The Dinosaur Trail is a popular daytrip, but for something a little different, try the Drumheller Valley tour.

While exploring the Canadian Badlands, check out many of the little communities found along the way.

Southeast of Drumheller on the Hoodoo Trail is the town of Rosedale where you can take a picture with the suspension bridge, once used by miners to access the Star Mine. It’s a favourite among locals for fishing, sight-seeing, and as an access point to Badlands terrain.

Keep heading south to East Coulee, home to the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site and the East Coulee School Museum.  Experience what life was like for the early coal miners and their families to establish the Drumheller Valley as a coal mining hub.

Stop in the tiny Hamlet of Dorothy and take a picture of one of the most photographed abandoned buildings in Alberta; the scenery alone is well worth the drive to see the Catholic Church.

Head north on Secondary Highway 849 and to the Michichi Recreational Area, where you can set up camp at the campgrounds, hike through the prairie scenery and fish from the dam.

Take highway 9 back to Calgary through the village of Morrin and tour the Sod House and Historical Park, or try a Morrin Corner Buffalo Tour which explores a real working buffalo ranch.