World Heritage Identification Number: 71
World Heritage since: 1979
Category: Natural Heritage
WHE Type: Protected Areas & National Parks
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada
Continent: Americas
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Paleontological Treasure Trove
Dinosaur Provincial Park, located approximately 220 kilometers east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a unique and captivating destination that offers a glimpse into Earth's distant past. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1979, stands out for its stunning landscapes and rich fossil deposits, providing valuable insights into the Age of Reptiles, specifically dating back around 75 million years.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
In addition to its particularly beautiful scenery, Dinosaur Provincial Park – located at the heart of the province of Alberta's badlands – contains some of the most important fossil discoveries ever made from the 'Age of Reptiles', in particular about 35 species of dinosaur, dating back some 75 million years.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (vii): Dinosaur Provincial Park is an outstanding example of major geological processes and fluvial erosion patterns in semi-arid steppes. These badlands stretch along 26 kilometers of high quality and virtually undisturbed riparian habitat, presenting a landscape of stark but exceptional natural beauty.
Criterion (viii): The property is outstanding in the number and variety of high quality specimens representing every known group of Cretaceous dinosaurs. The diversity affords excellent opportunities for paleontology that is both comparative and chronological. Over 350 articulated specimens from the Oldman and Dinosaur Park formations including more than 150 complete skeletons now reside in more than 30 major museums. In addition to the significant number of high quality specimens, the property contains a complete assemblage of non-dinosaurian fossil material offering an unparalleled opportunity for the study of the Late Cretaceous paleo-ecosystem.
Encyclopedia Record: Dinosaur Provincial Park
Dinosaur Provincial Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated 220 kilometres east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; or 48 kilometres (30 mi) northeast of Brooks.Additional Site Details
Area: 7,825 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(viii) — Outstanding example representing major earth stages
Coordinates: 50.76777778 , -111.4922222
IUCN World Heritage Outlook
The 2025 Conservation Outlook on Dinosaur Provincial Park reports the following assessment:
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) · View assessment
Image
© Joanne Merriam, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
