The Avonlea Badlands: A Saskatchewan road trip you don’t want to miss!

By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com

One of Saskatchewan’s best-kept secrets are the Avonlea Badlands, located four kilometres outside of Avonlea, Sask. You may be asking, “Where is Avonlea?” It is a village located 82 kilometres southwest of Regina. Its beautiful badlands are situated on private property, which is only accessible via guided tours offered by the Avonlea Heritage Museum.

Tanner Stevens has been conducting tours in the area for over six years, taking visitors through native prairie pasture and into the base of the Badlands, where he says the scenery never fails to disappoint him. “The initial view of the badlands unsuspectedly appearing out of a sea of grass continues to impress me,” he said. “The Avonlea Badlands cover about one square kilometre of land. Since we take only guided tours, we can take groups right into the badlands, where they can walk right up to the formations and be completely immersed in this unique landscape.”

The Badlands are only accessible by foot and are so well hidden on private property that even some locals have never ventured out to see them. Tours, which began in 2013, help to manage visitors and protect the landscape.

The tours for 2021 are taking place all summer long, every day, at several times each day. Tours are approximately an hour and a half in length. Morning tours offer an enjoyable hike before the heat of the day, however, photographers may prefer the evening tour when the sunset casts an orange hue over the landscape.

The hike is challenging enough, but not too hard that it makes for a nice walk while taking pictures and enjoying the outdoors,” Tanner noted. “Our experienced guides show guests the iconic features of the Badlands while talking about the local geology, archeology and paleontology, as well as the native plants and animals.”

The Badlands area is home to many animals, including rabbits, deer and antelope, and is used as pasture for cattle and horses for the majority of the summer. “The main feature is the birds we see,” Tanner explained. “Depending on the time of day, we are certainly going to see some sparrows, wrens and hawks, as well as many other common and uncommon species.”

Tanner said there is evidence of the presence of First Nations tribes in the area. For example, a buffalo jump located one kilometre from the Badlands revealed many weapon points found during excavation, including the first Avonlea Arrowhead.

The Avonlea Badlands contain sedimentary deposits laid down years ago when a large inland sea covered this area. More recently, the land was shaped by glaciers that scoured the surface and meltwater that caused further erosion.

While you’re in the area, you can also visit the Avonlea Museum located at the end of Main Street. The original 1912 CN Train Station houses an impressive collection of artifacts. Visitors can also explore a 1918 cook sleeper and supply car, the St. David’s Anglican Church and a pioneer display building filled with murals done by a local artist. The most recent addition is an agriculture display building.

Suppose you want to extend your visit further. In that case, you could check out the Claybank Brick Plant National Historic Site, located 13.2 kilometres from Avonlea or the picturesque Wakamow Valley, just 53 kilometres from Avonlea.

This is definitely a Saskatchewan road trip you don’t want to miss.