Cottonwood Flats Trail

Distance: 1.4 km (round-trip)

EST Time: 60 minutes

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The Cottonwood Flats Trail in Dinosaur Provincial Park is a short level walk. There is no elevation gain or drop which makes it a nice stroll in the park. The trail head is about three quarters of the around the public loop road on the right hand side. You start off in the barren Badlands and quickly move into tall grass. Shortly after, the trail takes you under a canopy of beautiful cottonwoods in which the majority of the 165 birds that call Dinosaur Provincial Park home reside. As the trail zigzags you come up to the banks of the Red Deer River. Here you can see the effects that all the water has on the soft sides of the river bank. As you continue the loop you stay under the cottonwoods before emerging in the grassy area again. There are quite a few benches along the way that allow you to sit down, take in the great unique landscape and try your hand at bird watching. All in all it is an interesting change of landscape that you would not expect to find in the badlands.

For up-to-date hours and pricing, check out the Dinosaur Provincial Park official website.