Dry Island
Buffalo Jump Provincial Park - Trailhead Event
Friday, July 15th from 2 to 5 PM
Trailhead Presentation from 2 to 2:30 PM
Main Parking Area, Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park
The posted coordinates designate the top parking lot where the
group can gather for the trailhead event.
Rob Barratt is well-versed in the geology of the Canadian
Badlands and the park's distinctive and fragile eco-system. Rob
will offer a half-hour interpretive presentation to the group,
after which you can drive down to the lower parking lot and picnic
area. You're free to walk the park and log any of the geocaches
hidden there.
Rob has also kindly consented to take anyone who wishes on a
walking tour through the park to the top of the dry island for
which the park is named. The walking tour will take from two to
two-and-a-half hours. Rob is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable
guide, so the tour will prove fascinating for everyone who
joins.
If you arrive after the scheduled presentation at 2 PM, you can
log the event until 5 PM by reviewing the complete series of
interpretive signs placed along the top of the valley wall that
tell about the park's fascinating features and general layout.
The road leading down the hill to the riverbed and picnic
area may be closed to vehicular traffic, adding to the time
required to walk the park. And, wet weather makes the clay soil
found in the park very greasy and extremely difficult to walk
on.
The following description of DIBJPP is excerpted from
GC17P83, an Earthcache by
DanOCan:
"Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park was created on December
15, 1970 to protect the unique natural and cultural resources of
the area. The two primary features of interest in the park are
easily determined based upon its name: the dry island and the
buffalo jump.
Dry Island: The large mesa you see from this location
rises nearly 200m above the Red Deer River. It resembles an island
but since it was never surrounded by water it was referred to as
“Dry Island”. The prairie grasses on top of the mesa
have never been disturbed by grazing or cultivation.
Buffalo Jump: Prehistoric natives drove bison over a
section of the steep valley wall as a method of hunting. This
particular buffalo jump was used at least four times between 500
– 3000 years ago. Archaeologists have found remnants of
tools, fire pits and pottery near the base of the jump, indicating
there were once camps here where the remains of the bison were
processed.
In addition, this area is rich in fossil history from a very
interesting period in the Earth’s history. The various layers
you can see in the rock faces formed 63 to 68 million years ago.
This period falls right during the transition from the Cretaceous
Period (Age of Dinosaurs) to the Tertiary Period (Age of Mammals).
Fossils are protected by law – the collection of fossils
inside the park is NOT allowed."