Viking Ribstones
This will be a short post as the Viking Ribstones are not a big attraction and it only takes five to ten minutes to read the interpretive signs and walk around the area. This small detour is 6km off of Highway 14 just east of Viking, AB (this is where the name Viking Ribstones comes from, not the Nordic warriors). The ribstones are up on a hill overlooking the surrounding agricultural land. You can’t miss it because there is a large cell tower on the hill as well. The Viking Ribstones are really just two boulders in a grassy area. So what makes them so special, you say? Well, long ago the First Nations people of the area carved what looks like bison ribs into these boulders. They believed that by carving these boulders they would pay homage to “Old Man Buffalo” and gain luck when hunting. To this day there are still gifts like tobacco and feathers left as offerings.
This site is significant as it is the only one of its kind in Alberta that has not been moved from its original location. Being on the top of the hill means you can see for kilometers across the prairie. The views looking each way are quite nice and what I think of as typical Alberta. Overall, this is a decent spot to stop along the way during a longer road trip but I would not make this the focal point of your trip.