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Pincher Creek – Pincher Creek is a small town that
has a lot going on: rodeos, pow-wows and everything from huckleberry to
kite festivals. But it's also a great place to discover Alberta's great
outdoors. |
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 Kite
festival – Pincher Creek claims to be one of the windiest places
in North America. Besides holding your own private family kite flying contest,
you can also try your hand at gliding – there are several options
for lessons. |
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Oldman
River Dam Provincial Park – Just outside of town, you can hike,
and use either day or overnight camp grounds. On the dam you can rent equipment
to go kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing or boating. There are hikes
for all levels here, and in nearby Castle Wilderness, Beauvais Lake Provincial
Park and the Crowsnest Pass. |
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Go
fishing – Whether you like to pull up waders or lie on a
bank, there are lots of choices here. Get a fishing license at the local
license office, then ask directions for any of the nearby lakes or river
fishing favorites, like the Crowsnest River. |
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Castle
Mountain Ski Area – In the winter, the Castle Mountain
Ski Area is great for skiing and snowboarding, or rent a snowmobile to tour
the area. Head over to the Pincher Creek Memorial Arena for ice-skating
in the winter and in-line skating in the summer. |
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Swimming – If you're not ready for glacier lakes and mountain streams,
there's always the Pincher Creek Swim Pool with both a lap pool and
hot tub. |
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Back
at the ranch... – Really make the old west come to life by staying
at a working ranch for a few days. Not enough time? You can still go
for a trail ride with enough variety to suit everyone, from an' ol'
ranch hand to the youngest buckaroo. Just want to tour a ranch? Ask
in town – there are lots of choices: horse, cattle, buffalo,
and llama. |
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Underground ghost towns – At
the Leitich Colleries near Crowsnest Pass, you can see the ruins
of a 19th century mine, including the coke ovens, manager's house, powerhouse,
washery and tipple. In 1903 there was a tragic rockslide that devastated
the area, now called "The Frank Slide." The "Frank Slide
Interpretive Centre" has exhibits about underground coal mining,
the railroads and community life. See the audio-visual "In the Mountain's
Shadow" which tells the story of the slide, then hike the trail to the site of the slide on your own, or join one of the interpretive
hikes led by rangers. |
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If you're fascinated by "the underground," don't
miss the nearby Bellevue Mine tour as well – where kids
(and adults) strap on miner's helmets complete with attached lanterns for
a half-hour hike underground. |
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Head-Smashed-In – Head-Smashed-In is a World Heritage
Site, preserving a place used by the Plains Indians for six thousand years
for hunting rituals. Blackfoot Indians would chase buffalo to a precipice,
then collect the meat at the bottom. Today's there's an interpretive center built into the sandstone cliffs. On different
levels you can explore the lifestyle, myths, crafts, and archaeology of
the Blackfoots, with both European and Blackfoot interpretations provided.
At the Theater check out the 10 minute film showing a reenactment
of a buffalo hunt (PG material). |
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At
Head-Smashed-In during the summer? The three-day long July Pow Wow dance
contests are spectacular, and probably the best show of tribal costumes
in North America. At Christmastime there's a crafts fair where you
can watch Blackfoots making art. |
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Go
tipi-camping! – What could make the whole experience come more to life? At Head-Smashed-In you can take advantage of one night or two
night tipi camping experiences. This is great for kids of any age. They
supply the tipis (you learn how to put them up) meals, interpretive
hikes and story-telling around the campfire (bring your own or rent a sleeping
bag). Try to make reservations three months in advance: click
here. |
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"Writing
on Stone" Provincial Park – One of the most sacred
spots to the Plains Indians, the park has the largest known collection of
pictographs in North America. Stretching along the Milk River, the carvings
can be found in soft sandstone walls. From May to September, join a park
guide-led tour into "protected" areas with truly amazing art. |
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Cardston – |
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The
Remington-Alberta Carriage Centre, on a 20 acre park just outside Cardston,
contains a fantastic collection of over 210 carriages. For a little orientation,
take in the multi-media presentation "The Wheels of Change"
in the Centre's theatre. In the exhibit gallery there are 16 displays of
carriages, each presenting a different historical theme. You can also tour
a workshop, tack room, and stables where they house the Clydesdales, Canadians,
Quarter Horses, and Percerhons that draw the carriages. |
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Ride
in style – At the Centre, you can rent a Landau, Bronson Wagon, or something
called a "Mountain Democrat", complete with driver and groom in
full livery. There's a whole range of options, from something elegant enough
for your "princess" to more rough-and-ready rides around the grounds. |
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Fort Macleod – Fort Macleod was the first Royal Canadian
Mounted Police outpost in the west, founded in 1874 where the prairies meet
the Rockies. Kids will like running around the museum, a re-creation of 19th
century buildings with a great collection of regional Indian crafts. You
can also tour the Mounties stables (yes, they still use horses and "red-coat"
uniforms). |
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RCMP
Musical Ride – Check for special events, when you'll experience
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride. Mounties dressed in 1874
North West Mounted Police uniforms perform precision moves on horseback
to music. Click
here for the schedule. |
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"Fort
Whoop-Up" Interpretive Centre – With a name like that, it
won't be surprise that this was once the largest whisky trading spot in
the province. American traders would barter for furs with the local Indians,
illegally including "fire water" in the deals. Today you can tour
displays of period artifacts, crafts, clothing, etc. and go for wagon
rides. |
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Alberta
Birds of Prey Centre (in nearby Coaldale) – At the Alberta Birds of Prey Center, injured wild birds are healed and released
back into nature. Take in the live shows with flacons, owls, and hawks. |
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The Bar U Ranch (south of Calgary) – Once a large corporate ranch established in 1882 by Fred Stimson, it was
George Lane who made the Bar U Ranch famous for breeding cattle and Percheron
horses. Today it's still run as a ranch, a "living museum," where
you can take an interpretive tour and then your cowpokes can have a real
old fashioned "ranch hands" meal (how about a buffalo burger?)
At the Visitor Centre, you can buy "period" things like preserves,
woodwork, handmade soap and candles. |
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Check out the calendar – during the year the ranch hosts events that include cattle round-ups, roping,
and penning. If you have a little more time, consider the Public Archaeology
Program for either two or four days. After an orientation to the
historical significance of the area, you'll take part in excavations
with Parks Canada archeologists, who teach you archeological techniques
(no experience necessary). |
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Cochrane – Cochrane is a small, "old west" town, (used to film
"Legends of the Fall" and "Lonesome Dove") with a nice
sprinkling of sites. |
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The
Studio West Bronze Foundry & Art Gallery is a functional, operating
bronze foundry with an observation deck so you can watch the artists creating
and casting. This is a fascinating view of the intricate "lost wax"
process of bronze casting. And of course you can buy a piece at the gallery
after you've watched them at work. |
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Western
Heritage Centre – Just north of town, this huge museum (almost 80,000 sq ft) shows the history
of cattlemen, the first real European settlers in the Alberta foothills. |
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Cochrane
Ranch Provincial Historic Site – The Cochrane Ranch was once 190,000 acres, the first real cattle ranch in
the area. Today, the Historic Site is only a few acres, but kids can still
experience a lot of old west ranching through the interpretive programs
and events. Hike up to the bluff where you'll find cowboy artist Malcolm
Mackenzie's "Men Of Vision" bronze statue overlooking the Cochrane
Ranche. Take a picnic along and sit on the grassy slopes, or grab one of
the picnic tables. |
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Fun food – |
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This is cattleman country so beef and BBQ are
big. For a little variety, try buffalo and other "game" meats
such as elk. |
