A Weekend Road Trip to Drumheller with a Toddler

I hadn’t been to Drumheller since I was a kid and all I recall from that trip was spraining my ankle in a gopher hole and going to a really big museum. Needless to say, Drumheller wasn’t really on my radar. It wasn’t until we had the opportunity to have a weekend away and I started researching fun places within Alberta for a weekend trip that I rediscovered this amazing family destination.

Friday: The Drive

After hours of driving on flat prairie roads the landscape drastically changes into one of amazing valleys, coulees and of course hoodoos. It is as though you have left the country in an instant and been transported to another world.

It reminded me a lot of a road trip we once took through Arizona when my son was just 4 months old.

The actual town of Drumheller is not that large, but has all the amenities one could need. We stayed at the Ramada Hotel with it’s amazing pool! We were treated to fresh popcorn each night as well as herbal teas in the breakfast room.

Saturday: A Day in Drumheller

We had one full day to explore all that Drumheller has to offer, so here’s how we made the most of it:

Breakfast at the Hotel

Most hotel chains seem to be offering hot breakfast these days. This is a great way to save some money, and it is super convenient when travelling with kids. The Ramada offered sausage, eggs, bagels, waffles, fresh fruit and more. I was impressed!

The Royal Tyrrell Museum

We loaded up the truck and headed out to the world famous Royal Tyrrell Museum. There’s lots to see and do here including fossils, history and the amazing assembly of dinosaur bones.

We also spent some time checking out some really cool turtles and fish towards the end.

Our 3 year old was entertained by the museum, but I felt like it could have been a little more hands on for the younger crowd. There is also an outdoor playground so kids can run off some energy.

Once we were finished exploring the exhibits we climbed the stairs across the parking lot to the lookout. We were impressed by the expansive views of gorgeous landscape and the town.

I would say we spent close to 2.5 hours at the Museum. If we had an older child with a larger attention span, we could have stayed much longer.

Lunch and a Nap

We had a late night on Friday and I was sure we would have another late night ahead of us so we picked up some McDonald’s which is right beside the Ramada (I know, I know, but sometimes it’s just the easiest) and then headed back to the hotel for a family nap.

There’s lots of cool lunch spots in town, but we had a ticking time bomb of a toddler on our hands and didn’t want to risk it!

Tyra the Giant T-Rex

After a glorious rest (hotels are always so nice and quiet in the middle of the day) we headed to the world’s largest dinosaur! My son thought this was the coolest thing ever.

Drive to the Visitor Centre and you can’t miss the T-Rex staring back at you, it’s 82 feet tall! You can climb up the dino to the top where there is a view point from the mouth.

You do have to play for this, but I think it was worth it.

Hoodoos

After the workout on those stairs we hit the road! The first stop was the Hoodoos on Highway 10. We drove around the backside for a while before the road ends- it’s breathtaking!

Had we not stopped for lunch and a nap, I would have had a picnic lunch here.

There’s a roped off area that is not to be touched in order to preserve this natural wonder, so please obey the signs.

On the areas that you can explore, be careful. There is a fine sand on everything which makes for a slippery climb! We loved roaming around and peeking into little caves and crevasses.

Rosedale Suspension Bridge

Take the highway back towards the town and hit up the Rosedale Suspension Bridge. A 117 meter long pedestrian bridge across the Red Deer River takes explorers to another great spot where you can climb and catch more amazing views.

There are also some remains of an old coal mining area that you can check out. A baby carrier for the young ones is a must have for this trip- not stroller friendly at all.

Wayne and the 11 Bridges

After all the walking and climbing, we were ready for refreshments. We headed to the ghost town of Wayne, which is just a short drive southwest of Drumheller.

On your scenic drive you will cross 9 of the 11 single lane bridges, it’s fun to count along.

Stop at the Last Chance Saloon at the Rosedeer Hotel, the hub of the “town”. We enjoyed a drink and some deep fried pickles on the patio. Things were pretty child friendly when we were there in the late afternoon, but I would suspect things become a little more adult oriented in the evening!

Dinner at a Local Stop

Dinner time brought us to The Beef Club, a small family friendly restaurant in Drumheller. We enjoyed the calzone, kids pizza and steak sandwich. They also have this awesome Desert Beer on tap, which really hit the spot after a dusty and sunny day in the southern Alberta heat!

Popcorn & Chill

Exhausted, we grabbed some hot popcorn on the way back to our room and settled in for some a few TV shows and glow stick fun (always a hit in dark hotel rooms) before drifting off to sleep.

Morning in Drumheller

On Sunday, after another awesome free hotel breakfast we did a little more sight seeing.

Horse Thief Canyon

We drove to Horse Thief Canyon – a beautiful, vast area with lots of hiking trails and gorgeous views.

The hike in this area was a bit steep and we didn’t have hiking shoes and weren’t confident in our little guys ability so we skipped it and just enjoyed chasing gophers from the view point.

Bleriot Ferry

On the way to the Canyon there’s a ferry called the Bleriot Ferry, which crosses the river and is literally on then off. It is a piece of history in this area and worth checking out if you go, but only runs in the summer.

Playground Visit

On the way back through town we stopped at a local play ground and ran free for a bit. The fun part about Drumheller is all of the dinosaur characters everywhere, especially the parks.

Drive Home

And just like that, our getaway ended. Ok, not really. We did make a short shopping detour to Cross Iron Mills near Calgary! There are plenty more things to do in Drumheller that we didn’t get to see. Next time I’d like to visit the Atlas Coal Mine and the spray park right by the giant T-Rex.

Drumheller was a fabulous weekend family destination that I can see us going back to time and time again. The interesting part will be seeing what our son is interested in the next time we visit, through the lens of an older child. I am sure the experience will change with each trip!

More Road Trip Ideas

Why not check out these other road trips:

• 8-day/7-night Alberta highlights
• Exploring the Cowboy Trail
• NE of Edmonton Giant Things
• Ultimate List of Road Side Attractions