Why You Need to Visit Canada's Badlands, the Dinosaur Capital of the World

Want to take a tropical vacation to a seaside destination full of adventure and excitement? Then you need to head to Canada’s Badlands. Sure, the badlands are located in Canada’s Alberta province, almost 700 miles from the ocean…but if you go back millions of years, this area was a semi-tropical coastal plain on the shores of the Western Interior Seaway – a giant body of water that split North America into two different continents. And that’s where the adventure begins.  

The climate was perfect for dinosaurs and the waterways were perfect for…well, quickly killing and preserving them. According to the BBC, “Seasonal storms and floods killed them in large numbers, then quickly buried their corpses under large quantities of sediment.” That quick death and burial process helped preserve the dinosaurs almost perfectly. In some cases, the fossils are even found still curled up in the position the animal died in. 

Nowadays, the water is long gone and the topography is what’s known as badlands. In Canada’s badlands, it’s not uncommon to find dinosaur bones sticking out of the rock formations, and if you’re in the right spot, you can even find them covering the ground you walk on. For beauty, history, and a whole lotta’ giant dinos, you need to visit Canada’s badlands. Here’s why.

Visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum 

Alberta has the largest deposit of dinosaur fossils on Earth, so it’s no surprise that one of the world’s largest paleontology museums would be found here. Located in the town of Drumheller, the Royal Tyrrell Museum is one of the most exciting and thrilling I’ve ever been to. 

You can step back in time and see dinosaur bones from millions of years ago – and unlike many museums, where you’re looking at plaster molds of dinosaur bones, Royal Tyrrell’s exhibits are more than 60% actual fossils. So you’re not just looking at a representation of a dinosaur…you’re looking at the real thing. For some specimens, the museum even has the entire actual skeleton of the dinosaur, which is an absolutely jaw-dropping site. 

The museum also houses a working laboratory where you can watch paleontologists excavating fossils out of rock and cleaning off the recently unearthed dinosaur bones. You’ll also discover a few dinosaurs in the museum that were named for the area. For example, you can get up close and personal with an Albertasaurus, named for the province since the species was discovered here.

Dinosaur Provincial Park

Why just learn about fossils in a museum when you can go out and find actual bones just like a real paleontologist? At Dinosaur Provincial Park, visitors can hike through the gorgeous, rocky badlands and even camp overnight. But on top of the stunning scenery, the park is special because of its high concentration of dinosaur bones. There are so many here that you will literally be walking on top of them without even knowing it.

Even cooler, you can schedule a guided tour through the normally off-limits part of the park that is still actively used by researchers who are excavating dinosaur fossils. You’ll be able to learn about the park’s history, touch real dinosaur bones, and see a mind-blowingly well-preserved dinosaur skeleton that’s almost completely intact.

Drumheller

After a long day of learning about dinosaurs, it’s time to let your hair down and enjoy the quirky, kitschy, and campy town of Drumheller. Located in the middle of Canada’s dinosaur country, the town goes all-out to celebrate its prehistoric history. Visit the World’s Largest Dinosaur (an absolute must for anyone who loves a good roadside attraction), take a guided bike tour through the badlands with Bikes and Bites, or visit the town’s quaint little main street for an excellent locally brewed drink at Valley Brewing or a surprisingly authentic boba tea at Lois + Ani.

Drive Along the Dinosaur Trail

Just under 30 miles, the Dinosaur Trail Loop is the perfect (and quick!) road trip that you can complete in the afternoon. The road goes around the Drumheller area, making a loop up and down the badlands. Along the way, you can stop at numerous places that have become famous for the high number of dinosaur bones found there.

One stop you need to make is at Horsethief Canyon – especially if you can visit during golden hour as the sun starts to set. From the top of the bluff, you get Insta-perfect shots of the badlands, looking at the emerald fields above that give way to layers of rocky cliffs, leading to the river below.