A Day Trip to Drumheller: Sand, Skulls & Scenery
- natashazinkie
- Jul 30
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 20
When you need a break from the city and want to feel like you’ve landed on another planet without hopping a flight — Drumheller is waiting. Just 90 minutes from Calgary, it’s where the flatlands morph into prehistoric canyon country, and yes, this is a primo destination for dinosaur lovers (and kids!).
🚗 Getting There from Calgary
The road to Drumheller is full-on vibe, the drive is absolutely part of the fun. One minute, you’re cruising past wheat fields and pointing out cows; the next, the land drops away and reveals earth's ancient history in layered rock.
Take the route down Highway 9 east and enjoy the 90 minute ride (roll down your windows and blast your favourite road trip playlist).
📸 First Stop: Horseshoe Canyon
📍Location: Just off Highway 9 (about 10 minutes before Drumheller)
Before you even reach Drumheller proper, be sure to stop at Horseshoe Canyon for a stunning intro to the Badlands (trust me, it’s surreal).
What to expect
🥾 Horseshoe Canyon Trail: A 3.2km loop (about 45 minutes) offering amazing views of striped rock layers, sandstone ridges and classic Alberta badlands.
Heads up — The trail is dusty, exposed, and wildly photogenic so bring proper shoes and your camera!
🦕 Destination Drumheller: The Town of Dinosaurs
Travelling with kids? Drumheller is the place to be! You cannot miss the World’s Largest Dinosaur (When your kids ask, yes you can climb right up into its open mouth for a panoramic view from inside a T-Rex skull 🦖).
Must-Do: Royal Tyrrell Museum
I'll admit, I have a dinosaur tattoo..... so I might be a little biased here. But seriously, this is one of the best museums in the country. Whether you're into fossils, earth's history or jaw-dropping skeletons, this place is outstanding.
🕒 Warning: The museum is closed on Mondays during off season (Sept 1 to May 14). I've made this mistake before so please double-check your dates before setting out on the Monday of your long weekend.
Optional Additional Activity (or Alternative Activity):
If museums aren't your thing (no judgement), the Badlands Interpretive Trail might just tempt you. Right outside the museum, this short 1.6 km walk is an underrated gem for sure. Offering Badlands views plus geological context, it's a great bonus stop, especially when the museum isn’t open because you didn't look at the schedule 🫠.
🤠Next stop: Lunch at a Proper Saloon
📍Location: Just off Highway 10X (about 20 minutes south of Drumheller)
Around this time you are surely hungry, I recommend you drive to the unique town of Wayne and dine at the Last Chance Saloon. This quirky town-turned-roadside gem is an old-timey Wild West Bar and Grill that feels straight out of a movie set.
💡Pro Tip: Be sure to check their hours if you are travelling during off season.
Why it's worth it
The burgers are solid, the beer is cold and the vibe is one of a kind
You'll cross 11 one-lane wooden bridges just to get there
The saloon walls are covered in old memorabilia (including bullet holes)
Whether you're into motorcycles, local history, or just want a memorable lunch break, this place is a fun detour to add to your unique day away from the city.
👀 Next Stop: Willow Creek Hoodoo's
📍Location: On Highway 10 (about 15 minutes southeast of Drumheller).
After lunch, make one last detour south of town to the Hoodoos. This bizarre and beautiful geological formation feels like stepping into another planet.
What to Expect
🥾Willow Creek Hoodoos: Less than a 0.5km walk (I'm talking you park right at them) and super accessible. You can easily wander among the surreal mushroom shaped pillars sculpted by erosion or climb the surrounding hills for views and photos.
You can spend as much or as little time here as you want, even get up close and personal with the hoodoos (but be gentle, afterall these fragile formations took millions of years to form).
🌉Next Stop: Star Mine Suspension Bridge
📍Location: Just off the Highway 56 (10 minutes outside Drumheller / directly along the way back from the Hoodoos)
Before heading back to Calgary, make a pit stop at the Star Mine Suspension Bridge for a little thrill and a whole lot of history. You truly will be driving right by this stop anyways so you may as well stop to check it out (I promise it's a quick but surprisingly interesting one!).
What to Expect
Star Mine Suspension Bridge: A short (and bouncy) pedestrian bridge over the Red Deer River. Originally built for coal miners heading to the Star Mine (you can still see remnants on the far side). It’s a unique, quick and fairly quiet detour!
👻 Scenic Drive Back: Through a Ghost Town
📍Location: Just off the Highway 56 (30 minutes outside Drumheller)
Don't take the same route home, instead opt for something else! Head north on Highway 56 — Destination Rowley. A ghost town frozen in time after it was abandoned in the mid 1970s. Is it slightly creepy? Yes. Is it completely and utterly fascinating? Also yes.
With this stop, your return to Calgary will take about 2.5 hours, making it the perfect golden hour drive back through the prairies.
💬The real question is .... Can you do it all in 1 day?
Absolutely! Personally I don't find an overnight stay is required — unless you are loving it that much. Just be sure to leave early enough in the day so you can enjoy each activity for as long as your heart desires!
If you decide to do all stops we are talking 5 hours of drive time (split up over plenty of pit stops). See it all mapped out here:
🚗 Day Trip to Drumheller Road Map https://maps.app.goo.gl/qs8iYMLnpZJiDbrP7
Final Thoughts
This isn’t just a road trip, it’s a time warp through ancient canyons, small-towns with unique charm, and wide-open prairies. Whether you're there for the rocks, the walks, or just looking to give the kids an epic dinosaur day, Drumheller delivers the adventure.
All the best and Happy travels,
Roaming with Zinkie
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