Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Drumheller is a small Alberta town in a deep badlands valley, and it is one of the best places in the world to learn about dinosaurs. The Red Deer River has cut through the prairie here, exposing layers of rock rich in fossils and leaving a landscape of canyons, hoodoos and old coal mines.
Drumheller's fame comes from its fossils. The valley is a hub for palaeontology in Canada, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
It is also easy to reach, which makes it a popular road trip from Calgary. Stay overnight and you gain time for the quieter canyons, the hoodoos and the small prairie villages that lie along the valley roads.
The museum opened in 1985 and holds more than 160,000 catalogued fossils, the largest collection in Canada. Its halls take you from the earliest life through the age of dinosaurs and beyond, and trails outside introduce the badlands geology.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum holds the largest fossil collection in Canada. Photo: Chris Woodrich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Beside the visitor centre near the river bridge stands an 86 foot fibreglass Tyrannosaurus rex that you can climb inside for a view over the valley.
The World's Largest Dinosaur is an 86 foot tall fibreglass Tyrannosaurus rex. Photo: Chris Woodrich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The museum stands on the site of an old coal mine in Midland Provincial Park, which has day use areas and short walks among badlands slopes. These are free to enjoy, and clear paths with signs explain the geology.
This collection of Victorian and Edwardian artifacts includes a complete house that was bought from a mail-order catalogue. It is an easy rainy-day stop of an hour or so, usually open in the main tourist season.
About 23 kilometres southwest of town on Highway 9, this classic badlands canyon has banded walls and trails you can walk down into. It is lovely in the late afternoon light.
Horseshoe Canyon is a badlands canyon southwest of Drumheller. Photo: John Johnston, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
North of town on the Dinosaur Trail, this lookout gives a wide view of the river valley and the hills beyond. It combines well with the museum, and a short visit of 30 to 45 minutes is plenty.
Horsethief Canyon is a lookout on the North Dinosaur Trail. Photo: Seb Przd, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Southeast of Drumheller along Highway 10, near Cambria and the road to East Coulee, a short loop trail visits a group of hoodoos, the stone columns with harder caps.
Hoodoos are tall rock columns capped by harder stone, shaped by erosion. Photo: Angry Red Hammer Guy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The 48 kilometre loop follows Highway 838 northwest past the museum and Horsethief Canyon, crosses the Red Deer River on the small Bleriot Ferry, then returns along the west bank.
The Bleriot Ferry is a cable ferry on the North Dinosaur Trail. Photo: Seb Przd, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
In East Coulee, about 20 kilometres southeast, this former mine operated from 1936 to 1979 and keeps Canada's last standing wooden coal tipple. Tours show how miners worked and what the machinery did.
The Atlas Coal Mine preserves Canada's last standing wooden coal tipple. Photo: jynxpup, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The small village of Rosebud lies about 35 kilometres southwest and is known for its professional theatre in a heritage setting.
Rosebud is a small hamlet southwest of Drumheller known for its theatre. Photo: Wilson Hui from Calgary, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Near Brooks, about two hours by car, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the richest fossil areas in the world and complements the museum well.
Dinosaur Provincial Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Brooks. Photo: edk7, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Drumheller's food is simple prairie fare. Look for Alberta beef on local menus, usually as a steak or a burger, since this is cattle country. Many places also serve a bison burger, a leaner and slightly sweeter alternative.
Most restaurants, pubs and cafes are clustered downtown around Railway Avenue and Centre Street, within a short walk of the river bridge. Summer weekends can be busy, so eat a little earlier than usual.
Popular dishes to try in Drumheller
Downtown Drumheller is the easiest base for most visitors.
Highway 9 South has a cluster of motels and larger hotels with pools, which suits families who want facilities and easy parking. A car is needed here.
East Coulee suits travellers who want a quieter setting near the mine and the hoodoos, with fewer services and a peaceful evening landscape.
Rosebud suits visitors planning a night at the theatre, and it feels very different from the main tourist strip.
Where to stay in Drumheller
Drumheller's tourism is strongly seasonal. From late May to early September attractions have their longest hours and the Dinosaur Trail loop is in full swing.
From October to April many attractions close or open for limited hours, and winters are very cold in this semi-arid valley. If you visit then, confirm hours first. Spring and autumn are quieter and cooler, and are good for hiking if the trails are dry.
Drumheller lies at the meeting point of several provincial highways, including 9, 10, 56, 575 and 576. From Calgary, the usual route follows Highway 1 east to Highway 9 and then north and east to town, a drive of roughly an hour and three quarters.
The downtown core is compact and walkable, but you will need a car for the museum, canyons and mining sites. Roads between sights are scenic and well signed. Bicycles are possible but hot in summer, and bike lanes are limited.
Start with the Royal Tyrrell Museum and its outdoor trails, then drive on to Horsethief Canyon.
Drive southeast along Highway 10 to the hoodoos and Atlas Coal Mine in East Coulee.
Take the Dinosaur Trail loop and Bleriot Ferry, or continue to Dinosaur Provincial Park near Brooks.
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