SUMMARY: Part of Writing on Stone's charm is the fact that it's far enough away from the main highway that there aren't a lot of services nearby, but that means it's very quiet and relaxing and not super touristy. Explore the endless trails winding through these mesmerizing sandstone sculptures. Both kids and adults will be entertained for hours. Besides the hoodoos, some other things to see or do are camping, visit the beach, take a guided or self guided tour, and visit the beautiful Interpretive Centre!
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In the middle of the summer, when my wife was very pregnant with our 3rd child, I decided to give everyone in the family a break, by taking our two young kids on an overnight camping trip, while my wife enjoyed some peace and quiet at home. (the pictures above are from two separate trips) I was excited for the kids to see the Hoodoos at Writing on Stone where I had so many vivid memories when I was younger. There's no other place like it! Other places have hoodoos, but not like these!
From our house, it was a 90 minute drive through the mostly flat prairies. To break up the trip, either there or on the way back, stop in Milk River at the Tourist Information Centre. It's a great pit stop for a bathroom break and to stretch your legs. While you're there, check out the cool displays from other attractions in Alberta (tee-pees, buffalo, Mounties, stampede) The kids will love playing outside too on the fake hoodoos and staring up at the huge dinosaur!
As you get closer, the looming Sweetgrass Hills will get larger and larger in the distance. When we drove down, there were swirling dark clouds around them and I told my kids that they were "volcanos". It's actually not too far of a stretch, because I'm pretty sure millions of years ago, that's basically how they were formed. Just before you get there, you'll probably be wondering if you're lost, because there won't be any sign of hoodoos to be found. Keep going, because when you turn off the main road and start driving down the winding road to the camp site, you'll soon be surrounded by the sandstone pillars on either side of you. They make quite the first impression!
The park itself isn't that big. Basically there's a parking lot with a looping road that goes by the campsites with a few restrooms, a playground, camp kitchen, and store/park office. Luckily, since it was a Thursday night, we were able to book a site when we got there. I'd recommend booking online in order to guarantee a camping spot before you get there, especially on a weekend! Once we found our campsite, I started to set up camp for the night first, because I didn't really feel like doing it later in the rain! Luckily those dark clouds stayed away for the whole trip. There were no fire bans at the time, so we were able to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. This isn't always the case, as it can get quite dry later in the summer. There will be signs indicating any bans in effect.
After supper, the kids were finally able to do some exploring in the hoodoos. It's a great way to tire them out before bedtime! At every turn, they were just so excited to find something new. We found the "hot tub" and the "toilet", still intact from when I was a kid. I'm sure there's lots of other formations you can find if you let your imagination go wild. I gave them some dollar store water guns to play with, so they could run around "hunting for dinosaurs" as we explored. They loved this! First thing in the morning, the kids wanted to go back out to explore as soon as they could. This time we made our way up to the interpretive centre. There were a bunch of games, videos, and other interactive displays that taught about the history of the area and First Nations people. The large windows overlooking the hoodoos and the river made it feel very open and connected to the rest of the park.
During the heat of the day, after eating lunch, we got our swimming suits on and headed over to the beach. The kids built sand castles and played in the water for a few hours. The water isn't fast or very deep, so it feels very safe. Depending on the person, you could wade over to the other side of the river pretty comfortably. It's within walking distance from all of the campsites and a restroom is near by.
As far as seeing the actually Writings on the Stone, there are 2 ways of doing this. Option one, is to check out the self guided trail going east of the park. If I remember right, it's a couple of kilometers long. Be sure to grab a brochure, where you'll find interesting facts as you go at each numbered marker. It's a great motivator for the kids too to keep their eyes out for #1, #2, #3, etc. Towards the end of the trail, you'll have a few opportunities to see some of the petroglyphs high up on the sandstone walls. You need to look VERY carefully to see them, and have the brochure handy to help see what you're looking for. Option two, is to pay for a guided tour in the fenced off section. This is the best way to see the better preserved petroglyphs and be taught more about the history by the knowledgeable guides. This section of the trail is reserved only for paid guided tour groups.
This particular time, we didn't do either one of the trails, but I've done both before and both are great, if you have the time. It's not something you'd need to do every time though. That afternoon, after we packed up our campsite, the kids (not me) still had some energy to spare, so they played on the playground for a bit. This pooped them out just enough so that they fell asleep on the drive back home. I probably would've done the same if I didn't have to drive!
To sum things up, Writing on Stone is one of those places that you won't forget. It's a place where you can come back to year after year and still find new trails and be entertained. The word "hoodoo" means magical or supernatural, and that's exactly the feeling you get when you visit the park!
From our house, it was a 90 minute drive through the mostly flat prairies. To break up the trip, either there or on the way back, stop in Milk River at the Tourist Information Centre. It's a great pit stop for a bathroom break and to stretch your legs. While you're there, check out the cool displays from other attractions in Alberta (tee-pees, buffalo, Mounties, stampede) The kids will love playing outside too on the fake hoodoos and staring up at the huge dinosaur!
As you get closer, the looming Sweetgrass Hills will get larger and larger in the distance. When we drove down, there were swirling dark clouds around them and I told my kids that they were "volcanos". It's actually not too far of a stretch, because I'm pretty sure millions of years ago, that's basically how they were formed. Just before you get there, you'll probably be wondering if you're lost, because there won't be any sign of hoodoos to be found. Keep going, because when you turn off the main road and start driving down the winding road to the camp site, you'll soon be surrounded by the sandstone pillars on either side of you. They make quite the first impression!
The park itself isn't that big. Basically there's a parking lot with a looping road that goes by the campsites with a few restrooms, a playground, camp kitchen, and store/park office. Luckily, since it was a Thursday night, we were able to book a site when we got there. I'd recommend booking online in order to guarantee a camping spot before you get there, especially on a weekend! Once we found our campsite, I started to set up camp for the night first, because I didn't really feel like doing it later in the rain! Luckily those dark clouds stayed away for the whole trip. There were no fire bans at the time, so we were able to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. This isn't always the case, as it can get quite dry later in the summer. There will be signs indicating any bans in effect.
After supper, the kids were finally able to do some exploring in the hoodoos. It's a great way to tire them out before bedtime! At every turn, they were just so excited to find something new. We found the "hot tub" and the "toilet", still intact from when I was a kid. I'm sure there's lots of other formations you can find if you let your imagination go wild. I gave them some dollar store water guns to play with, so they could run around "hunting for dinosaurs" as we explored. They loved this! First thing in the morning, the kids wanted to go back out to explore as soon as they could. This time we made our way up to the interpretive centre. There were a bunch of games, videos, and other interactive displays that taught about the history of the area and First Nations people. The large windows overlooking the hoodoos and the river made it feel very open and connected to the rest of the park.
During the heat of the day, after eating lunch, we got our swimming suits on and headed over to the beach. The kids built sand castles and played in the water for a few hours. The water isn't fast or very deep, so it feels very safe. Depending on the person, you could wade over to the other side of the river pretty comfortably. It's within walking distance from all of the campsites and a restroom is near by.
As far as seeing the actually Writings on the Stone, there are 2 ways of doing this. Option one, is to check out the self guided trail going east of the park. If I remember right, it's a couple of kilometers long. Be sure to grab a brochure, where you'll find interesting facts as you go at each numbered marker. It's a great motivator for the kids too to keep their eyes out for #1, #2, #3, etc. Towards the end of the trail, you'll have a few opportunities to see some of the petroglyphs high up on the sandstone walls. You need to look VERY carefully to see them, and have the brochure handy to help see what you're looking for. Option two, is to pay for a guided tour in the fenced off section. This is the best way to see the better preserved petroglyphs and be taught more about the history by the knowledgeable guides. This section of the trail is reserved only for paid guided tour groups.
This particular time, we didn't do either one of the trails, but I've done both before and both are great, if you have the time. It's not something you'd need to do every time though. That afternoon, after we packed up our campsite, the kids (not me) still had some energy to spare, so they played on the playground for a bit. This pooped them out just enough so that they fell asleep on the drive back home. I probably would've done the same if I didn't have to drive!
To sum things up, Writing on Stone is one of those places that you won't forget. It's a place where you can come back to year after year and still find new trails and be entertained. The word "hoodoo" means magical or supernatural, and that's exactly the feeling you get when you visit the park!