Regina 
You wouldn’t expect to see hoodoos in the middle of Saskatchewan’s pasture lands.
Credit: Avonlea Heritage Museum
Located about 75 km from Moose Jaw and Regina on private land is Avonlea Badlands, which protects one of the most unique landscapes found in Saskatchewan.
The Avonlea Badlands offers scenic views of stone-capped hoodoos and buttes, clear skies and stunning sunsets, and you can visit this private land on a guided tour offered by the Avonlea Heritage Museum.
The tours of these scenic badlands began in 2013 with the goal to protect this beautiful landscape while still allowing thousands of people to have access to it.
On your 3 km hike to the badlands, you will get to see many native plants, including cacti unique to the area.
Credit: Avonlea Heritage Museum
You will be surprised to see the prairie pasture drastically giving way to the awe-inspiring landscape sculpted by millions of years of glacial erosion. The area was once covered by an inland sea and then by a large glacier. You can see various badland topographies here—deep drainage channels, steep ridges, buttes, and hoodoos.
Tours are available twice daily (morning and evening) throughout the week. The morning tours are excellent for those who want to discover some of the wildlife that inhabits this region. The evening tours are perfect for those who want to take some fantastic pictures or watch the sunset.
These guided tours typically last about an hour and a half. Since the property is privately owned, you have to book your tour in advance.
After or before your guided tour, explore the Avonlea Heritage Museum, located inside the 1912 CN train station, and learn more about the history of the surrounding area. The site also includes a CN Cook Car, St. David’s Anglican Church, Pioneer Display Building, and murals by Paul Geraghty.
Saskatchewan has many unique attractions, including sand dunes, crooked trees and Canada’s own Dead Sea. Plan a weekend in the area as Avonlea Badlands is located near Castle Butte, a towering sandstone and clay structure.
Avonlea Badlands
Credit: Avonlea Heritage Museum
What: Spend some time at Avonlea Heritage Museum learning all about life in this area of Saskatchewan. At The Avonlea Heritage Museum, you can learn about its vast history and the surrounding area’s history. This includes the rich history of Avonlea: pre-history, indigenous history and settlement.
Book a guided tour to the private Avonlea Badlands, located 4 km outside the Village of Avonlea. Explore various types of badland landforms while learning about the region’s geology, archaeology, and paleontology.
When:
Badland tour: visit the website for the tour schedule, May to Labour Day Weekend
Museum:
Open Tuesday-Saturday | 10 am – 5 pm | May-June
Open Everday | 10 am- 5 pm | July-August
How much:
Museum:$5/adult | $3/student
Badland Tour:
$20/ Adults (18+)
$15/ Ages 12-17
$10/ Ages 5-11
Free/ Under 5
Where:
Address: 219 Railway Ave, Avonlea, SK S0H 0C0
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