Offbeat Southern Alberta

Gopher Hole Museum

Strange but true, Torrington is the home to the infamous Gopher Hole Museum. This attraction features stuffed gophers (Richardson ground squirrels) posed in a series of 47 anthropomorphic scenes, from a hair dresser to a preacher to an RCMP officer. This really is a must-see! Admission by donation and are a cash only facility.

Drumheller’s Little Church

Drumheller’s Little Church, seating 10,000 people – 6 at a time. The Little Church is a free site to visit just outside of the Town of Drumheller. It is owned and managed by the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce. This church was first erected by local contractor Trygve Seland, in cooperation with the Ministerial Association in 1958 and was reconstructed by inmates of the Drumheller Institution in 1991. It was designed as a place of worship and meditation and not just a tourist attraction.

Last Chance Saloon

Dave Arsenault owns and operates the hotel in the tiny community of Wayne, a place that we heard referred to as an almost ghost town. The historic Last Chance Saloon has welcomed visitors from all over the world for over a century. This Canadian Badlands institution is famous for its barbecued Alberta beef strip loin steak that you get to grill yourself. Enjoy your meal al fresco at one of the picnic tables outside, or sit indoors and listen to your favorite music on the vintage jukebox. It looks like something that belongs in a wild west movie.

Hoodoos and Hoodoo Trail

Hoodoos take millions of years to form and stand 5 to 7 meters tall. Each hoodoo is a sandstone pillar resting on a thick base of shale that is capped by a large stone. Hoodoos are very fragile and can erode completely if their capstone is dislodged. The protected Hoodoos site is a guaranteed spot to see Hoodoos but smaller versions of these sandstone giants can be found all over the Badlands. The Hoodoos make a great stop on the way to the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site in East Coulee.

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre

The Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, in southern Alberta’s spectacular Crowsnest Pass, overlooks Canada’s deadliest rockslide. See and hear first-hand what happened the night Turtle Mountain fell. Enjoy gripping accounts and interactive displays.

Charmed Resorts

Charmed Resorts is a passion project coming to life for them at Charmed Playhouses. After building custom, luxury playhouses for 5 years, they decided to make it possible for all families to experience the magic of their themed playhouses while enjoying the incomparable experience of camping. Their first rentable, themed cottage opened in the summer of 2020 to high demand and stellar reviews. Each cottage at the resort has its own theme. There’s a cottage inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a Rapunzel cottage, and two Elven cottages.

Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park

Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is located 62 miles southeast of Lethbridge. The park was listed Writing-on-Stone/Áísínai´pi a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2019 and protects the largest collection of rock art on the North American plains. Áísínai´pi is Blackfoot and translates to “it is pictured/written”. The park also has historical connections to the North West Mounted Police and the early settlers.