Exploring Canada’s Most Complete Coal Mine: The Atlas Coal Mine in Drumheller, Alberta
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While Drumheller, Alberta may be best known for its dinosaurs, that’s not the only history the Canadian Badlands are rich in! The Drumheller Valley is steeped in coal mining legacy, and the best place to experience that past is at the Atlas Coal Mine.
I am a massive history buff, but modern history isn’t necessarily my thing (I’m more of a Classics girl). I wasn’t expecting a lot out of the Atlas Coal Mine but it surprisingly became my favourite spot on our 3 Day Drumheller itinerary!
The Atlas Coal Mine is the most complete coal mine left in Canada, and it also preserves the last wooden tipple (coal sorting structure) in Canada. There are many authentic places to explore on the property, including residential buildings, a machine yard, an antique train, and even entry into the tipple and the mines.
Table of Contents
Admission into the Atlas Coal Mine and Best Time to Visit
We arrived at the Atlas Coal Mine around lunch time on a Monday in June and the site was pretty quiet with only a few other people exploring the grounds. I’m sure it gets much busier on weekends, and especially during peak season in July and August.
I was glad that we picked a quiet time to visit and we were able to explore the Atlas Coal Mine at our leisure. Keep in mind that the Atlas Coal Mine is not open year round. Typically it opens mid-May and offers activities into December, while tour bookings open on May 1st annually.
Admission into the Atlas Coal Mine costs $16.95 per adult, while tours are extra. Be sure to take a map and explore as much as you can, there is a lot to see while self-guided. We started with the Miner’s Shacks behind the admissions area and continued in a loop around the Atlas Coal Mine checking out places like the Mine Office, Washhouse, and Boxcar Exhibit.
Inside the property’s buildings you’ll find a lot of artefacts from Drumheller’s mining days. My favourite was the exhibit with all the posters warning about workplace injuries. Seeing all these objects took us back in time to when the Atlas Coal Mine was an active mine.
If you don’t plan on doing any of the extra guided tours (though I highly recommend doing them all!), be sure to visit the Machine Yard. Here, you may be lucky enough to run into Bob, who I can only describe as a national treasure! Bob is a fifth-generation coal miner who actually worked in the Atlas Coal Mine when it was still operational.
If you’re lucky enough to see him around the Machine Yard, he’ll be happy to give you an impromptu tour describing every single piece of machinery in the yard. He is such an amazing piece of living history and it was a joy to listen to his experiences working in Atlas during its coal mining years, and his stories as a volunteer now that the Atlas is a historical site. Bob was so cool that Justin and I often visit the Atlas Coal Mine’s Instagram to see how he’s doing.
Tours Offered at the Atlas Coal Mine
After exploring the grounds of the Atlas Coal Mine on our own, it was time to start our guided tours. We booked these when we purchased our admission on site, since we visited during a quiet time, but if you’re visiting on a weekend or during peak season of July and August, I’d purchase your site admission and book your tours ahead of time.
The Atlas Coal Mine offers 3 guided tours, and you must purchase site admission in order to do a tour. The tours are especially great since they give you access to places in the Atlas Coal Mine you can’t visit on your own. While I normally don’t enjoy guided tours, I did like them here since I’m not familiar with mining history.
Tour Offerings and Prices
- Train Ride – 25 Minutes – $9.25
- On this tour you’ll get to ride a 90+ year old locomotive.
- Processing Plant Tour – 45 Minutes – $16.95
- On this tour you’ll get to go inside the wooden tipple and learn how this processing plant operated in its heyday. Sturdy footwear is required.
- Mine Portal Hike – 1 Hour 15 Minutes – $19.25
- On this tour you’ll go inside part of the Atlas Coal Mine. Guests are provided with a hard hat and a lamp. Sturdy footwear is required.
We booked the Processing Plant Tour, and the Train Ride. We chose not to do the Mine Portal Hike because I was breaking in new shoes (like a dummy) and was worried my feet would blister even more on the hike. That just means we’ll have to go back and visit the Atlas Coal Mine again on our next trip to Alberta!
Processing Plant Tour
The Processing Plant was our first tour of the day, and it was so cool to be able to head inside the last wooden tipple in Canada. We met our guide at the Mine Office and she took us through the history of coal mining in the Drumheller Valley as we made our way into the tipple.
Inside the tipple our guide told us how this processing plant was used to sort, store, and ship the coal mined at Atlas. As we climbed 125 feet to the top of the tipple I definitely felt some nerves and I could not fathom having to work inside the tipple every single day. Note that you need to have sturdy, fully-enclosed footwear to be able to do this tour and I can see why after hearing some of the stories our guide told us!
While working in the tipple in the early 1900s sounded miserable, it’s not too bad to climb to the top of it. Expect a gradual slope, with some wooden beams nailed on to keep you from slipping. If you only choose one tour to do in addition to your Atlas Coal Mine admission, I would definitely make it this one. Our tour started at 12:30pm.
Train Ride
After touring the tipple, our next tour was riding the antique train. We met with the same guide that conducted our tipple tour who was now a train conductor. She explained the history of the 90 year old locomotive, affectionately known as “Linda”, and explained some safety precautions to ride the train.
We climbed into our own personal mine cart just behind our guide and we were off! While you stay on the surface and just go back and forth in a straight line on the train ride, I still had a lot of fun. How many people can say they’ve ridden an antique mining train after all? You don’t need close-toed shoes for this tour, so it’s a great option if you wore the wrong footwear. Don’t forget to brace yourself for when the train stops and the carts slam into each other, the force is stronger than you’d think for the speed you go!
Final Thoughts
The Atlas Coal Mine truly blew me away with how fun it was. Bob and the other guides made this piece of mining history spring to life and it was so fascinating being able to visit inside the tipple and being able to ride an antique train.
If you’re spending more than 1 day in Drumheller you absolutely must add the Atlas Coal Mine to your itinerary, it might become your favourite part of your trip too! After visiting the Atlas Coal Mine we continued on with modern history and stopped by the Star Mine Suspension Bridge before ending with dinner at the Last Chance Saloon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to get to the Atlas Coal Mine from Drumheller?
The Atlas Coal Mine is 20 minutes southwest of Drumheller.
It is 25 minutes from the Royal Tyrell Museum and 12 minutes from Bridgeviews Drumheller.
It is best to drive here yourself on your own time so you can choose which guided tour options work best for you. But if you don’t have a car some GetYourGuide day tours stop at the Atlas Coal Mine.
Check out all the options for getting to Calgary to Drumheller.
When does the Atlas Coal Mine open and how much is admission?
The Atlas Coal Mine is open for visiting from mid-May through December.
As of 2026, admission for adults is $16.95 per person. Note that the Atlas Coal Mine is cashless, so you must pay with debit or credit on site, or you can book online in advance.
Visitors spend 1-2 hours exploring on average.
What tours does the Atlas Coal Mine offer?
There are 3 different guided tours offered at the Atlas Coal Mine.
- Train Ride – 25 Minutes – $9.25
- Processing Plant Tour – 45 Minutes – $16.95
- Mine Portal Hike- 1 hour 15 minutes – $19.25
It is recommended to book tours in advance online.
What should I bring to the Atlas Coal Mine?
In order to do the Processing Plant Tour and Mine Portal Hike, you MUST have close-toed shoes for safety purposes. Wear sturdy shoes you can spend a lot of time walking in.
Water is not available on site so bring your own, and also wear a hat and sunscreen as much of the exploration of the Atlas Coal Mine is outside and it obviously gets very hot in the Badlands.
Don’t forget your camera!
Note: Pets are not allowed at the Atlas Coal Mine.
Where to stay near the Atlas Coal Mine?
We stayed at Bridgeviews Drumheller, a mere 12 minute drive from the Atlas. Check out our full review of this serene Glamping Retreat. You can also stay at many different hotels in Drumheller, which is about a 20 minute drive from the Atlas Coal Mine.
