Grasslands National Park: Valley of 1000 Devils (2 days / 20 km)

The Valley of 1000 Devils is a wilderness area in Grasslands National Park-East Block. Located in Southern Saskatchewan (about 3 hours from Regina), Grasslands NP is one of the only swaths of native prairie left in the country. In the East Block of the park, the epic prairie landscape is broken up by unique badlands, caused by the erosion of clay formations. In the Valley of 1000 Devils, hikers can explore the prairie and badlands at their leisure. There are no official trails or campsites. Hikers can explore for the day, or set up camp in the shelter of the hoodoos and spend a night in one of Canada’s best dark sky preserves, after watching an epic sunset in the Land of Living Skies.

I have explored the Valley of 1000 Devils twice, in June 2017 and April 2021. This report will cover the April trip.

Trip Completed: April 2021

Trip Summary

Starting Point: Grasslands East Block Visitor Center / Rock Creek Campground

Ending Point: Grasslands East Block Visitor Center / Rock Creek Campground

Total Distance: 20 km

Elevation Gain: 150 m

Duration: 1 night / 2 days

Difficulty: Easy hiking, but intermediate-advanced level navigation and wilderness skills are required.

Location

This route takes place in the East Block of Grasslands National Park, near Fir Mountain. The route outlined in the map was populated with the GPS coordinates we tracked during the hike.

Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of the Niitsítpiis-stahkoii (Blackfoot / Niitsítapi), Michif Piyii (Métis) and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (source).

Maps & Resources

Guidebook: There are no official guidebooks to my knowledge, however, there are online resources available, including the Parks Canada Grasslands National Park Trail Guide.

Map: Horse Creek - Canada 072G02

Campsite Reservations / Backcountry Permits: There are no specific campsite reservations, however a backcountry permit is required. You can pick up a p...