Sometimes the hustle and bustle of city life can leave you a little scatterbrained. Luckily, there are plenty of rural towns in Alberta that are ready and waiting to bring you back down to earth.
There’s nothing better than heading out on a rural Alberta road trip in the height of summer, when the canola crop is butter yellow and the sky a beautiful blue.
Here’s a roundup of our favourite small towns to check out in Southern Alberta. All of them are just a few hours drive outside of the city, making them the perfect rural getaway.
Nanton
Nanton is a well-known antiquing destination for Calgarians looking to score some prairie rarities. Just a one-hour drive from Calgary, this sleepy town of under 3,000 residents comes alive on the weekends when antique collectors hunt the town’s main streets in search of unique treasures.
Driving into town from Calgary, you’ll catch a glimpse of the town’s iconic grain elevators. Dating back to 1927 and 1929, these are the last of the original seven grain elevators that once dotted the community. A bid to preserve their heritage status in 2024 has helped sustain these aging structures, which serve as a tribute to the area’s rich agricultural heritage.
Start your day with a hot drink and a warm bite to eat at Georgie’s Cafe. This humble coffee shop has all the java and pastries you need for a pick-me-up after the drive out from the city.
A must-stop along this street is The Dressing Up Store, a second-hand clothing store with well-priced goods and a whole lot of cowboy-inspired western-wear. Next, take a left on 20 Street and head down the Highway 2 shopping strip. There you’ll find Lost Ark Antiques, Nostalgia Antiques and Mid Century Antiques, where you can spend the whole afternoon browsing prairie treasures. Finish the day with a visit to The Candy Store in Nanton. This old-fashioned candy and ice cream shop has plenty of niche favourites, creaky hardwood floors and rare antiques (they also buy antiques if you have a few you’re willing to part with!)
Drumheller
Desert-like hoodoos and cracked earth give this area a distinct Jurassic feel. The whimsical dinosaurs peppered throughout the town’s downtown core help, too!
Drumheller was just another of rural Alberta’s fading small towns up until a few years ago. The town has recently seen an influx of new residents, bringing with them a whole host of city-like amenities such as local breweries, vintage clothing and specialty food stores.
Drumheller has always been a well-known summer tourist destination, boasting the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Dinosaur Provincial Park and the World’s Largest Dinosaur. We also recommend checking out the Badlands Amphitheatre, which is Canada’s largest outdoor amphitheatre and plays host to a number of touring artists in a stunning and unique outdoor venue space. Drumheller’s vintage Napier Theatre has a classic small-town charm, playing popular movies in a retro theatre with velvety red seats and wood accents.
Blairmore
The drive out to Blairmore on a warm day in the height of summer offers sweeping vistas of Crowsnest Pass, abandoned farmhouses, cozy mining towns, and charming local shops.
Turn right and head west off of Highway 22’s Cowboy Trail. On the way into Blairmore, you’ll pass historic sites, such as the old mining town of Bellevue. The Bellevue Mine was opened here in 1905, and you can currently tour its dark depths on a guided tour that’ll take you 1,000 feet underground.
You’ll also pass through Frank Slide, another historic site with a bone-chilling history. In 1903, a massive rockslide buried part of the mining town of Frank in the wee hours of the morning. 110 million tonnes of limestone broke off the side of Turtle Mountain and hurtled its way towards the town. It is one of the largest landslides in Canadian history, and it remains one of the deadliest. 70-90 townsfolk were killed, many of whom are still buried, hidden under the rubble.
Blairmore is the next town in the Crowsnest Pass Municipality. There’s a charming heritage hotel and bar, an outdoor swimming pool, plus plenty of local trails to be hiked. We recommend taking a stroll up the main drag of Blairmore on 20th Avenue to pop your head into the local shops and cafes dotting the streets.
Big blue skies and Alberta’s highways are calling. Where will you head for your next rural Alberta road trip?
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Em Medland-Marchen
Em is a Staff Writer for Curiocity Calgary. They are passionate about live music, rose gardens, iced coffee, their dogs Bandit and Stanley, and walks along the Bow River.
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