I was on an epic road trip through Canada, I had started in Vancouver and wound my way up along highway 1, hit Banff and did the Icefields Parkway drive, then down to Calgary and this was when I decided to go check out the Canadian Badlands in Alberta (I will cover all the previous locations in other posts).
The Canadian Badlands was about 1.5 hours drive from Calgary and had a few different areas to visit. I heard there were amazing landscapes, I had seen pictures of the hoodoos and was intrigued and I was also really keen about the dinosaur history and local finds. My whole trip through Canada was completely unplanned (besides the Icefield Parkway) and I had many “gee I’m glad I came here” moments.
I started the drive from Calgary, where I had been boondocking in my van for a few days. I plugged in Horseshoe Canyon into Google Maps and set off on the 1.5hr trip out to the Canadian Badlands, I didn’t quite know what to expect but had heard about the interesting landscapes and knew it was somewhere I had to see whilst I was up in that part of the world.
I visited in mid September, from memory the weather was perfect blue skies for most of the day with average temperatures. The average for September is in the 20’s so it’s a great time to visit. I’m so glad I made the spur of the moment decision to come visit the Canadian Badlands in Alberta, it was super memorable, I learnt a lot and got some great photos!
Itinerary
01. Horseshoe Canyon
First stop was Horseshoe Canyon, approximately 1.25hrs drive from Calgary and a place I’d highly recommend stopping in to see. There was a short hike from the lookout which takes you down into the canyon, where you can witness first hand the amazing layers of rock dating back 70 Million years when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The layers reveal the changes that occurred over this time and is truly a sight to be seen. I visited in fall so beautiful trees surrounded the canyon filled with maroons and oranges.
02. Royal Tyrell Museum
After the Horseshoe Canyon I made my way to the Royal Tyrell Museum, it was very interesting and I’d recommend a visit if you are in the area. I learnt a lot of new facts about the world before humans. I remember being in awe of the fact that humans came along so late in the game and to see all that happened before our arrival. It’s truly remarkable and coming to this museum is a great way to reignite your childlike wonder of the world.
It’s just incredible that some of these fossils found in this area date back 76 Million years ago! Absolutely mind blowing and to be able to visit such a place and be around this history is something truly special.
In the images below, bottom left is the Gorgosaurus a dinosaur that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period, between about 76.5 and 75 million years ago. Fossil remains have been found in the Canadian province of Alberta and the U.S. state of Montana.
03. Hoodoos
I then drove from Drumheller on to see the Hoodoos, these are sandstone pillars that take millions of years to form and have a stone cap on the top that protects them from eroding which is the reason they remain standing for so long, once the cap breaks off the pillar is at risk of eroding completely. It’s such an interesting landscape to be amongst, to be able to walk through these very old pillars, knowing the bottom layers are millions of years old is a privilege and gives you perspective on how young the human race is, and that earth was spinning and natural wonders were forming long before we arrived.
I spotted this super cute chipmunk darting between the rocks and popping out, I love taking photography of wildlife, it’s surely a challenge on the 1 camera lense I have but I enjoy waiting patiently to capture the perfect moment of stsillness, which is very hard to get with chipmunks! They’re probably the fastest of the small land creatures here.
Hey there, thanks for stopping by! I’m Lauren, a travel enthusiast, a freelance graphic designer, an adventure lover and a thinker about life.
Thanks for reading
This is my first post of many hopefully, documenting my travels and the thoughts I’ve had when traveling. I’ve lived in 3 countries and travelled all over the world, most recently Canada and USA and am excited to share some experiences I’ve had. I hope you come back for future articles or subscribe to my newsletter where I will send an email with updates and new locations.
Lauren
