anytime. In Fall and Spring, the Museum offers "Snore with a Dinosaur" sleepovers for groups and families, and throughout the summer, nine different education programs daily including Dinosite, Excavate It, Fossil Casting and Summer Day Camps. 

Take the first access road on the left - it doubles back to Horsethief Canyon Lookout from where there are spectacular views of the Badlands and the multicoloured walls of the canyons. The trail's halfway point is the crossing of the Red Deer River on the Bleriot Ferry, one of the few remaining cable ferries in Alberta. The road continues along the top of the valley to Orkney Hill Lookout for more panoramic views across the Badlands and the lush valley floor below.

If you choose, take a little diversion south to the tiny town of Rosebud for a live dinner theatre performance.

Going back on Highway 1, continue heading east. Visit the city of Medicine Hat, described by Rudyard Kipling in 1907 as a city 'with all hell for a basement' because of the huge gas fields under the city and this area. Today visitors flock to the world's tallest teepee, bask under Medicine Hat's endless skies or tour the Clay Products Interpretive Centre and the Medalta Historic Site. 

Most people come here for guided walks and the popular Badlands bus tours, which take in parts of the park otherwise out of bounds to visitors. Not only is the diversity of specimens great, but so is the sheer volume; more than 300 museum-quality specimens have been removed from bone-beds found here, and are exhibited in museums around the world.

While in Lethbridge, visit the Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens, Fort Whoopup and the Sir Alexander Galt Museum. Take a 10-minute drive east to experience the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale.

Alternatively, from Lethbridge continue west on Highway 3 to the junction with Highway 22 and follow the Cowboy Trail back to Calgary.
 
If you're continuing on to the Rockies after completing this tour, head West when you reach the Trans Canada Highway.  If you're travelling back to Calgary, our recommended campground in Calgary is Calgary West Campground close to Canada Olympic Park.  This campground has full hook-ups and gives a discount to CanaDream guests.  Unless you have made prior arrangements for a late drop-off, your RV is due back at CanaDream tomorrow morning between 08:00 and 10:00.  Allow at least an hour to get from Calgary West Campground to our Calgary location.