Adventures at Avonlea Badlands
We recently had the opportunity to explore the Avonlea Badlands, which are located just a few kilometres outside the town of Avonlea at the junction of Highways #334 & #339.
The area is only accessible by guided tour, so we were sure to book ahead and secure a time through the Avonlea Heritage Museum. This scenic spot in Southern Saskatchewan will certainly take you by surprise!
We followed our guide to the start of the hike which is approximately 3 kilometres, or 1.5 hours long.
As you walk out towards the badlands, it’s as if the prairies fall away from underneath you. Before you know it, you are left standing in what seems like a whole different world.

Some sedimentary deposits were laid down as long as 2.5 million years ago when a large inland sea covered the area. Prehistoric rock and sand formations tower around you as you navigate the landscape, serving as a stark reminder of the powers of nature.

There are many cliffs, buttes, hoodoos and pillar formations of all shapes and sizes. As the area is still being eroded, it’s almost like a living museum.

This land is privately owned and justifiably sheltered in order to maintain this geological anomaly. With many archeological and paleontological discoveries found in the area, visitors should be particularly respectful when interacting with the environment.

In other words: ‘Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.’

Scenes are picturesque at any time of day, but the Avonlea Heritage Museum offers ‘golden hour’ tours of the badlands as well. If you think these photos are cool, imagine them with a Saskatchewan sunset!

Living on the prairies, we are used to seeing a sea of green. Here, there is only a sea of sand. As I looked at each bump, crack, or wave in the lay of the land I couldn’t help but imagine what used to live there.

If you have ever wondered what it might be like to walk along the bottom of the ocean, this might be the tour for you.

To step back in time, even just for an hour or two, was an enchanting experience!
For more information on the Avonlea Badlands, or to book a guided tour visit: https://avonleamuseum.ca/avonlea_badlands/.