The largest concentration of First Nation petroglyphs and pictographs on the great plains of North America is to be found here. The artwork was created over time by the Blackfoot people, who occupied a large area of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Montana. The park encompasses a total of 6,644.79 Acres (2,689.05 Ha). Tours are available from May 17 to Oct 13 in 2013.
Coordinates given are for the trail head at the parking lot.
Writing-on-Stone
This park preserves spectacular badlands, riparian habitats and grasslands along the Milk River. Writing-on-Stone's landscapes have spiritual significance for the Blackfoot people. The petroglyphs and pictographs on the park's sandstone cliffs are protected as a legacy to this spiritual connection. The park's archaeological preserve, established in 1977, ensures protection of one of the North American Plains' largest concentrations of rock art.
The unusual landforms of Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai'pi resulted from the dynamic interaction of geology, climate and time. The sedimentary rocks exposed in the Milk River valley were formed 85 million years ago at the edge of a great inland sea. Huge volumes of meltwater began eroding the soft sandstone after the last ice age. This is how the coulees and hoodoos you see today were formed. The unique habitat created is suitable to many diverse species not typically found in surrounding areas.
In Blackfoot traditions, the world around us is the work of Náápi who gained his powers from the Creator. Náápi did a wonderful job making the land. Special places like Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai'pi are here for a reason. This is where significant things happened to the ancestors of the Blackfoot. This is where the ancient stories took place.
Archaeological studies from the prairies around Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai'pi show that people have lived here for at least 10,000 years. The earliest archaeological evidence from Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai'pi itself is 3,500 to 4,500 years old. The majority of archaeological evidence here dates from 1,750 years ago until the recent past.
From Parks Alberta