Hwy 501 & Hwy 500 Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, Milk River, Alberta Canada
Writing On Stone Campground
25 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
We comfort camped for 2 nights. They are very convenient. It is a queen bunk bed with and twin on top. Mini fridge, fan, heater, electricity (1 available plug in), table, benches (inside), 1 cupboard, broom, hooks inside, bbq with single side burner, fire pit and picnic table. If travelling as a group book units 1 & 2 as they are side by side and open into a shared field. If booking a single unit book unit 3 as it has more tree privacy from the other units. Family style shower/washroom facility ($2/5 minute showers), playground, river with a beach (check any water advisories - when we went in June the river was high and a fast floating current not sure what it's like in the summer if it's too shallow), outdoor rinse/shower at the beach and a small camp hut store for snacks. The river is a little rocky at first but then is sandy, water shoes could be nice but not necessary. We spent 2 nights here, had a tour and explored the provincial park for about 5-6 hours. If you're first time here would recommend 3 nights as park of the park was closed when we came so it wouldn't have been enough time if the whole park was open.
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Date of stay: June 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mountain’s are nice but they block the scenery. That’s why I loved Writing On Stone. The hot, dry desert climate plus camping amongst the hoodoos was awesome. We took one of the guided tours through the restricted areas and it was very informative. If you’re going to do the walk through the hoodoos and back, make sure you leave early to mid-morning. We finished our hike about 1:30 pm and it was too hot. I would definitely go back.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Campground is clean and very kid and family friendly. The landscape is amazing and a must see - could hike for hours and not see the same thing twice. Should be on anyone’s bucket list with the combination of geological and historical significance. Highly recommend the tour as well.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It's truly difficult to write an objective review about this campground because I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it!!
We stayed 3 nights. There are 2 types of sites - power and unserviced. We stayed in a site with power.
Good things to know: There is NO cell phone service or internet. Your devices will not work until you are out of the valley. Free wifi is available at the Visitors Centre at the top of the hill. There is a beach by the river. Plenty of sand to relax/ play in. You can paddle/float in the river. There is a river access drop off close to the rodeo grounds. You can tube/float from there back to the beach. It takes 1-2 hours. There are plenty of washrooms. There are also paid showers ($2/5 minutes). There is a small convenience store and ice is available for purchase. There is a playground for kids and lots of good bike riding. If you want to learn more about Writing On Stone, there are tours available. Both a Rock Art and WOS 101 take you to restricted areas of Writing On Stone, with an interpreter to learn more. Tours are at a cost. Hiking in the hoodoos- spectacular scenery! Lots of paths and trails. You do not need to be an expert hiker to do them. I took a path, went for a walk and before I knew it I was 3/4 of the way up the hill!
If there was 1 thing I would suggest for improvement it would be to have talks at the amphitheater. There is so much to learn about the area it would've been great to hear it from experts.
Overall, I highly recommend Writing On Stone!
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Date of stay: July 2017Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
For those who enjoy camping once in awhile but don't want to invest in a trailer or tent or all the gear, comfort camping is the way to go. Writing On Stone has three lovely, clean, permanent tents for comfort camping - 100% equipped, comfortable and rain proof. The fact that they book up so quickly is a testament to what a great find these accommodations are. The campground is a gem for older kids - they can run around the hoodoos and cover themselves with mud in the river - great fun. The campground is clean, quiet and has a well stocked store with very nice staff.
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Date of stay: June 2014
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a very special place. The unique topography, wildlife, and history make it worthy of a visit. To top it off, the campground is incredibly quiet and peaceful. The facilities - showers, trails, visitor centre, and camp store - are all first-class. The river is cool and delightful to swim or float. The beach area is fantastic for kids of all ages, though the current can be dangerous for little people. We have camped throughout western North America and this is easily one of our favorites!
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Date of stay: July 2015Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This camp ground is really a Southern Alberta gem. Summer weekends are quite booked up far in advance, as it is a favourite place for locals to come campling. If you decide to spend a few nights midweek, you can probably get a site with power. (Alberta Parks has a great on-line reservation system so you can see pictures of the sites you are booking.) The sites are large, and most are surrounded by river valley trees like poplars. There is a small store that has a good variety of candy and ice cream treats as well as the usual camping emergency groceries. The wash house is in decent shape, and the showers are coin operated. It does get hot in the river valley, which makes playing in the river all the more fun for the kids...and the adults too. There is a beach on the east side of the camp ground on the muddy 'ol Milk River. The river itself is the real play ground. Our kids love to get in the river at the other end of the camp ground by the park --tubes/air mattresses, pool noodles--any floating device they can find, and float around the peninsula that is the camp ground to the beach. They immediately get out, walk across the camp ground and do it again, and again. The river is often 'murky' but the kids don't mind because it is warm. Many parts are shallow, but that just adds to the fun. If you are more adventurous, you can drive further down the river and take a longer float. When it cools off in the evening, the hoodoos are a virtual playground. They can get very hot in the afternoon, but mornings and evenings are pleasant. Unlike the hoodoos around the Drumheller area upon which play is limited, there is endless exploring to be had. To the west of the camp ground is a fairly long walking tour toward the "Writing on Stone". Playing in the river and hoodoos are free, but you can also book short bus tours to view the petroglyphs and some other First Nations history. It is definitely worth your time to go check out the Writing on Stone Provincial Park Visitor Center at the top of the coulee above the campground (you can climb thru the hoodoos to get there, or drive.) Writing on Stone is a great camp ground to spend a few laid back days with the kids.
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Date of stay: July 2014Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We enjoyed three nights in the campground. Although the beach is not much to write home about - it is only a river and not a lake so it is to be expected - our kids and many others had a great time in the river and on the beach. The water is muddy brown and doesn't look that appealing but the kids really didn't care. The surrounding views are beautiful. The campground has enough trees and bush to give a decent amount of privacy between campsites, although there were so many trucks, trailers, and RVs it was easy to park so as to have privacy. The outhouse bathroom was relatively clean, but it really is a short walk to the showers and flush toilets next to the store and they are clean. On a sunny day it is HOT here but at night it will cool right down to very chilly. Even though the river and beach area is not that great, this campground offers fantastic and unique hiking trails starting from the campground through the hoodoos and along the river. It is a really beautiful place. I would definitely recommend a visit here! We arrived on a Thursday and it was partially full, but come Friday it filled up so it is obviously a popular campground. One note, it cost $8 for one bundle of wood, so keep that in mind!
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Date of stay: May 2014
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am assuming this is the provincial campground. We booked online to stay here and that was a bit confusing. The pictures of the lots does not adequately show the size and ease if parking in the lots. I suggest phoning the campground if you have trouble. We booked a spot that should have worked but we could not maneuver to get in our large trailer. The attendant worked with us until we got a spot that worked and was available for what we needed. The campground itself was great. We had power and there was a washroom building nearby. They had showers and flush toilets in a building near the store. Lots of hiking and exploring nearby. Tgere was access to the milk river for kayaking, canoeing or tubing. Paddleboards too I would guess. There is a beach of sorts and we did aee families playing in the water. Lots of trees in the campsite help break up the wind and give shade against the heat. Really nice stay.
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Date of stay: June 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The stalls are a great size, the toilets are clean, the shower house is clean. My only complaint is that I wish the stalls were more private but there isn't much that can be done about that considering the landscape in the area. The stalls should have more gravel on the camping pads as well. Our stall for example, the fire pit was half on the gravel and half in the grass.
The beach area along the river is nice as well, very sandy! It's only a few steps away from the campsite.
I'd stay again!
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Date of stay: September 2017Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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CanadaAlbertaMilk River
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