Two hours’ drive southeast of the town of Drumheller, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dinosaur Provincial Park, established in 1955, contains one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Located along the Red Deer River Valley, the park includes dinosaur skeletons mostly from the late Cretaceous Period, about 75 million years ago. More than 300 mostly intact skeletons have been made here and more than 30 institutions worldwide have specimens from this valley on display.

From Drumheller it is possible to drive the 48-km (30-mile) loop Dinosaur Trail  through the “Valley of the Dinosaurs.” The trail passes the Royal Tyrrell Museum, takes in stunning views of strange badlands landscape from highpoints such as Horseshoe Canyon, and leads to intriguing rock hoodoos.