Visit to Killdeer badlands might have motivated future visit to prairie dog colonies

It was a nice Saturday morning, really nice for a road adventure. “Where do you want to go?” asked my partner and wife, glancing up from her morning pear.

“The Killdeer badlands in Grasslands National Park,” I replied.

“Oh, no. You’ve been there before. Why do you want to go again?” Badlands are not her favourite; but since I grew up near Alberta badlands they have always fascinated me.

“They built a paved road more or less along the badlands and I want to see what they did. We might see some deer.” Grudgingly she agreed to go.

Just outside Moose Jaw two foxes stood on the edge of a corn field. One was on three legs using the fourth to scratch its belly.

A big buck deer stood in the ditch near Ardill, then slowly walked away from the camera.

Most crops looked great, considering the fears of total crop failure before the June rains.

We drove past the Wood Mountain Regional Park noting all the trailers and campers there for the Wood Mountain Rodeo, the oldest rodeo in Canada. “Are we there yet?” teased my partner. “Just over the hill”

“You’ve been saying that all morning.” A few hills on, the gravel road to Grasslands National Park appeared. Entering the park, we saw the narrow-paved road on our left but first drove into the valley and the park.

The place sure has changed.

Ten years ago on my first visit, an aborted hike, a few trees, the locked up McGowan ranch house, a few old outbuildings and a plank across Rock Creek was it. Now the McGowan ranch house has been fixed up as east bloc office and visitor centre. A campground, rental teepees and over half a dozen little cabins can handle visitors. And there are public washrooms. A bridge spans the creek. Guides offer daily activities.

The paved winding road was cool, meandering through the grasslands and close to the badlands. At several spots, visitors can park and walk to lookout points. My partner preferred to stay in the car in the parking spot for handicapped persons while I walked to the lookouts – no convincing her there are no snakes, although she did venture on one short walk.

We did notice the parking spots for handicapped persons were all a long distance from the walking trails.

It was sunnier than any time I had visited but the badlands were still spectacular. I later sent some photos to a cousin in Alberta, who thought the photos were from Alberta.

Heading out of the park my partner admitted the Killdeer badlands were different.

“Are there badlands in the west bloc of Grasslands National Park or is it just prairie dogs?” she asked.

I explained the west bloc is rugged but not like these badlands.

“Maybe we’ll go there,“she said, her voice trailing off, “in ten years.”

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net