 When we were planning our big move from Botswana to Canada, we had no idea that Alberta specifically, was a popular dinosaur stomping ground waaaaay back in the day. We had even less idea that there was a dinosaur named Albertosaurus and another named Edmontosaurus! The dinosaur-themed park, known as Jurassic Forest, just north of the city of Edmonton is a great place to go on a day-trip and see some of these giant beasts “out in the wild”! On a warm Saturday in the middle of July in 2024, the three of us took a little road trip about 60km (38 miles) north of Edmonton, a few short minutes past the town of Gibbons, for a day of dinosaur watching! Take a left off of Highway 28A and you will see the sign directing you to the gravel parking lot in front of dinosaur-enamored pillars leading to the entrance of the park. Parked outside of the reception area are dinosaur-egg themed wagons for the kiddos to sit in. We grabbed one, paid the admission fees (CAD $15 average, with various other payment/membership options available) and strolled around the Interpretive Gallery, checking out dinosaur bones, skeletons, books, charts and more. Once we exited the reception area, to our right was the cafe, gift shop and mini golf course and to our left was a wooden path going around the children’s playground, leading into the first section of the park - the North Discovery Trail. We followed the path and walked into the forest, filled with luscious greenery, tall trees and all kinds of vegetation surrounding the path. We followed the path through the trees and came across various animatronic dinosaurs strategically placed in the forest on both sides of the path. Each dinosaur has an informative sign next to the path, giving visitors more information about it. There is also a sensor hidden in the trees that is activated when you walk past and triggers the sounds and movements for each dinosaur.  Sturdy wooden paths taking you all over the park Our toddler, and all the other kids that came to visit were enthralled by the sizes, sounds and movements of these beasts, all which were made to look relatively realistic. Our Viktor was fascinated by every single dinosaur we came across and the sounds and movements raised a whole lot of questions in his inquisitive little mind. The horned Triceratops, the long-necked Apatosaurus and the massive Spinosaurus were all greeted with loud squeals and excited finger-pointing, but no other dinosaur received as much attention as the impressive-looking T-Rex, which was in the middle of "lunch"!  Full-scale dinosaurs in their "natural habitat" After a leisurely walk through the North Discovery Trail, the path led us back to the main activity area, where we bought some water and ice cream from the cafe and had a break on the park benches and tables while Viktor played in the playground. From here there is access to the mini golf course (also dino-themed, of course), there is a dinosaur-skeleton-digging box where kids can play-excavate dinosaur bones, and there are various shaded and unshaded spots for families to sit around and relax in.  Dino-themed playground for the kids We were pleasantly surprised to find that there was another trail to explore - The South Discovery Trail - so off we went. This section of the park is engulfed in even more greenery with various other dinosaurs and enlarged models of creatures (such as spiders, ants, dragonflies etc.) that are usually found in that area. This area in particular is also a mosquito haven, and we quickly realised why the website suggested we bring mosquito repellent and a jacket - not because it’s cold, but so you don’t end up going home with a million mosquito bites all over your arms and legs…. Which all three of us had!
The South trail ended with the sabretooth tiger and the woolly mammoth, after which we hastily made our way back to the main activity area, trying to shoo away the multitude of blood-sucking mosquitos! If you’re a stickler for details, you may notice that some of the animatronics are due for an upgrade, some sections of the pathway require slight repairs and the informative signs could do with a scrub, but all in all Jurassic Forest is a great place to spend the day with the kids, exploring the trails reading about the various dinosaurs that inhabited this region millions of years ago and, if you have the time (which we didn’t) you can go for a round on the mini golf course. Children’s parties can also be arranged here, they have tents for camping and the kids can go on scavenger hunts as well.
Find Out MoreThe park is closed over the winter months and will reopen again in May of 2025. For more information, visit their website at www.jurassicforest.com, call them on 780-470-2446, send them an email at [email protected] or just get the family in the car and head out to the park and have a fun-filled, educational and informative dino-packed day! Watch Our Short Video of the Trip Below:RBOF Rating Photo Gallery from Jurassic Forest
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