Free
Hoodoos Trail
A short walk among mushroom-shaped rock pillars east of town. Stay on the paths.
Canadian Badlands, Alberta
Drumheller
A badlands town in the Red Deer River valley, with the Royal Tyrrell Museum's world-famous dinosaurs, hoodoos, a suspension bridge, a historic coal mine and a free cable ferry.
Photo: Hoodoos near Drumheller, Arvindh Viswanathan, CC BY-SA 3.0
Drumheller sits in a deep valley of layered badlands. Just outside town, the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology holds one of the world's largest collections of dinosaur fossils. Come face to face with the giants.
East of town, the Hoodoos Trail shows off mushroom-shaped rock pillars. The Dinosaur Trail loop crosses the river on the free Bleriot Ferry in season.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Horseshoe Canyon
A big viewpoint and trails into the badlands, west of town.
Free
Dinosaur Trail and Bleriot Ferry
A scenic loop with viewpoints and a free cable ferry across the river. Ferry seasonal.
Season Ferry runs roughly May–Oct (check before you go).
Cheap
Dinosaur Provincial Park
UNESCO-listed badlands rich in fossils, about two hours southeast.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Star Mine Suspension Bridge
A swaying footbridge across the Red Deer River at Rosedale.
Free
The Little Church
A tiny chapel on the Dinosaur Trail that seats a handful of people.
Cheap
World's Largest Dinosaur
A giant T. rex at the visitor centre that you can climb inside.
Paid
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Hundreds of dinosaur skeletons and fossils.
Paid
Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site
A preserved coal mine with tours and a wooden tipple.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Paid
Canadian Badlands Passion Play
An outdoor play staged in a natural badlands amphitheatre. Summer.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
Part of our Calgary and the Badlands guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- The museum and the Dinosaur Trail fill a full day.
- The hoodoos and Atlas Coal Mine make a second.
- Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO site, is a long day trip southeast.
Nearby and worth the drive
Banffabout 3 h 30 · Guide ↗
The Rockies, past Calgary.
Calgaryabout 1 h 30 · Guide ↗A river city at the edge of the Rockies.
Ready-made trips with Drumheller
Good to know
- Tourism: traveldrumheller.com.
- Heat: The badlands get hot in summer. Bring water and sun protection.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Hoodoos near Drumheller, Arvindh Viswanathan, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Horseshoe Canyon, Thank you for visiting my page from Canada, CC BY 2.0
Photo: The Bleriot Ferry on the Red Deer River, Seb Przd, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Badlands of Dinosaur Provincial Park, Hirgax, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The Star Mine Suspension Bridge, Mascdman, CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: A Camarasaurus skull at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Chris Woodrich, CC BY-SA 4.0