Train Tales and Dinosaurs Trails

Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
Train Tales & Dinosaur Trails Driving Tour
Oyen • Hanna • Drumheller • Brooks • Dinosaur Provincial Park • Empress • Oyen
Dinasaur Provincial Park
The Canadian Badlands is like no other place on earth. Home to the world’s most extensive dinosaur bonebeds, badlands and hoodoos
and a world-class dinosaur museum, our natural heritage is over 75 million years old. Our culture is literally layered in the land. National
historic sites and provincial parks reveal First Nations rock art, farming & ranching history and a rich industrial heritage. Our communities
large and small boast festivals, rodeos, live theatre, local art and tea houses. Whether you prospect for fossils, canoe a meandering river or
horseback ride in glacier-carved coulees, the Canadian Badlands experience is as vast and remarkable as the landscape.
The Canadian Badlands Touring Routes dig through the layers of our natural and cultural heritage. Regional driving tours are 3 to 4
days long and offer many ideas of what to see and do. You can customize your own 1or 2-day road trip or use Side Trips to create a
week-long vacation. The Touring Routes can be enjoyed in any season while larger attractions are open year-round, local attractions often
open from mid-May to early-September. We wish you a memorable journey in the Canadian Badlands. Call 1-800-ALBERTA or visit
canadianbadlands.com for more Canadian Badlands Touring Routes.
Day 1. Oyen to Hanna & Drumheller
• Step back in time at Michichi Store in Hanna’s Pioneer Village
• Learn about dinosaurs at the Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller
Day 2. Drumheller to Brooks
• Experience school life in the 1930s at the East Coulee School Museum
• Walk in the steps of miners at the Atlas Coal Mine
Day 3. Brooks to Dinosaur Provincial Park
• Hike in Canada’s most extensive badlands at Dinosaur Provincial Park
• Join a park interpreter to search for dinosaur fossils
This tour of the Canadian Badlands
takes you through the Special Areas
– a unique prairie region rich in
Aboriginal, railroad and homesteading
history – to the heartland of dinosaurs:
the Drumheller Valley and Dinosaur
Provincial Park. Your journey begins in
Oyen and follows the Goose Lake Line
railway to Hanna and the Hand Hills,
one of the largest tracts of fescue
grasslands in the world. In the
Drumheller Valley, you can enter the
prehistoric world of dinosaurs at the
world-class Royal Tyrrell Museum of
Palaeontology and can walk in the
footsteps of miners at the Atlas Coal
Mine National Historic Site. Continue
on to Dinosaur Provincial Park to
further explore fossils and badlands
before returning to the Special Areas.
The southern route through the
Special Areas follows the old Royal Line
to Empress where you can shop for local
art before heading to Acadia Valley for
tea at the Prairie Elevator Museum.
Day 4. Brooks to Empress & Oyen
• Watch for pronghorn along the old Pacific Railway “Royal Line”
• Shop for local art in Empress and area
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Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
Visitor Information Centres
Events
Travel Alberta
Oyen, 1-800-ALBERTA
travelalberta.com
A Hanna Pioneer Village
June
Artisan’s Open House, Empress
403-854-4244, hanna.ca
Beethoven in the Badlands, Drumheller B
Delia Grist Mill Museum
Rodeos, Brooks, Hand Hills
403-364-3848, albertaheritage.net
Bunnock Tournament, Consort
C Royal Tyrrell Museum
Farmer’s Market, Oyen
(Fridays, June to October)
403-823-7707, tyrrellmuseum.com
Hanna, South Municipal Road &
Highway 9
403-854-4494, hanna.ca
Drumheller, 60-1 Avenue West
1-866-823-8100, traveldrumheller.com
Accommodations
July
Canada Day, all communities
Motorcycle Rally, Wayne
Passion Play, Drumheller
Prairie Wind Sailing Regatta, Brooks
Rodeos, Jenner, Oyen
Visit the Alberta Hotel & Lodging
Association online at explorealberta.com
for approved accommodation or contact
1-800-ALBERTA.
August
Big Country Fair, Oyen
Fair & Rodeo, Buffalo, Cereal
Taste of Empress, Empress
Brooks, 6 km east on Highway 1
403-362-6881, brookschamber.ab.ca
Camping: Drumheller Valley
campgrounds are often full by early
afternoon. Reservations highly
recommended. Camping at various
municipal campgrounds in Hanna,
Oyen and Empress, and at Kinbrook and
Tillebrook Provincial Parks near Brooks.
September/October
Annual Turkey Supper, Hand Hills
Fair & Antique Show, Delia
Rainbow Trail Ride, Hand Hills
Rodeo, Hanna
Sausage Fry, Acadia Valley
Attractions
D Dinosaur/Hoodoo Trail
1-866-823-8100, traveldrumheller.com
E Atlas Coal Mine
403-822-2220, atlascoalmine.ab.ca
F East Coulee School Museum
403-822-3970, albertaheritage.net
7 Brooks Aqueduct
403-362-4451, cd.gov.ab.ca
H Brooks & District Museum
403-362-5073, brooks.ca
I Dinosaur Provincial Park
403-378-4344, cd.gov.ab.ca
Special Areas Municipal District of Acadia
403-664-0101, samda.ca
Bed & Breakfasts/Guest Ranches/Hotels:
Numerous in Drumheller Valley and
Brooks; limited tourist accommodation
in Milk River area. Unique Bed &
Breakfasts in Hanna and Oyen.
Distances and Driving Times
Oyen to Hanna, 110 km, 65 min
Oyen to Drumheller, 180 km, 1 hr 55 min
Drumheller to Dorothy, 40 km, 25 min
Drumheller to Brooks, 140 km,
1 hr 20 min
Brooks to Dinosaur, 48 km, 30 min
Brooks to Empress, 170 km, 1 hr 40 min
Empress to Oyen, 65 km, 40 min
This map is not intended for navigation.
Pick up an official Alberta Road Map at a
Visitor Information Centre or call
1-800-ALBERTA.
The Canadian Badlands Touring Routes aim to follow good secondary highways and, occasionally, offer gravel-road alternatives. While most attractions are accessible on hard-surfaced roads, some have
gravel-road access. Please drive carefully and respect private property. Every effort has been made to ensure accurate information at the time of publication. Attraction hours and seasons of operation vary.
You are advised to contact each attraction in advance. This publication is for information purposes only. We are unable to accept responsibility for any inconvenience, loss or injury sustained as a result of
anyone relying upon this information.
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Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
1
Day One
Oyen to Hanna & Drumheller
Follow the Goose Lake Line through
the Special Areas from Oyen to
Hanna. Step back in time at the
Hanna Pioneer Village before
continuing to the Drumheller Valley,
via the Hand Hills.
Head west on Highway 9 from the Travel
Alberta Visitor Information Centre located
at the junction of Highways 9 and 41,
3 km north of Oyen, to begin your journey
in the Canadian Badlands. The vast prairie
Siksika, along with the Blackfoot tribes of
Your journey west on Highway 9 is part of
Kainai and Piikani, accepted the federal
the Trail of the Buffalo and is within the
government’s Treaty 7 in 1877. Surviving
Special Areas, a unique region of municipal
members moved to reserve land about
governance that reveals a heritage of
70 km east of Calgary.
perseverance and adaptability. Special
Areas No. 2, 3 and 4 cover five million
Side Trip
The Neutral Hills, located about a one-hour drive north of Oyen on Highway 41, were
traditional First Nations hunting grounds.
According to First Nations tradition, the hills were raised by the Great Spirit. Cairns mark First Nation and North West Mounted Police history, and tepee rings and arrow heads have been found in the hills. These cultural sites
are unmarked, so it is best to contact the Special Areas #4 office at 403-577-3523
about guided tours.
acres, bordered to the north by Highway
12, to the south by Highway 555, and to
the east by the Saskatchewan border. Sixty
percent of the land is public land leased to
farmers and ranchers, and some 9000 head
of cattle range in five large community
pastures. Most of the remaining land is
privately owned.
:" It is a courtesy to contact leaseholders for
landscape that stretches before you is part
permission to access Crown land. Contact
the Special Areas Board at 403-854-5600
for leaseholder contact information.
of the ancestral lands of the Siksika First
Evidence of past hunts and camps has been
Nations, the northernmost tribe of the
revealed to farmers and ranchers who work
This vast region was part of Palliser’s
Blackfoot Confederacy. The Siksika lived
the vast land around you. Arrow heads and
Triangle, an area of short grass prairie
a nomadic lifestyle, first accompanied by
buffalo bones have been unearthed in fields
deemed ill-suited for agriculture by
canine companions that pulled limited
tilled for wheat or grazed by cattle. Many
Captain John Palliser, a surveyor sent in
possessions, and, after the 1790s, by horses.
local farmers and ranchers can trace their
1857 to assess the West for settlement.
The horse significantly changed Siksika
family line to some of the first settlers to
However, enthusiasm to turn the West into
hunting, warfare and travel, and they
this area, and their stories too are rooted
the Granary of the British Empire silenced
became known as one of the fiercest tribes
in the land.
Palliser’s conclusions, and by the turn
of the plains.
of the century, thousands of settlers had
flocked west on promises of easy fortune.
Siksika skill in hunting was much sought
after by European traders who sold
The transcontinental railway was built
Canadian furs to Europe to be made into
to reap the promised harvest of the West,
fashionable fur hats and coats. Buffalo had
and subsequent rail lines established in
become a valued international commodity,
the Special Areas are a road map to the
and by the 1870s, insatiable demand – for
region’s settlement history. Highway 9
both sport and fur – all but led the once
follows the Goose Lake Line from Calgary
abundant species to extinction. Scarce
to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The rail line
buffalo compounded with increasing pres-
was completed in 1913 and towns quickly
sure from European settlement, disease and
sprung up along the line, including Cereal,
the whiskey trade dealt a fatal blow to the
Chinook, Youngstown, Scottfield, Richdale
Siksika. Facing an uncertain future, the
and Hanna.
Enjoy Special Area's rich cultural history
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Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
Hanna, located about 100 km west of
While the tavern is still in operation, food
changing. With granaries full and the
Oyen, just north of Highway 9, is a classic
and drink establishments have expanded
First World War fueling demand, farmers
rail town – straight streets based on a
in Hanna. Take time to have tea at That
mortgaged lands and took bank loans to
grid-like design with a grain elevator
Country Place Tea House, about 6 km
purchase new equipment and more land.
perched next to the rail line. As a
north of Hanna on Highway 36 or stop
Droughts – both weather and economic
divisional point on the railway Hanna
in at the Doll Palace Museum on Pioneer
– returned with a vengeance, and by the
became and remains a service centre to
Trail in town. A meeting spot for local
mid-1920s, farm families were leaving this
outlying areas.
farmers and neighbouring Hutterites, you
area in droves.
can search for your favorite childhood doll
You can imagine life in an early rail town
in the museum that boasts over 800 dolls
In the 1930s, the provincial government
at the Hanna Pioneer Village, located in
before sitting down to hearty home
stepped in to help remaining farmers.
the northeast corner of Hanna on Pioneer
cooking and fresh-based blueberry pie.
A commission studied the area and
Trail. Stroll the museum’s main street,
There’s lots to do in the Hanna area from
recommended that land taxes be waved,
stepping into the general store, ranch house
fishing and golf to local rodeos and
land be consolidated under the
and jail cell. In the summer months, join
community events. Stop in at the Hanna
government, broken land be returned to
museum staff on a guided tour that includes
Visitor Information Centre, just off
grass and assistance be given to farmers
the railroad station, caboose and hand cars.
Highway 9, for information on these
determined to stay. The commission’s
attractions and nearby Fox Lake and
greatest recommendation was that farmers
Prairie Oasis Park.
be responsible for administering the land
Step back in time at the Hanna Pioneer Village
Historic buildings are not limited to the
museum. Pick up a copy of the town’s
historic walking tour to learn about life in
Hanna’s early homes, shops and hotels,
including the National Hotel located on
for the good of all.
Side Trip
While strolling through Hanna, you may see members of the Hutterian Brethren.
With men and boys dressed in black and
women and girls in long skirts and polkadotted headscarves, the Hutterites are a
common sight in Alberta’s prairie towns and
at farmer’s markets. This pacifist group lives
on communal farms called colonies. Most sell
vegetables, and many have specialties like
honey or down quilts. Contact the Visitor
Information Centre in Hanna or Travel Alberta
at 1-800-ALBERTA for information on
Hutterite colonies that welcome visitors
main street. The National is a typical
The Special Areas Board was established
to oversee land use, and continues to do
so today. The Board consists of farmers
from the area familiar with the challenges
of dry-land farming and is supported by
experts in agriculture, erosion control and
land rehabilitation.
As you head west from Hanna on
Highway 9, you leave the Special Areas.
Continue west for 30 km and turn south
on Highway 581 to reach Delia, a town
that also grew thanks to the Goose Lake
Line. Delia’s Stopping House existed
prairie town hotel. In its heyday, it was
Hanna is the largest community in the
before the rail line and served to welcome
considered to be the best hotel between
Special Areas and the town, along with
wind and weather-worn travellers and
Calgary and Saskatoon and the place to
the region, prospered during the bumper
settlers. Stopping houses were vital in this
hold formal functions. The tavern attracted
crops of 1915 and 1916. Rains were
sparsely populated prairie, offering a roof,
isolated farmers who came to commiserate
plentiful, and after years of drought
food, news and company to those
over grain prices and grasshoppers.
farmers thought their fortunes were
passing through. Today, Mother Mountain
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Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
Tea House in the restored Crown Lumber
The road across the Hand Hills travels
covering the dinosaur graveyards in a
Company building serves as a modern-
through one of the largest intact tracts
rock blanket 1.5 kilometres thick.
day stopping house in Delia. Take time to
of fescue grassland in the world. Fescue is
The valley before you was cut by ice
enjoy tea and baked goods before visiting
a grass superbly adapted to the heat and
and meltwater during the last ice age.
to the local Delia Grist Mill & Museum.
drought of summer, and the cold and often
Rain, river water and wind continue to
snowless winter. Long branching roots seek
sculpt the valley today.
The tea house in Delia is named after
water deep underground while the
one of the Hand Hills to the south of
growing portion of this grass is at ground
town. Continue south on Highway 851
level and almost immune to grazing.
stories of past times when left on the
and climb the slope of Mother
In the past, these grasses supported the
ground with other fossils and rocks.
Mountain. The Hand Hills were once
vast herds of bison that once roamed these
Mark the spot and report it to the
part of a great plain – huge rivers wound
hills and plains. Today, the fescue grass-
Tyrrell Museum so a paleontologist can
across these flats, gradually cutting down
land is home to many rare or threatened
check it out. Collecting fossils in Alberta
into the rock and leaving islands above
animals including Baird’s sparrow,
is illegal without a permit.
the plains. These islands, the Hand Hills,
pronghorn and rattlesnakes.
:" See a Fossil? Let it Be! Fossils uncover
were further sculpted during the last
Settlers and ranchers have long known
Ice Age, ending 13,000 years ago, which
Highway 851 continues 20 km south of
about strange bones eroding from the
covered them with a thin layer of glacial
Delia to Highway 576. Turn right and
valley sides. In 1884, Joseph Tyrrell came
till. Just below, geologists have uncovered
drive west 30 km, dropping from the top
looking for coal and stumbled upon what
gravels that were deposited 14 million year
of the Hand Hills to the bottom of the
was to be called an Albertosaurus.
ago. The gravel has given up fossilized
Red Deer River Valley in Drumheller.
This spurred more exploration, but it
bones of early horses, camels and rodents,
Rock layers start to become older, trading
wasn’t until 1909, when John Wegner, a
including hedgehogs, moles, flying squirrels
mammal fossils for those of dinosaurs.
local rancher, mentioned them to Barnum
and beavers. One of the most interesting
Brown, a scientist at the American
discoveries in the Hand Hills have been
Early French explorers called the eroded
Museum of Natural History, that he
fossil burrows and their occupants,
cliffs and canyons you see as you descend
sparked the Great Canadian Dinosaur
prairie dogs.
into Drumheller mauvaises terres, or
Rush. Over 200 complete or nearly
badlands. The land here is dry, yet 75
complete skeletons were collected for the
million years ago, you would have stood
world’s museums in five years.
at the bottom of the Bearpaw Sea.
You can join a modern Dinosaur Rush in
The sea and rivers running into it laid
Drumheller. Continue on Highway 576
down layers of sand and silt. Over time
to Highway 9. Turn left on Highway 9
and under great weight and pressure, sand
and drive south 1 km into town. Folk
turned into sandstone while silty mud
art dinosaurs are everywhere and the big
formed darker bands of rock. Sudden
granddaddy stands guard over the Visitor
storms and flash floods panicked herds
Information Centre. Climb to the top of
of dinosaurs, drowning large numbers.
the World’s Largest Dinosaur for a
Sand and mud washed over the carcasses,
Tyrannosaurus-eye view of the badlands,
burying them. Over the next three million
and the cottonwood-lined Red Deer River.
years, more sediment poured in, finally
Then join Alberta’s dinosaur hunters at
Explore the eroded Drumheller Valley
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Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. The museum is located in Midland
Provincial Park, 6 km northwest of
Drumheller on Highway 838.
The Tyrrell Museum promises an
educational visit of two to three hours.
The highlight for many visitors is the
Dinosaur Gallery where reconstructed
skeletons tower over you, still threatening
Side trip
Drumheller can keep you busy for days!
Take time to visit the Homestead Antique Museum, cuddle up with a boa constrictor at Reptile World, squeeze into Alberta’s smallest church, and shop in historic downtown Drumheller. Contact the Drumheller Visitor Information Centre for details on
golfing, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding and scenic helicopter trips in the area.
after so many years. The museum’s guided
hikes and interpretive programs
are popular as well. Join museum
2
educators to excavate and cast your
own dinosaur fossils.
Marvel at dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell
Day Two
Drumheller to Brooks
marking a time when prehistoric plants
bridge hanging over the Red Deer River.
fell into swamps and with time and
Cross in the footsteps of the miners as
compression, left only their carbon
they walked to work at the Star Mine on
molecules behind.
the far side. After changing from street
clothes to mining clothes in the wash
It was carbon – coal – that Joseph Burr
house, the miners picked up their lamp,
Tyrrell was searching for when he came
battery and identification tag and headed
to the valley in 1884. He knew that coal
into the mine. A coal-dusted sandwich
would power the development of the
and a flask of water or tea broke a day
west. And for many years it did, as fuel
of heavy work with pick and shovel or
Watch for signs of the 140 mines
for steam trains and for home heating.
drill and coal cutter. After a good 8-hour
that operated in the valley: red slag
Today it is still used to produce most of
day, it was back to the surface and a hot
heaps, broken timbers, iron rails and
battered coal cars.
Alberta’s electricity. The Drumheller
shower before heading home.
Journey through the Drumheller
Valley’s coal mining heritage, then
tip back your Stetson and drive
across the open range to Brooks.
Valley was Alberta’s hotbed for coal
mining from 1911 until the 1950s.
The last mine closed in 1984.
Dinosaurs hid in forests of dinosaur-sized
To journey through Drumheller’s coal
trees, ferns, cycads and ginkoes. You
mining past, head east on the scenic
can see their relatives in the Cretaceous
Highway 10, the Hoodoo Drive Trail.
Garden at the Tyrrell Museum, or you
can find their remains in layers of coal.
Rosedale is the first historic mining town
In fact, every black line traced across the
east of Drumheller. Follow the signs to
badlands around you is a layer of coal,
the Suspension Bridge, a swaying cable
Stop at the many attractions on the Hoodoo
Drive Trail
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Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
There were always several mines near
each community, creating rivalry but
plenty of employment, especially during
the war years. Towns like Rosedale and
nearby Wayne regularly pitted their
sports teams against each other. After
cheering on their players, they retired to
some friendly drinking and gambling in
the pool halls and bars. If you have time,
one such establishment is the famed
Last Chance Saloon in Wayne.
From Rosedale, continue 13 km east on
Highway 10, passing the historic mining
towns of Cambria, Willow Creek and
Lehigh, to reach East Coulee.
side trip
Take Highway 10X to Wayne, counting the
eleven bridges over the Rosebud River along
the way. Wayne was once home to 2,000
bachelors and families, miners and
shopkeepers. Hotels, restaurants, boarding
houses and stores thrived while the six mines
operated. Once the mines began to close,
people moved to the next mine that was
hiring, often taking their houses with them.
Now only the Last Chance Saloon and the
Rosedeer Hotel remain. Stop in for a buffalo
burger and to see the photographs and
artifacts of a town that died over 50 years
ago. Motorcycle buffs shouldn’t miss the
annual Harley Davidson rally in early July.
Ready to try out the mining life?
From East Coulee, continue east on
Highway 10 for 1.5 km, and follow signs
across the river to the Atlas Coal Mine
National Historic Site, Alberta’s most
extensive coal mining museum.
The Atlas was the last mine in the
Drumheller Valley to close. A large
wooden tipple – the site of size-sorting
shakers and coal storage bins – dominates
the site. You can climb to the top with
a guide and peek into the 8-storey high
bins while hearing stories of underground
work, accidents, unions and Wildfire
brand coal. Although there are no
underground tours, you can take a
This mining town continues to thrive
as a village of commuters, artists and
retirees. Many old miners’ homes have
been restored as permanent or summer
residences. Retired miners still live
here - look for huge vegetable gardens
that in lean years kept the families fed.
With 3000 people in 1940, East Coulee
sprawled across the valley. The town
prospered with shops, churches and a
6-room school lining the main street.
side trip
Within 7 kms of Rosedale, the Hoodoos
Recreation Area appears on your left. Like
stone mushrooms that have popped out of
the valley floor, these hoodoos are just some
of the hundreds, large and small, that you
can see throughout the Canadian Badlands.
A hard rock forms the cap of the hoodoo,
sheltering the softer rock beneath from the
chiseling action of rain and wind. At least for
a while. Hoodoos are the creations of erosion.
Once the cap rock falls, the pillar shrinks
rapidly. It is important not to climb on the
hoodoos, both for your safety and theirs.
mantrip ride – the old mode of
transporting miners to the coal face.
Allow at least two hours to enjoy the
various interpretive programs, audiotours,
walking trails, and the Atlas’ awardwinning film.
Coal from the Atlas and other mines was
shipped by train to heat homes across the
prairies. The same trains stopped at the
huge wooden elevators in even the smallest farming towns to pick up wheat and
other grains for shipment to Calgary and
points west. One such town was Dorothy,
a ghost town situated at the east end of
Today the East Coulee School Museum
the Drumheller Valley.
presents a fascinating glimpse of life
during the heyday of mining. Join a
To reach Dorothy, continue on Highway
museum interpreter to tour the
10 (later Highway 570). Today only one
restored1930s schoolroom and, over tea
of the original three grain elevators, the
or a light lunch at the Willow Tea Room,
Roman Catholic and United churches,
look through old mining photos or chat
and a scatter of boarded up homes and
with a local.
businesses remain.
Walk the Rosedale Suspension Bridge
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Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
Past Dorothy, the road climbs out of
Two British dukes owned large parcels
Brooks is a small city with a multicultural
the valley and onto the prairie. Watch
of land in this area, although neither
and multi-skilled population. Lakeside
for deer, coyote and pronghorn as you
ever lived here. Their four royal ladies
Packers, the largest local business,
travel the next 100 km through ranching
are remembered in the towns along
employs around 2500 people. These
country to Brooks via Highways 570,
Highways 550 and 554. Rosemary was
workers represent every province and
36, 550 and 873.
the daughter of the Duke of Sutherland
territory and about a dozen other
and Millicent was his wife. Duchess
countries as well. Don’t be surprised to
Great herds of bison travelled these
commemorates the wife of the Duke of
be greeted by a Newfoundlander or a
lands, grazing as they went. By the
Connaught who also served as Canada’s
North African as you walk around the
mid-1870s they were slaughtered almost
Governor General from 1911 to 1916.
town. Visit the Brooks and District
to extinction, and the endless grass
Patricia was their daughter.
Museum to learn more about settlement
pulled at the pocketbooks of British
and ranching in the Eastern
investors. With land leased at 1¢ an
Fifteen kilometres from Duchess is
Irrigation District.
acre per year, the potential profits were
Brooks, the heart of the Eastern
inviting. Dukes and princes, lawyers and
Irrigation District. You may have
wealthy landowners hired cowboys to
noticed more trees and green fields since
Finnegan Ferry is located on the gravel
trail cattle from Texas and Mexico.
crossing the Red Deer River. Irrigation
Highway 862, south of Highway 570.
They placed experienced ranch managers
has turned parched lands into luxuriant
The cable-driven ferry operates from
in charge and waited for the cash to roll
alfalfa and grain fields. It also provides
spring when the ice breaks up (about
in. Some made a tidy profit; others soon
the large amounts of water needed to
May) to mid-fall when the river freezes
sold out or abandoned their ranch to
operate the cattle feedlots around Brooks.
(about October or November).
:" Cross the Red Deer River by ferry.
invest in more reliable ventures.
3
Dinosaur Provincial Park is 48 km
Day Three
Brooks to Dinosaur Provincial Park
Dinosaur fossils beckon to the
sharp-eyed fossil hunter on a
:" The park has lots to offer: interpretive
northeast of Brooks accessed from
trails, fossil exhibits, the John Ware cabin,
Highways 873 and 544. As you
the exhibits in the Field Station and birding
approach the park, the prairie comes to
along the creek and river. As staff often say,
an abrupt end. Before descending into
a park that took over 75 million years to
the valley, take time to stop at the
create deserves more than a day to visit!
lookout where a world truly like no
other stretches before you.
The park is a giant laboratory of past
life, grudgingly giving up clues to the
guided hike or bus tour through
Dinosaur Provincial Park received its
researchers who come here from around
United Nations World Heritage Site
the world. At least 35 species of dinosaurs
designation for three reasons: the
have been found here, including more
Breath-taking scenery, unearthly
abundance and diversity of fossils, the
than 500 complete skeletons. Scientists
rock formations and cool cotton-
largest and most spectacular badlands
have uncovered several bonebeds.
Alberta’s palaeontological treasure
– Dinosaur Provincial Park.
woods promise a day or more of
discoveries for everyone.
in Canada, and to recognize the
endangered river edge habitat with its
plains cottonwood trees.
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Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
Seventy-five million years ago, the
in advance. You can explore the rest of
The Red Deer River offers a Class 1
climate was as explosive as a T. rex.
the park on your own.
(novice) river experience.
Sudden storms and flash floods
Contact 1-800-ALBERTA for information
panicked herds of dinosaurs, drowning
on day or multi-day excursions.
large numbers. Sand and mud washed
:" Explore the badlands by canoe.
over the carcasses, burying them.
Over the next three million years, more
sediment poured in, finally covering the
side trip
Side trips to the Brooks Aqueduct National
Historic Site and Kinbrook Marsh in Kinbrook
Provincial Park can be made either in the
evening or the next morning. Both sites offer
self-guided trails; in summer months, park
interpreters offer guided tours of the
Aqueduct. Both sites can be reached from
Highway 873.
dinosaur graveyards in a rock blanket
1.5 kilometres thick.
Explore the Badlands at Dinosaur Provincial Park
4
Every year, new discoveries are made.
As you leave the park, take a last look
These fossils are protected in the Natural
over the rim. As the sun drops lower on
Reserve which covers 70% of the park.
the horizon, the glare of mid-day disap-
You can enter this restricted area on a
pears, and the softer light and shadows
guided hike or bus tour. Park interpretive
create a photographer’s dream.
tours are very popular, so be sure to book
badlands. If you didn’t have time
yesterday, be sure to take in the
Day Four
Brooks to Empress & Oyen
Return to the Special Areas, this
2-hour Badlands Bus Tour into the
Natural Preserve.
Otherwise, continue east on Highway
544 to return to the Special Areas.
time traveling the southern route
At the junction with Highway 884, turn
that follows the old Royal Line
left and drive north 10 km to Jenner and
railway. Watch for pronghorn while
you make your way to Empress,
Highway 555. Turn right and follow the
quiet road east 75 km to Bindloss.
an artisan community tucked along
This southern route in the Special Areas
the stores of the Red Deer River.
parallels the once vibrant “Royal Line”
Drive the Royal Line to Empress
that carried wheat, coal and people on
Today’s journey begins by retracing your
the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Empress-
removed, but you can still see the
route to Dinosaur Provincial Park via
Bassano branch. Villages sprung up along
railway’s old berm between Buffalo
Highway 873 and 544. At the junction
the rail line, named after British royalty
and Bindloss.
with Highway 876 you can return to
or aristocracy, including Rosemary,
the park to spend the morning further
Duchess, Patricia, Iddesleigh, and
exploring Canada’s most extensive
Princess. The track has since been
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Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
In their heyday, communities along the
The one-room school was also a site for
Empress, at the junction of Highways
Royal Line were typical prairie towns
community gatherings, including Friday
555 and 41, turn north and continue
where social life centred around the
night dances, church services, weddings
5 km to the access road to Empress.
general store, church and one-room
and live theatre. Celebrations and events
The town is about 10 km northeast
school. You can still visit the general
remain a vital part of community life in
on the Saskatchewan border.
store in the near ghost-town of Buffalo.
the Special Areas and are well worth
The store’s façade is characteristic of the
checking out. From spring to fall, you
Empress is tucked along the Red Deer
1920s when owners faced their small and
can enjoy rodeos in Hanna, the Hand
River, bordered by rolling coulees.
simple wooden buildings with a grand,
Hills, Cereal, Jenner and Oyen, and can
The transformation from a rail
square-topped front to appear larger and
indulge in local cuisine at the Taste of
ghost-town to a town of artisans started
more significant. This building style,
Empress in Empress, the Annual Turkey
with longtime resident, Aaron Steinley.
common to Western movies, has the
Supper in the Hand Hills, and the local
Initially just looking to supplement his
descriptive name, boomtown architecture.
favorite, Acadia Valley’s Sausage Fry.
farming income, Aaron’s talent for
bending willow into finely-crafted
While the general store in Buffalo
:" Contact 1-800-ALBERTA for information
remains as a testament to more
on community events in the Special Areas.
prosperous days, all one-room schools
furniture has made him the successful
owner of Knarls ‘n’ Knots. Around the
corner in the 1919 Bank of Commerce
along the Royal Line are gone, replaced
As you drive along Highway 555 stop to
is That’s Empressive, a gallery of
by cast-iron signs marking the old school
breathe in the scent of sage or to take a
Canadian and First Nations arts and
grounds in Buffalo, Cavendish and
closer look at a yellow coneflower, white
crafts, including pottery, jewelry,
Bindloss. From the turn of the century
moss campion or colourful lichen.
sculpture, painting, cloth work, wood
to the 1940s, one-room schools were a
Keep an eye to the sky for red tail hawks
crafts and soap. Owner Pat Donaldson
familiar feature of the rural landscape.
circling as they search for mice or
grew up in the northern Ontario bush,
A single teacher taught grades one to
gophers, and watch keenly for the
but has since made the prairies her home.
nine, and either lived in a nearby
signature species of the prairies, the
Beside the old bank is the original post
“teacherage” or boarded with a local
pronghorn, also known as antelope, the
office. The windows and doors were
family. Many rural teachers were from
sole surviving member of the family
painted by Dean Francis, a landscape
the city and had to quickly become
Antilocapridae. The pronghorn has
artist and owner of Sagebrush Studios.
adept at starting fires in the wood stove,
excellent eyesight and is the fastest
The most recent addition to art in
drawing water from the well, repairing
animal in North America – keep your
Empress is in the old Lutheran Church
desks and books, and tending to the
binoculars handy to view them up close.
where Pete McAra hand makes wood
students’ horses.
signs. If you are in town on a Sunday
The prairie landscape of the Canadian
evening, stop in at the old Catholic
Teachers organized school events such as
Badlands takes time to discover – its
Church for some bluegrass and gospel
sports days, fairs, picnics and the much-
beauty is subtle and is found in its
music. Just bring some change for the
awaited-for Christmas concert.
vastness. Not surprisingly, artists have
coffee fund and something to contribute
found inspiration in the prairies, and a
to the snack table.
number of artisans have made the small
community of Empress home. To reach
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Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
From Empress, return to Highway 988,
turn north and cross the Red Deer
River to reach Highway 562. Turn left
and drive 14 km west to Highway 41.
Turn right and continue 20 km north to
Acadia Valley. As in many prairie towns,
a grain elevator stands along the since-
side trip
Empress’ art community continues east into
Saskatchewan. Pick up the Great Sandhills &
River Routes tourism brochure for information
on painters, potters and photographers near
Estuary, Leader and Eatonia.
abandoned rail line in Acadia Valley.
Many of these prairie sentinels were
built in the wheat boom of the 1920s,
rallied to save one, turning it into the
perched next to the rail line that linked
Prairie Elevator Museum & Tea House.
small towns to far flung markets. By the
From Acadia Valley, continue 30 km
mid-1930s, Alberta boasted over 1,700
north on Highway 41 to reach Oyen,
surrounding farmers as well as the oil and
grain elevators. Now there are a mere few
your final destination on this tour of the
gas industry. Take time to enjoy the Oyen
hundred left. Acadia Valley lost two of
Canadian Badlands. Oyen is the largest
Art Walk, Oyen Water Park and the
its original elevators, but the community
community in the area, a hub for
Crossroads Museum.
Splash in the Drumheller water park
Visit the Grist Mill in Delia
Stop in for tea at the Prairie Elevator Museum
in Acadia Valley
Take a side trip to the Brroks Aqueduct
From the Goose Lake Line to the Royal Line and dinosaur bones to artisans, this touring route has given you
a taste of the Canadian Badlands. More discoveries await. In the Canadian Badlands, you can tour ancient
petroglyphs at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, trail ride in Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, hike
and bike in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, and take in local rodeos, farmers’ markets and festivals in
communities across the region To plan your next Canadian Badlands experience, go to canadianbadlands.com
contact Travel Alberta at 1-800-ALBERTA.
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Train Tales and Dinosaur
Trails Driving Tour
Be a miner, ride across the Red Deer River, and
uncover million year old fossils. On this tour, put
your cowboy hat on for some prairie fun!
Oyen: Jump into a swimming pool at the Shirley
McClellan Aquatic Centre, climb and swing at one of
the great parks and playgrounds, or toss your fishing
line into a fishing pond.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum: Offers programs just
for kids from 45 minutes to 3 hours. Explore a
dinosaur quarry and play dinosaur games with the
Jr. Dinosaur Explorers, or discover ancient fossils
and make crafts at the Dino Adventure Hour.
Need a Break?
Reptile World: Squeeze your way into a picture with
Brittany the Boa Constrictor then snap up some
courage to visit Fred the 600 pound alligator! Reptile
World is Canada’s largest reptile exhibit, located in
downtown Drumheller.
Hanna:How many dolls do you have? Over 4,000?
See if you can find them all at the Doll House
Museum. Cool down with waterslides and a spray park
at the Hanna and District Community Swimming Pool,
or try a trick at the skateboard park. Stop at Fox
Lake and Helmer Dam for a picnic, swimming and
fishing then try for a hole in one at the Grey Goose
Mini Golf course.
DRUMHELLER AND AREA:
World’s Largest Dinosaur and Spray Park:
Look up…way up to the World’s Largest Dinosaurclimb 151 feet to the top and get a T-rex eye view.
On a hot summer day, splash around the spray park
but beware of the T-rex’s clutches!
Drumheller pools and waterslides: Dash down a
slippery waterslide, or cannonball into a pool at the
Drumheller Aquaplex next to the World’s Largest
Dinosaur. Don’t forget to see if your hotel has a
swimming pool or a waterslide!
Finnegan Ferry: How did people get across the rivers
before there were bridges? The original ferry was
built before your parents were born and it was used
to carry cars, people and animals! Take this short
detour to Finnegan Ferry and take a free
ride across the Red Deer River.
Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site:
Have you ever wondered what a real mine
looks like? Take a teeth-chattering coal car
ride, climb the wooden tipple and learn how
coal was taken from the ground, sorted, and
shipped off to market in East Coulee.
Empress: Climb the jungle gym, splash in the
wading pool, swing on the giant swing set, or play
in the fire engine playhouse at Centennial Park.
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On your drive: There’s lots of fun to be
had in the Drumheller valley: Check out
Drumheller’s amusement parks, squeeze into
the Little Church or play eye-spy by counting
the cement dinosaurs.
Brooks and Area: Lake Newell/Kinbrook
Island Provincial Park: Build a sandcastle,
and jump into one of Alberta’s warmest
lakes for a swim, or try your luck at fishing!
Visit the Brooks Lakeside Leisure Centre
where you can zip down a waterslide or
cannon-ball into a pool.
Dinosaur Provincial Park: Explore a real
fossil site on the Fossil Safari Hike then
discover how dinosaur skeletons are put
together in the Fossil Lab Talk. Dress up as
your favourite dinosaur in a Family Theatre
Program or sing along at the outdoor
amphitheatre
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Words for Word Search
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Explorer, Sandcastle, Cowboy, Prairie, Train, Fishing
Fill in the answers on the blanks and then put
the letters together to spell a secret word!
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Climb the wooden __________
What is the largest reptile exhibit in Canada?
What town has a Doll House Museum?
What town has a fire engine playhouse?
Great fishing at the ________ Dam
__________s were people who traveled to Alberta from other lands in search of a new life. Some settled
down to farm, prospect for gold, or to hunt and trade animal pelts. They helped build the first towns and
railroads across the prairies.
Secret word is Pioneer
Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
Touring Routes Feedback Form
We hope you enjoyed your driving tour of the Canadian Badlands. To help us improve the self-guided tour experience, please
take time to complete and return this form. To thank you for your time, we would like to send you a complimentary poster
of Dinosaur Provincial Park.
1. Please indicate the driving tour you participated in:
O Prairie Winds & Badlands (Lethbridge, Cypress Hills and Medicine Hat)
O Red Coats & Coulees (Medicine Hat/Walsh, Cypress Hills and Dinosaur Provincial Park)
O Train Tales & Dinosaur Trails (Oyen, Hanna, Drumheller and Dinosaur Provincial Park)
O Homesteads, Bonebeds & Coalbeds (Calgary, Drumheller and Dinosaur Provincial Park)
O Boomtowns, Buffalo & Badlands (Milk River/Coutts, Writing-on-Stone and Dinosaur Provincial Park and Drumheller)
O Coal Trails & Prairie Rails (Red Deer, Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park and Drumheller)
2. Please describe your travel party:
Number of adults Number of children (under 18 years of age)
3. How did you learn about the driving tour?
O Internet (please specify website) O Travel Alberta Visitor Information Centre (please provide name) O Community Visitor Information Centre (please provide name) O Friend or family member
O Other (please specify) 4. Did you participate in the full length of the driving tour as outlined in the self-guided driving tour description?
O Yes
O No If no, indicate which day(s) you participated in: (e.g., day 2) Why did you choose not to participate in the full driving tour? 5. Check the statements that are most accurate:
O I used the driving tour to plan a trip to the Canadian Badlands.
O I was already planning to visit the Canadian Badlands and used the driving tour as a resource.
O I was already visiting the Canadian Badlands and used the driving tour to enhance my trip.
O I stayed longer in the Canadian Badlands as a result of the driving tour.
O I am planning another trip to the Canadian Badlands as a result of the driving tour.
O Other (please specify) Canadian Badlands Touring Routes
6. After participating in this driving tour, would you consider participating in another Canadian Badlands driving tour?
O Yes
O No. If no, why not? 7. After participating in this driving tour, would you consider participating in a similar self-guided driving tour elsewhere
in the Province of Alberta?
O Yes. If yes, what part of Alberta interests you? O No
For each of the following questions, please indicate your answer on the scale provided,
where 1 represents very unsatisfied and 5 represents very satisfied.
1. How satisfied were you with the level of information
in the self-guided driving tour description?
2. How satisfied were you with the accuracy of the
information in the self-guided driving tour description?
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2
3
4
5
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2
3
4
5
3. How satisfied were you with the number of attractions and activities in the driving tour?
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2
3
4
5
4. How satisfied were you with the length of the driving tour?
1
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5
Additional Comments
To receive your complimentary poster, please provide the following information (optional). Personal information
collected in this survey is done so in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection Act (FOIP).
Last Name: Address: Province/State: Country: Mail: Tourism Development Branch,
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture,
6th Floor, Commerce Place, 10155 – 102 St.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 4L6
Fax: (780) 427-0778
First Name: City: Postal Code/Zip Code: