THANKSGIVING RANCH, ALBERTA, CANADA
Staying on a ranch is a great way to soak up one aspect of life in Alberta. Ranching has been a way of life in the province since the first European settlers arrived, and in many ways not much has changed.
Thanksgiving Ranch in the southwest of Alberta is a 3,400 acre cattle ranch with a luxury lodge that welcomes a small number of guests all year round. The track from the ranch entrance gate to the lodge is around 4km, so that starts to give you an idea of just how off the beaten track (and away from the bustle of modern life) you’ll find yourself.
As you’d expect the lodge has that traditional log cabin look and feel, but that doesn’t mean it is ‘basic’. Far from it. The spacious interior is elegantly decorated with a high vaulted ceiling and large wagon wheel chandeliers; there are a lot of stuffed animals, which won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it seems to be a common décor choice in many ranches. There is a natural stone fireplace, real wood furniture including a long dining table made from wood reclaimed from the flooding of the Panama Canal, and an impressive picture window allowing you to enjoy the even more impressive view of the mountains. The large open plan area provides a feeling of space and offers plenty of room to hang out with other guests or find a spot to enjoy your own company.
Help yourself to tea, coffee and cold drinks in the kitchen and leave your diet for another day as you’ll want to enjoy the fresh baked cookies and scones. Meals are included, cooked fresh, and they can cater for vegetarians. They also make their own sourdough bread, and fresh ice cream can be whipped up in a few hours ready to be plastered with home-made ‘fat ass caramel sauce’.
The ranch has been in the family over 45 years and its current keepers are Brad and Christi who have overseen the renovations of the lodge and the move into tourism as an additional income stream.
The Lodge is gorgeous and the suites luxuriously comfortable, but the real star of the show is the landscape. Rolling grassy hills, dotted with trees, give way to the rugged peaks of the Lewis Thrust mountains, a relatively young range that can be followed all the way to Yellowstone National Park. Pincher Creek winds its way through the land just below the lodge, the sound of its waters gurgling over the stony riverbed a constant, soothing backdrop. And if you visit in the June/July you will be rewarded with the sight of thousands of wildflowers from deepest blues to palest pinks, and rich yellows to bright whites.
Horse riding is an ideal way to see more of the ranch. Brad and Christi offer a 90-minute ride, suitable for beginners that takes you across the creek and up into the hills beyond. The scenery is spectacular with views of Frank Slide (Canada’s deadliest rockslide), Crowsnest Pass and the Rocky Mountain range filling the distance. All you can hear is the horse’s hooves, the birds, and the rustling of the leaves. It’s the perfect way to travel back in time and imagine yourself a pioneer discovering this land for the first time.
With 3,400 acres available to explore, you’ll want to fit in a hike or two. For an easy stroll, stay on the track and follow the creek, or for something a little more challenging head up into the hills and climb to the tops of the many ridges to enjoy the views; mountains to the west, flat plains to the east. And remember your camera as you’ll want to take a lot of pictures.
Then head back to the lodge to relax in the sauna or take a swim, and enjoy some home cooked food while watching hummingbirds visit the feeders.
This is a working ranch, with 1,400 head of cattle grazing here for about four months of the year (May to August). The cattle graze on a rotation system, moving from one field to another each day. In this way the grass is never over-grazed and is given time to recover before the end of the short growing season when the cattle are then moved to a giant feeding lot.
Depending on how long you plan to stay at Thanksgiving, you may want to explore the local area. I’d definitely suggest finding time to visit Waterton Lakes National Park with its jagged mountains rising above pale blue lakes. Hang out at the picturesque Prince of Wales hotel which is confusingly decorated in a Scottish theme with the staff in ‘kilts’, or hike the steep (but thankfully short) Bear’s Hump and enjoy the views over the lakes as chipmunks scamper close-by. The town of Pincher Creek is also near the ranch, as is the World Heritage Site Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump where you can learn about 6,000 years of Plains Buffalo culture.
However, if you choose to stay at the Thanksgiving Ranch Lodge and leave the sightseeing for another time, that wouldn’t be a bad choice. The ambience is relaxing, the furniture comfortable with plenty of places to sit inside in the warmth or outside in the sunshine (weather allowing), and the views are the type that you can look at all day. Plus, there is something rather wonderful about just sitting and looking, perhaps reading a book, or nodding off in a chair with nothing else pulling on your time. So, make the most of it. There really is no need to leave the ranch.
And when, sadly, your time comes to say goodbye, make sure you enjoy a leisurely breakfast of delicious home cooked waffles, drizzled in maple syrup and a mug of hot fresh coffee to set you up for the next part of your journey in the stunning landscape of Alberta.
FACT BOX
Thanksgiving Ranch – thanksgivingranch.ca
Waterton Lakes National Park – parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton
Travel Alberta – travelalberta.com
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump – headsmashedin.ca
Frank Slide – frankslide.ca
Pincher Creek – pinchercreek.ca
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chantal Cooke is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and co-founder of PASSION for the PLANET.
Chantal is passionate about tourism being used as a force for good.
You can follow her adventures on Facebook and X/Twitter @chantalcooke and on Instagram @Chantaldcooke