Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland NA consists of a large complex of dispersed parcels of land along the Red Deer River, downstream from the City of Red Deer. It is contiguous with Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park and Dry Island Corridor NA.
Map of the Area
Any maps and map views are for general information only. Do not rely on them for navigation or to determine legal boundaries.
Other Information
Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland Natural Area (5,945 ha in area), lying north of Drumheller, preserves badlands and other parts of the Red Deer River valley. The small upland plateaus of fescue grassland are especially significant because much of this landscape has been cultivated to produce cereal crops. Prairie falcons nest on the badland cliffs. Some areas are under a Sustainable Resource Development grazing lease with hunting and access restrictions.
This site lies in the Grassland Natural Region, Northern Fescue Subregion. The Natural Area was established and expanded as part of the Special Places Program (Alberta Parks website, 2012).
Dry Island Corridor NA, under PNT, is composed of two parcels of land northwest and southeast of a portion of the Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park. These help to provide continuity between the rangeland and provincial park. The name Dry Island derives from a large mesa or butte bordered by a dry river channel on one side and the Red Deer River on the other [1].
HR or NA or Both? Protected Areas have specific classifications two of which are ‘Heritage Rangeland’ and ‘Natural Area’. So which of these two is this NA? The answer appears to be both and in limbo. It along with six other sites were given the NA designation in the late 1990’s during the Special Places 2000 program. The rationale was this was the ‘best fit’ for interim management until the legislation for the Heritage Rangeland class was pro- claimed. Management of these sites is a hybrid between a NA and HR until legislation is in place [2].
Site Statistics
| Site Name | Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland |
| Site Type | Natural Area |
| Subtype | Order-in-council (OC) |
| Natural Region(s) | Central Parkland |
| O.C. No. (Land Ref. Manual) | 383/00 |
| PASite ID (Map Ref #) | 590 |
| Site # (Parks Website) | 468 |
| Total Area | 5944.89 ha. (14689.81 ac.) |
| Steward-Status | |
| Recreation Activities | none noted |
| IUCN | VI |
| Operated By | Parks Division |
| Notes and Comments |
| Site Name | Dry Island Corridor |
| Site Type | Natural Area |
| Subtype | Protective Notation (PNT) |
| Natural Region(s) | |
| O.C. No. (Land Ref. Manual) | |
| PASite ID (Map Ref #) | 5536 |
| Site # (Parks Website) | 860 |
| Total Area | 348 ha. (860 ac.) |
| Steward-Status | |
| Recreation Activities | |
| IUCN | |
| Operated By | |
| Notes and Comments | Not in 2012 data set. |
References
The following links are provided as a courtesy but are not verified or endorsed by SAPAA. Clicking on the link will cause you to leave the SAPAA website. Primary source of information is: Government of Alberta – Information & Facilities – Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland Natural Area | Alberta Parks (2025-10-23).
- Aubrey, Merrily K., ed. 2006. Concise Place Names of Alberta. Calgary, University of Calgary Press, p. 96.
- “Heritage Rangeland” natural areas – Open Government (alberta.ca).
SAPAA 
Alberta’s Protected Areas comes in many shapes in sizes. Egg Island is about the size of a city lot where as White Goat Wilderness Area beats out about 15 other countries in size (including the Barbados, but the rum is not nearly as good). Tolman is interesting because of the number of in individual locations protecting the Red Deer River riparian zone. They dot the river as it makes its way into Drumheller. As an aside, I have set up my tent a good number of times in one or more of these areas canoeing the Red Deer. A great piece of Alberta – that can be scorching hot in the summer!
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