Horsethief Canyon Tour

Horsethief Canyon – (21 km ) – guided kayak or canoe tour starting from the Bleriot Ferry and ending at the Red Deer River Adventures main site. Here we will see rocks from near the end of the Cretaceous Period, about 70 million years ago, near the end of the age of dinosaurs. This area is well known for fossil discoveries of these beasts. There have been over 35 dinosaur discoveries recorded in the region. Soon after our launch we reach Horsethief Canyon on our left.

It is a T-shaped canyon running roughly half a kilometre by one kilometre out to the wider Red Deer River Valley (cut from the land when the last ice age ended about 10,000 years ago). The name Horsethief comes from the local legend that thieves in the 19th century used the narrow coulees of the canyon to house and rebrand stolen cattle and horses. As we round the bend the valley widens and there are several islands. After passing the mouth of Kneehill Creek we approach near the site where the first Albertosaurus was discovered. Wildlife sightings are common in this area. We will pass the remains from the coal mining communities of Kirkpatrick, Nacmine, and Midland. The coal mines in this area provided the fuel for the railroads which were developed here between 1909 and 1913. We will pass under the old railway bridge. The track has recently been removed from this stretch of track and rail cars no longer roll through the area.