Red Rock Coulee

established 2005 or earlier

That’s it, the Rockies climbing trip is over and your now on the road back to Regina, Yam faded in the rearview mirror long ago, but wait! Before you have to see that Welcome to Saskatchewan sign there is one last chance to get the arms a bit pumped on some rock. Red Rock Coulee is a trippy Alberta Natural area and can be even a worthy winter daytrip if the surrounding area is blown free as this corner of Alberta heats up good. Would be a great place for a sci-fi flick as the many dozen red spheres emerge from the grassland at odd angles precariously placed on slopes sheared in half, intact or diced up like lunar veggies. The globes are solid, smooth with juggy tops, slopping dishes or pumpy crimps. DO NOT EVEN THINK OF USING CHALK HERE!! The only request the bullet-riddled sign asks is that you don’t offroad or disturb flora; the rock is so bullet-proof, tourists scramble on the spheres no biggie, but chalk would be silly and plain dumb. Since everything is sit-start, some moves are desperate. Beware of snakes and stay on worn trails. There’s picinic tables but no toilets. The spheres are congested across 500m of hill close to the car.

To access: drive Hwy#1 to Medicine Hat. Go SW on Hwy#3 for 25km and before the acreage community of Seven Persons, go south on Hwy#887 for about 20-25kms.Watch for a brown sign calling for the coulee just before asharp bend in the road. Go off straight onto a gravel road for about 100m. Cross the gravel road and contiunue up the steep hill to the top. Park in the first lot or drive higher to the main one. The entire area is fenced off with barbed wire but has turnstiles to get through.