Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is reached by first going to Milk River 85 km (53 mi.) south of Lethbridge, then traveling east on Highway 501 for 32 km (20 mi.) and turning south down a tarmac road for another 10 km (6 mi.).
The Park gets its name from the many Indian drawings on the sandstone rocks, eroded into bizarre shapes, that form the steep gulch of the Milk River.
The Park gets its name from the many Indian drawings on the sandstone rocks, eroded into bizarre shapes, that form the steep gulch of the Milk River.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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These lands were of great spiritual significance for the Plains Indians who believed the spirits of the departed would "write" messages on the rock walls. Warrior braves came here to try and discover what might happen if they went on the warpath, but they never stayed long since it was too dangerous to linger near the spirits of the dead.
In 1908 the graves of five men, a woman and a child were found here, together with items from the U.S. Cavalry. It is thought they could have been survivors of the Nez-Percé who were almost wiped out in 1877 by the U.S. Cavalry near the Canadian border, or they could have been from the tribe of Sitting Bull who fled into southern Canada after their victory over General Custer in 1876 at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
The bare rocks and hoodoos on the valley edge and the semi-arid prairie contrast starkly with the lush vegetation in the valley itself, where the Milk River lends itself well to canoeing. The Indian petroglyphs can only be seen on guided tours.
In 1908 the graves of five men, a woman and a child were found here, together with items from the U.S. Cavalry. It is thought they could have been survivors of the Nez-Percé who were almost wiped out in 1877 by the U.S. Cavalry near the Canadian border, or they could have been from the tribe of Sitting Bull who fled into southern Canada after their victory over General Custer in 1876 at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
The bare rocks and hoodoos on the valley edge and the semi-arid prairie contrast starkly with the lush vegetation in the valley itself, where the Milk River lends itself well to canoeing. The Indian petroglyphs can only be seen on guided tours.
