The
River Today

The dinosaur bonebed is located on an elevated bench about 10 m above the creek bed level of Pipestone Creek, about 1.1 km upstream from Pipestone Creek County Park campground and the confluence with the Wapiti River. The creek valley at this point is about 700 m wide from crest to crest and 100 m deep, with a narrow bottom consisting of the creek bed and a discontinuous floodplain. Pipestone Creek is dry for most of the year, but subject to run off and occasional flooding in spring.

The slope above the bonebed up to the top of the valley near the access road to the County Park is fairly steep (from 10 to 20 degrees). The area at the top of the slope above the bonebed provides a panoramic view of the broader Wapiti River valley, as well as a focused view down toward the bonebed below.

The main attraction at the site is the bonebed itself. It has not been fully excavated, and has potential to yield additional, palaeontologically significant fossils. A drilling assessment in February 2005 determined the bonebed is at least as large as a football field. Construction of a closed in structure covering the bonebed will provide much needed security for the fossil resources at the site. In addition, improved drainage related to development will help to ensure that the fossils are not further damaged by water seepage or further erosion.

Learn about the discovery of the river's bones or forensic palaeontology?