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I Finally Walked Writing on Stone Provincial Park and Packed All This
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items Planning a trip to Writing on Stone Provincial Park in Alberta but not sure what to bring or where to start? I showed up my first time with flip flops and a half-empty water bottle. Learned every lesson the hard way so you can skip the rookie mistake...
Sections
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Footwear and Clothing for the Hoodoo Trails
Day Pack Gear for the Coulee Trails
Camera and Optics for Petroglyph Sites
Camping Setup at Writing on Stone Campground
Food and Cooking for Remote Alberta Camping
Guided Tours and Experiences at Writing on Stone
Footwear and Clothing for the Hoodoo Trails
The terrain at Writing on Stone looks smooth from the parking lot. Then you hit loose gravel, slippery sandstone, and cactus. I wore running shoes my first visit and spent the drive home pulling spines out of my socks.
Swap your sneakers for these before hitting the trails. The grip on loose sandstone saved me from sliding down a slope near the hoodoos. Perfect for anyone who hikes maybe twice a year and doesn't want heavy boots.
Men's Moab 3 Hiking Shoes
Wear these under your hiking shoes and forget about blisters entirely. I did 14 km on the coulee trails without a single hot spot. Stock up because once you try them you'll refuse to wear anything else.
Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks - Men's
Get this if you burn in ten minutes like I do. The neck drape looks silly until you realize everyone without one is lobster-red by noon. Writing on Stone has almost zero shade on the trail ridges.
Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap | REI Co-op
Toss this in your pack even if the forecast says clear. Wind rips through the Milk River valley without warning. I watched someone's hat blow into a canyon while I stood there zipped up and smug.
Patagonia Men's Houdini® Windbreaker Jacket
Try the zip-off legs for Writing on Stone specifically. Mornings are cool walking along the river, then by 11 AM you're baking. Beats carrying shorts in your pack like I did the first time.
Men's Silver Ridge Convertible Pants
Use this as a dust shield on windy days. The trails kick up fine silt that gets in your teeth. Also works as a sweatband when you're climbing up to the viewpoints in July heat.
Multifunction Headwear Buff Original EcoStretch
Day Pack Gear for the Coulee Trails
There's no shop once you're on the trails, and cell service is spotty at best. I ran out of water halfway through the self-guided hoodoo walk and had to turn back early. Never again.
Bring this instead of a grocery bag like the guy I saw struggling near the river crossing. Fits a hydration bladder, snacks, and a camera without bouncing around on uneven ground.
Osprey Daylite Plus Backpack Review
Fill two of these before you leave the campground. The nearest water refill is back at the main area and the coulee trails can take three hours in summer heat. I learned this by getting dizzy at the halfway point.
HydraPak Flux 1.5 L Collapsible Water Bottle + Filter Cap
Slather this on before the riverside trail. Mosquitoes near the Milk River at dusk are vicious. A family next to our campsite was literally eating dinner inside their car because they forgot repellent.
Sawyer SP5622 Picaridin Insect Repellent
Keep this charged in your pack for the drive home. GPS drains your phone fast on those rural Alberta highways, and you'll want battery left for photos at the petroglyph sites.
Anker Power Bank, 10000mAh Portable Charger
Grab this if you plan to wander off the main loop trails. Cell signal disappears in the coulees and the sandstone formations all start looking the same. Saved me from a very embarrassing rescue call.
Review: Garmin eTrex 22x GPS (and you can win one!)
Toss your phone and wallet in here when crossing the shallow parts of the Milk River. One wrong step on a slick rock and everything gets soaked. Watched it happen to someone right in front of me.
Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Bag - Set of 3
Camera and Optics for Petroglyph Sites
Writing on Stone has the largest concentration of rock art on the Great Plains. You can't touch the petroglyphs, so good optics matter if you want to actually see the details from the viewing platforms.
Use these at the petroglyph sites where you can't get closer than the railing. Details on the carvings pop into focus and you'll spot figures you'd completely miss with bare eyes. Worth the weight in your pack.
Nikon Monarch M5 8x42 Binoculars
Bring this instead of relying on your phone camera. The sandstone hoodoos at golden hour deserve better than a smartphone. Light and compact enough that you won't dread carrying it on the 5 km loop.
Sony ZV-E10 II Mirrorless Camera with E PZ 16-50mm
Clip your camera to your pack strap so it's ready instantly. I missed a pronghorn sighting because my camera was buried under snacks. At Writing on Stone, wildlife shows up without warning.
Peak Design Capture V3 Review
Pair this with your mirrorless body for the petroglyph details and distant wildlife. Deer and pronghorn graze near the river and you can't approach them. Got my best Alberta photo ever with this lens.
Tamron 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD For Sony
Snap this on before photographing the hoodoos. Cuts the harsh glare off white sandstone so the textures and shadows actually show up. Without it, midday photos look completely washed out.
Hoya HD3 Circular HRT Polarizer Filter (77mm)
Carry your camera gear in this for shorter walks to the viewpoints. Swings from back to front in one motion. Way better than stopping, removing your pack, and digging around while the light changes.
Everyday Sling
Camping Setup at Writing on Stone Campground
The campground fills up fast in summer and sits right along the Milk River. Beautiful spot, but the wind at night caught me off guard. My first tent nearly became a kite around 2 AM.
Stake this down properly because Writing on Stone wind is no joke after dark. Low profile keeps it from catching gusts. I watched a dome tent cartwheel across the campground at midnight. Don't be that person.
MSR Universal Tent Footprint
Use this even in July. The ground gets surprisingly cold along the river valley at night. I slept on a cheap foam pad once and woke up shivering at 3 AM despite wearing a hoodie to bed.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT Sleeping Pad - Review
Bring a bag rated lower than you think you'll need. Prairie nights drop fast once the sun sets. This one packs small enough to leave room in your trunk for everything else.
Kelty Cosmic Down 20 Sleeping Bag Review
Set this up at your campsite for evening warmth without choking on smoke. Wind shifts constantly in the valley, so a regular fire pit means smoke in your face every five minutes. This solved that completely.
FirePit+ Smokeless Fire Pit & FREE Carry Bag
Grab two of these for sitting by the river after a full day of hiking. They weigh nothing and fold tiny. The campground picnic benches are fine but sitting at the water's edge watching the sunset hits different.
Review: Helinox Chair One & Chair Zero - Equipment
Keep this in your tent for nighttime. The campground is dark, like really dark, which is great for stars but terrible for finding your toothbrush. Solar charges during the day while you're on the trails.
PackLite Max 2-in-1 Power Lantern
Food and Cooking for Remote Alberta Camping
The nearest real grocery store is in Milk River, about 30 minutes away. I assumed there'd be a camp store. There was not. Plan your meals before you arrive or you'll be eating plain crackers for dinner.
Boil water in two minutes flat for coffee and dehydrated meals. Mornings at Writing on Stone are chilly and you want hot coffee before the guided petroglyph tour at 10 AM. Compact enough to fit in your day pack.
Jetboil Flash Cooking System
Pack this for simple campsite meals. Two pots nest together and the lids double as plates. I cooked pasta, soup, and oatmeal for three days with just this set and didn't wash a single extra dish.
Stanley Adventure Camp Cook Set
Try this after a long day on the hoodoo trails. Actually tastes like real food, not cardboard. For anyone who doesn't want to haul a cooler full of groceries to a remote campground in southern Alberta.
Good To-Go Thai Curry Dehydrated Meal
Fill this with ice before leaving Lethbridge or Medicine Hat. Keeps food cold for three days even in July heat. The nearest ice is a 30-minute drive and you don't want to waste trail time on errands.
Tundra® 35 Hard Cooler
Bring real coffee instead of instant. Sitting by the Milk River at sunrise with a proper cup changed my whole morning. Folds flat and weighs almost nothing. My campsite neighbor traded me firewood for a cup.
GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip Coffee Maker | REI Co-op
Use these instead of plastic wrap for sandwiches and cheese. Writing on Stone is a protected area and packing out garbage matters. They stick to themselves in the cooler and don't create waste.
Bee's Wrap® Beeswax Wraps
Guided Tours and Experiences at Writing on Stone
You can hike the public trails alone, but the best petroglyph sites are only accessible with a guided tour. I almost skipped the tour my first visit. Would have missed the most incredible part of the entire park.
Book this the moment you confirm your dates. Tours fill up weeks in advance during summer. The guide takes you to restricted petroglyph sites you literally cannot access any other way. Worth every minute.
Hike: Rock Art Tour in Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
Snag your campsite on the Alberta Parks website as soon as bookings open. Riverside sites go in minutes. I waited two days too long and ended up in an overflow area with no shade and no view.
Bow Valley Campground
Stay up late for this. Writing on Stone has zero light pollution and the Milky Way stretches across the entire sky. Bring a blanket, lie on the grass near the river, and just look up. No app needed.
Dark Sky Project
Try a lazy float down the Milk River on a hot afternoon. Rent tubes in the town of Milk River before driving to the park. The water is calm and the hoodoo cliffs from river level look completely different than from the trail.
Milk River Canoe Trip Over 3 Days
Walk this loop first thing in the morning before the heat and crowds. The hoodoo formations are wild, like another planet. Interpretive signs explain the Blackfoot significance of each site. Takes about 90 minutes at a slow pace.
Napi's Playground, the Oldman River, The Whaleback
Combine your park trip with this designation site. Same location, different lens. The Blackfoot connection to this landscape goes back thousands of years and the on-site displays add context you won't get from a trail map alone.
Áísínai'pi National Historic Site of Canada