Drumheller Dinosaur Trail

Only 1 hour and 30 min from Calgary Alberta Canada. Drumheller is worth a day trip. The land scape is specatucar to say the least and there is plenty to do to even over night and spend two days exploring. In either case you will not regret the visit.
The Canadian Badlands are an area steeped in history. Visiting them is like stepping back into the pioneering days and the coal mining era. They are also a vast and unique area of prairies, grasslands, rustic ranches, ghost towns, hoodoo rock formations, coulees and ravines. Parts of the landscape look like the face of the moon or another planet, yet you can experience them by driving just 90 minutes northeast of Calgary. The badlands were created over 10,000 years ago when the glacier floodwaters carved the Red Deer Valley. They stretch from southeastern Alberta into a small portion of Saskatchewan. This land is 2000 feet above sea level, but was once covered in jungle and under a shallow sea. It’s an area with rich deposits of fossils and dinosaur bones that have been unearthed from 75 million years ago. They are on display in museums around the world.
The Town Of Drumheller
Drumheller is the town most associated with the badlands. It’s home to the Royal Tyrrell Museum that houses exhibits of dinosaur bones and fossils from the area. It’s a friendly little community with a population of 8000. During the coal mining days it was fast developing but now the economy is based mostly on agriculture and tourism. The downtown area is compact and easy to get around on foot. Outside of that you need to have a vehicle to see the sights. Travel Drumheller
Drumheller Visitor Center And The World’s Largest Dinosaur
Centennial Park is a popular attraction and picnic area in Drumheller. In the center of the park is a children’s water spray area. It’s a great spot to take the kids on a hot summer day. The waterslide at the nearby Aquaplex is another popular attraction.
The park is the location for the Visitor Center, it also houses a gift shop with fossil and dinosaur souvenirs. Free maps, travel guides and tourist information are available and hotels and tours can be booked free of charge. During July and August the center is open from 9am to 9pm and from September to April 10am to 5:30pm. In May and June the hours are extended as the tourist season picks up. Address: 60-1 Avenue West, Drumheller.
The star of the park is the world’s largest dinosaur. The Tyrannosaurus Rex towers over the parking lot at 26 meters (86ft.) The visitor center sits right underneath it. For a small fee you can climb up the 106 steps inside the belly and then lookout at a view of the town and Red Deer Valley through the mouth and teeth. The adjacent Centennial Park grounds have grass lawns, picnic tables and sitting benches.
Drumheller’s Pathways
There’s 18 km’s of pathways that run alongside the Red Deer River, through downtown and from the Royal Tyrrell Museum. They are perfect for walking or biking. Park your vehicle at the Visitor Center at Centennial Park and pick up a walking tour brochure. The park is within walking distance of the shops and boutiques in downtown Drumheller. Play a game with your kids to see how many concrete dinosaurs they can spot around town.
The Red Deer River Nature Trail connects to Centennial Park offering views of the community along the banks of the Red Deer River. It’s a popular spot for walking, hiking and roller blading.
Horseshoe Canyon
Horseshoe Canyon got it’s name from the two 5km arms that were formed into a horseshoe shape when it was carved by a glacier long ago. It’s located 17 km’s southwest of Drumheller on Highway 9. When driving from Calgary it comes as quite a surprise. Suddenly the flat prairie grassland abruptly opens into a steep canyon full of unique formations that have been eroded for centuries by wind and water. A pullout leads to a parking lot that offers spectacular views of the coloured layers of the canyon. It’s a great spot to get a beautiful sunrise photo.
Well worn paths lead to the bottom, but be prepared for 40C. temperatures in the summer. It is not recommended to hike into the canyon if it is raining or has recently rained. The particular type of clay and mud on the canyon floor is as slick as oil when it’s wet.
Royal Tyrrell Museum
The Royal Tyrrell Museum is a world class paleontology facility that holds over 130,00 specimens, including 35 full scale dinosaur skeletons. It is dedicated to Joseph Tyrrell who discovered the Albertosaurus in 1884, one of the first of hundreds of skeletons that was excavated from the area.
The museum’s incredible range of exhibits and galleries show the rich fossils of the Alberta Badlands and take you through earth’s history. Large windows allow for viewing into the preparation labs where scientists prepare remains for display and research.
Allow at least 2-3 hours to view all exhibits.