I recently enjoyed my first camping trip of 2022, spending two nights at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park. The historic park is located in the far southeast corner of Alberta, just a few kilometres north of the Montana border.
I'm a bit ashamed to say I'd never even heard of Writing-on-Stone until a few months ago, when my wife first expressed interest in a camping trip there. I'm also a bit ashamed to say I didn't really research the place before our trip. I wish I had, because it just so happens to be an incredibly cool park with a fascinating history. If you have the opportunity to visit, I'd definitely recommend making the 2.5-hour drive.
Geologically, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is very similar to Dinosaur Provincial Park, near Brooks. Situated along the Milk River, (which was named as such by the historic Lewis and Clark duo, due to the colour of its waters resembling a milky cup of tea) Writing-on-Stone is known for the historic petroglyphs and pictographs that are carved into its many hoodoos and cliffs. Some of the carvings are believed to be over 1,000 years old, and were carved by members of the Blackfoot. As our tour guide pointed out, the carvings tell stories that are both educational and interesting.
There's unfortunately also a lot of graffiti, as many people have carved their names into the cliff's walls over the last century. (Doing so these days risks a $50,000+ fine and jail time).
Visiting Writing-on-Stone was emblematic of my travel experience during the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kept primarily to my own province these last few years, my travels have mostly been limited to within the borders of Alberta since 2019.
But that hasn't necessarily been a bad thing. I've enjoyed plenty of great weekend trips since the pandemic began to Alberta's tourist destinations – of which there are plenty.
In July 2020, I visited Waterton Lakes National Park for the first time. Due to international travel restrictions, there were not nearly as many visitors as usual, which meant lines were short and the shops were never crowded.
Last June, my wife and I celebrated her birthday with a weekend trip to Sherwood Park to visit Elk Island National Park, which is a large, sprawling parkland about a 20-minute's drive east of that city.
I've also been to Sylvan Lake, Gleniffer Lake, Canmore, Banff, Kinbrook Island, and Edmonton in the last two years, which are all cool weekend destinations in Alberta. I must admit I wouldn't have thought of vacationing in my own province prior to the pandemic, instead opting to use my vacation days to visit other provinces or even the U.S.
And while I'm excited to once again explore other countries and cultures in the months and years to come, I'm happy to have seen other parts of our province that are both beautiful and interesting.
It turns out our own backyard is pretty cool.
