Alberta Badlands Road Trip from Calgary
Explore all the best things to do on a day trip from Calgary to Drumheller.
Horsethief Canyon (Credit: Travel Alberta/Katie Goldie)
Start your road trip adventure and discover the dinosaur experiences awaiting you within a 3-hour drive of the city. The Canadian Badlands are a series of canyons, hoodoos, and plains that cover a large geographical area, from east of Drumheller to Saskatchewan and south to the United States border. Most of all, it’s an extraordinary and unexpected landscape you will never forget. From the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology and the World’s Largest Dinosaur to hikes in Drumheller Valley and history of the Atlas Coal Mine, it’s easy to include these incredible Canadian Badlands experiences on your Alberta Badlands road trip.
Where is Drumheller Valley?
World’s Largest Dinosaur in Drumheller (Credit: Neil Zeller)
Drumheller Valley
Road tripping to Drumheller Valley is a must for everyone in the family who loves dinosaur experiences. There are so many things to do in Drumheller, just an hour and a half from Calgary. Look way up to the World’s Largest Dinosaur , standing 86 feet tall, 151 feet long, and take all 106 stairs to the top. This impressive dinosaur is four and a half times bigger than a real tyrannosaurs rex and can be seen from just about anywhere in Drumheller. Or take a self-guided Drumheller Dino Walk and explore over 20 dinosaurs discovered in the Drumheller Valley, marked with wayfinding signs throughout the town.
Location: 224 Centre St, Drumheller, AB T0J 0Y4
Discover dinosaurs around Calgary
Discover the dinosaur museums, cretaceous creatures, dinosaur bones, prehistoric paleontology waiting for you in and around Calgary. Check out the top places to see dinosaur near Calgary and Drumheller.
Things to do in Drumheller Valley
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (Credit: Travel Alberta/Davey Lieske)
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Ready to continue your bucket list dinosaur road trip? The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology proudly hosts the largest collection of dinosaur skeletons in the world. That’s right, the world! This renowned museum and research facility is located just an hour and a half drive from Calgary. Marvel at the majestic Black Beauty or behold the Rosetta Stone of Armoured Dinosaurs in the museum halls. Search for fossils, dig in the quarry, cast your own fossil, and explore on a self-guided tour through the Canadian Badlands surrounding the museum. Next up, more great experiences to include in your road trip.
Location: 1500 N Dinosaur Trail, Drumheller, AB T0J 0Y0
Horsethief Canyon
Horsethief Canyon is a must-see destination along the Dinosaur Trail and just a short drive from Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Named after outlaws that hid stolen livestock in the area more than 100 years ago, Horsethief Canyon has epic views of the valley below with easy to access hiking trails. The Orkney Viewpoint is a popular spot for photographers, hikers, and day trippers, and was featured prominently in the film Ghostbusters: Afterlife .
Rosebud Theatre
Add a visit to the Rosebud Theatre to your road trip, a hidden gem that combines delicious food and live theatre with the Canadian Badlands as its backdrop. Located 35 kilometres southwest of Drumheller, Rosebud Theatre produces live theatre shows throughout the year with a buffet meal in the Rosebud Mercantile dining room before the curtain goes up. Plan your road trip ahead of time with travel times and directions from Calgary and Drumheller to Rosebud Theatre. Performances take place in the evenings with dinner service so plan to make this your last road trip stop of the day.
Location: 106 Martin Avenue, Rosebud, AB
Hoodoos and Hoodoo Trail
Hoodoos are sandstone formations that take millions of years to form and can stand anywhere from five to seven metres tall. Look for hoodoos throughout the Canadian Badlands but take a walk along the protected Hoodoo Trail and you are guaranteed to see these otherworldly formations along the easy to access hiking trails . The Hoodoo Trail is an easy experience to add to any road trip, from five minutes taking in the views to a full morning of hiking, and a great stop along the way to the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site.
Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site (Photo credit: Travel Alberta/Roth & Ramberg)
Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site
Add a different kind of digging to your dinosaur adventure with the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site . This industrial age heritage site preserves the last of 139 mines that operated in the Drumheller Valley in the 20th century. Take an underground tunnel tour of the Atlas Coal Mine and climb your way to the top of the historic Tipple. Wear comfortable walking shoes, pack your hat and sunscreen, and bring your camera. The photo opportunities are endless. The Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site is just an hour and a half from Calgary and 20 minutes southeast of Drumheller, making it the perfect addition to your dinosaur road trip.
