Pack up a picnic and bring your camera because it’s time for an adventure this summer. A short 30-minute drive northeast of St. Albert can take you millions of years into the past.
Gibbons is home to a prehistoric dinosaur park called the Jurassic Forest. It is a 40-acre preserve nestled in an old forest. It features gigantic trees, sprawling bushes and most importantly dinosaurs.
Visitors to the park can get lost on the two-kilometres worth of discovery trails. It is easy to be enchanted by the flora and fauna of the park and the peaceful sounds of birds chirping, but suddenly the roar of a dinosaur transports you to a prehistoric time.
The park features more than 55 life-sized and robotic creatures covered in a rubber hide. The most impressive, of course, is the massive T-Rex.
“They’re on sensors and timers so they move and make sounds,” Kassandra Laderoute, park guide, said. “They are really cool.”
Guests can courageously tour the park on their own or follow a guide around on an informational hike. The guides have been trained in everything prehistoric and dinosaur related so they can provide an educational experience for the guests. Visitors of every age and ability are welcome to enjoy the forest.
“Everything is accessible by wheelchair,” Laderoute said. “We also rent out dino-strollers and if people need them, we do give out wheelchairs.”
Signs educating the adventurists on when and where the creatures lived accompany the robotic beasts. The park also offers theories on their death and how the dinosaurs developed into mammals.
“We have a bird trail and a mammal trail that are a little different from our dinosaurs,” Laderoute said. “They are a walk through bird evolution and mammal evolution.”
The animals aren’t the only things to learn about in the forest. The flora and fauna are featured along with insects during the adventure. Everything from beetles and dragonflies to cow parsnip are hidden and waiting to be discovered.
The summer is an especially great time to visit. Not only can visitors spend time in the sunshine, there are some additional activities for families.
“During the summers we do crafts, face painting and general guided tours,” Laderoute said. “Sometimes our Rosie the Raptor shows up and says hi to the kids too.”
Recently, the addition of the 18-hole dinosaur themed mini-golf allows for everyone to get competitive on the greens. Kids can also hang out in the Adventure Play Area where they can scale rocks and search for fossils in the dirt.
“We have plaster bones that we cover and then the kids can dig them up,” Laderoute said. “They can be paleontologists and they absolutely love it. “
When all the adventuring is done everyone can head over to the concession and picnic area where visitors can relax and take a break. They are welcome to bring their own lunch or stop by the concession stand.
Before packing up and heading home, make sure to head to the gift shop to pick up some dinosaur treats to help remember the best family adventure of the summer.
