The Red Deer River has a magnificent mix of nature and culture. It rises in the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains in Banff, meanders through the grasslands, and cuts through the Alberta badlands. The ancient waterway is acknowledged as one of the most prolific regions for dinosaur fossils, and continues to expose great paleaontological treasures all along its course. The riparian habitat encompasses cottonwood bearing flood plains and deep, forested gullies which support a diverse wildlife population, including the once endangered peregrine falcon.