At one point, I spotted a couple of fish washed up on the edge of Little Sandhill Creek which was not much more than a series of small shallow pools connected by pathetic trickles of water.  One of the fish was still moving a bit, but it was in a spot that was difficult to access.  Zosia and I pretty much assumed that it was on its last legs anyway and carried on hiking into the coulee.  Returning to the same spot about forty minutes later, we took a quick peek at the fish and noticed that the one that had been moving had flopped itself even further from the water's edge.  Yet, it was still alive.  Determined to help the fish, I managed, with some difficulty, to work my way down into the creek bed.  Surprisingly, I discovered that the other fish that had not moved was also still alive.  With my bare hands, I pushed both fish into an adjacent shallow pool, and they responded well by swimming vigorously and disappearing under an embankment.  I was pretty happy about the rescue until we went to the visitor centre later in the day and discovered that I had inadvertently saved a couple of Prussian carp, an invasive species that the Alberta government has been working hard to eradicate.  Fortunately, Little Sandhill Creek was virtually dried up, and I doubt that the carp I saved would have made it very far beyond the small pool where they ended up.

	Zosia stands at a viewpoint near the entrance to Dinosaur Provincial Park.
	Zosia heads for a seemingly brand new wooden staircase on Coulee View trail.
	Zosia pauses next to a sinkhole while enjoying views across the coulee.
	Zosia follows some stairs down to a nearby campground to access the Little Sandhill Creek trail.

Little Sandhill Creek trail runs along the bottom of the coulee.

 

	After turning around earlier than expected, Zosia notices a cave in the cliffs at left.
	The cave turns out to be little more than a shallow recess in the cliffs.
	Prussian carp is an invasive species of fish that is detrimental to local aquatic ecosystems due to their hardiness and destructive feeding habits.  This one is still alive after floundering out of water for at least forty minutes.
	Ignorant of the Alberta government's policy of eradicating Prussian carp, Sonny inadvertently coaxes a couple of beached carp back into the waters of Little Sandhill Creek. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Beside the campground is a historic cabin that once belonged to the legendary black cowboy, John Ware.
	Total Distance:  4.4 kilometres Round-Trip Time:  1 hour 47 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain:  37 metres GPX Data

After returning from our first hike, Zosia and I next drove along the Public Loop Road to a pullout (50.76074, -111.51156) which is the trailhead for Badlands Trail.  We hiked the straightforward loop trail in a counter-clockwise direction without any trouble.  Intrigued by a wooden staircase and various trail markers to the north of the pullout, we extended our hike to portions of different trails at the western end of the Public Loop Road including some with exotic names like "Gorgosaurus Gully" and "Ornithomimid Overlook".  Unsure of where most of these trails went, we cut short our wanderings here and returned to the pullout.

	Zosia starts up Badlands Trail.
	The numerous small bumps and ridges along Badlands Trail are fun to climb.
	Zosia sits precariously on the edge of a dry waterfall.
	This is a typical example of a hoodoo formation with a hard layer of rock sitting atop an eroded softer layer characterized by rills.
	After finishing Badlands Trail, Zosia extends the hike to River View trail which, not surprisingly, grants a view of Red Deer River.
	Sonny stands above some larger hoodoo formations overlooking the Public Loop Road. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Total Distance:  2.6 kilometres Round-Trip Time:  59 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain:  34 metres GPX Data

Our next stop was at two fossil exhibits near the east end of the Public Loop Road.  Housed within protective buildings, the exhibits showcase a couple of dinosaur fossil excavation sites.  From the parking lot (50.76559, -111.49875) beside "Fossil Display 2", Zosia and I hiked the Trail of the Fossil Hunters which leads to another interpretive display about half a kilometre away.  We then extended the hike to Upper Cretaceous Trail and Extinction Expedition trail mainly because we wanted to check out a couple of log ladders that we spotted from a distance.  Once again, we were not sure where these other trails ended up, and as such, we went off-trail for a bit before eventually muddling our way back to the Trail of the Fossil Hunters and subsequently the trailhead.

	Zosia approaches the building housing "Fossil Display 1".
	Here are the contents of "Fossil Display 2".

Zosia follows the Trail of the Fossil Hunters.

 

	Zosia climbs a long set of stairs along Upper Cretaceous Trail.
	Zosia climbs up a log ladder to surmount this steep slope.
	Zosia bags a hoodoo with Red Deer River visible in the background.
	The log ladders are a bit more challenging to descend. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Zosia hikes off-trail to try and find her way back to the Trail of the Fossil Hunters.

 

Total Distance:  1.8 kilometres Round-Trip Time:  41 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain:  20 metres GPX Data

Our final hike in the park was on the easy Cottonwood Flats loop trail which begins from a pullout (50.76571, -111.50591) on the north side of the Public Loop Road.  Unlike the previous trails we hiked, there are no badlands formations here, but the trail features some impressive cottonwood trees as well as nice views of Red Deer River.  As a bonus, we spotted nine mule deer scattered throughout the loop.

	A couple of mule deer wander among the grass near Cottonwood Flats trail.
	Sonny tries to mimic what appears to be a spooky face on the stripped trunk at left. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

This area through which Red Deer River flows is known as Deadlodge Canyon.

 

	This slowly-dying cottonwood tree is estimated to be about 200 years old.  This tree was thriving when Red Deer River used to be much closer to it.  As the river began meandering further away over the years though, it has become increasingly difficult for the tree's roots to gather enough water to support the tree.  Hence, the tree's slow demise is inevitable. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Two more mule deer--a mother and fawn--find sanctuary in the tall grasses here.
	Total Distance:  1.6 kilometres Round-Trip Time:  45 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain:  21 metres GPX Data

When we finished hiking, Zosia and I stopped briefly at the visitor centre before driving back up to the same viewpoint we visited before entering the park.  The persistent cloud cover that we had all day finally gave way to sunshine which made for a much better panoramic view.  It was a fitting end to an utterly enjoyable day in Dinosaur Provincial Park.

Suspended from the ceiling at the visitor centre is this Gorgosaurus skeleton.

 

The view from near the entrance to the park is dramatically improved by late day sunshine.

 

This whimsical display is located at the intersection of Alberta Highways 544 and 876. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak