Drumheller is on the Dinosaur Trail, a 48km loop that runs northwest from town and includes Hwys 837 and 838; the scenery is quite worth the drive. Badlands and river views await you at every turn.
The loop takes you past Midland Provincial Park (no camping), where you can take a self-guided hike; across the Red Deer River on the free, cable-operated Bleriot Ferry , which has been running since 1913; and to vista points – including the eagle's-eye Orkney Viewpoint – overlooking the area's impressive canyons.
The 25km Hoodoo Drive starts about 18km southeast of Drumheller on Hwy 10; the route is usually done as an out-and-back with Wayne as the turnaround point. Along this drive you'll find the best examples of hoodoos : weird, eroded, mushroom-like columns of sandstone rock. This area was the site of a once-prosperous coal-mining community, and the Atlas Mine is now preserved as a provincial historic site. Take the side trip on Hwy 10X (which includes 11 bridges in 6km) from Rosedale to the small community of Wayne , population 27 and fast approaching ghost-town status.
