Where the Red Deer River cuts through Drumheller, Alberta, there above’s … and there’s below.
Above, you find rolling hills dotted with farmhouses, barns and the odd oil rig. Bright yellow and lush green highlight endless fields of ripening corn, canola and more.
Below, for the most part, is a land of brown, beige, darker shades of green. The earthy hues tint a canyon landscape of striated sedimentary rock, its cliffs and hoodoos shaped just so by the forces of nature out of compacted detritus, millennia old.
Welcome to Alberta’s Badlands.
They are mainly known for their paleontological gifts — the thousands of fossils and rocks that scientists have used to slowly unlock the world’s past.
For that reason, the Royal Tyrrell Museum has become a must-see attraction for Albertans and visitors alike.
While you’re there, poke along nearby roads and highways to soak in what nature has to offer and get acquainted with the landscapes that hold yet-unearthed historical treasures.
A quick way to do this is to drive the Dinosaur Trail, a nearly-50-km road loop that takes you up and down both sides of the Red Deer River valley, bobbing up and down through the colourful layers of earth that make this part of Alberta so interesting to visit.
And don’t forget a quick jaunt down Highway 10 south and east of Drumheller to see the hoodoos.
Whether you’ve been doing lots of learning at the Tyrrell or you’re quickly passing through, just pick a road, drive and look around.
Your senses will be rewarded.