2010 season
Guest Ranch opens April 1st, 2010. Book any July or August weekend now and save 10% on your reservation. Offer good to April 30th.
2
night minimum and booking of all 5 cabins. Discounts on multi-night stays.
GERMAN
ITALIANVacation Trip Planning Guide & Advice
Whether you are a first time visitor to a dude or guest ranch or a seasoned veteran, we would like to offer you some trip planning advice as you prepare to come and stay at our ranch on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies.
No matter where you are coming from, Red Deer River Ranches is an easy destination to find. For our provincial friends, the ranch is an easy 3 hour drive from Edmonton or 1.5 hours from Calgary on the Queen Elizabeth II highway, and it only takes 2 turns to get here. The roads are paved all the way and there is ample signage to ensure you end up at your destination.
The Town of Sundre Visitor Information Centre is located on the east side of Sundre at the bottom of the hill, so be sure to stop there and inquire about local activities and attractions. Plan on visiting the Chester Mojlness World Wildlife Museum and Pioneer Village, spend a weekend at the Sundre Pro Rodeo in June, splash around at the Red Deer River Festival or experience the Bulls and Wagons on the August long weekend, or maybe visit Pearson's Berry Farm and pick local produce yourself to make a delicious Saskatoon Pie in your cabin.
Allow yourself at least 1.5 hours to get here from the Calgary International Airport if you are flying from abroad. All well known rental car companies are situated in the arrivals section. During the summer and especially during the 10 days of the Calgary Stampede, you will want to have reserved your rental car well in advance. We can provide shuttle service from the airport as well if you would prefer someone else to drive you here.
As you are doing your trip planning you may want to peruse our local "Experience Sundre Vacation Guide" and we would be glad to send you one in the mail.
Normally, a 3-5 day stay at the ranch will allow you to experience different trails, perhaps take in a day of white water rafting, or maybe a day trip to other world renowned sites. Consider a drive to Drumheller to visit the Royal Tyrell Museum and Dinosaur Provincial Park. Venture down the Cowboy Trail to Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump or take the Trans-Canada Highway to Banff National Park. Perhaps you would like to motor down the Queen Elizabeth II Highway and spend the day at the Calgary Stampede and watch the cowboys and cowgirls vie for $1.75 million dollars in prize money at the rodeo or the chucwagon drivers compete for $1 million dollars in prize money at the Rangeland Derby. If you enjoy the natural beauty of Banff and our Canadian Rockies, you should plan a day of guided horseback riding or self-guided hiking in the Ya Ha Tinda which borders Banff National Park.
If you enjoy the pleasures of rural golf, and to that we mean beautiful courses, affordable green fees, and often not too many other golfers on the weekdays, then you should consider in your trip planning any of the five courses within a 1 hour drive from our dude ranch. Coyote Creek Golf and RV Resort, Forest Heights, and the Sundre Golf Club are all 18 hole courses within a 30 minute drive of your cabin at our guest ranch. Coyote Creek now boasts 18 championship holes with the remaining 9 holes under construction to be ready by '08 or '09. The Sundre Golf Club is just completing it's second major renovation in the last five years and, under new ownership, is wanting to be the nicest rural golf course in all Alberta. Forest Heights is a great country course with affordable green fees, wide fairways, and an unpretentious atmosphere.
Own your own horse and looking for a place for both you and your trusty steed to be put up for the night? Then Red Deer River Ranches is the place to stay. We have outdoor paddocks for your equine friend and thousands and thousands of acres of trails to explore throughout the Alberta Government Forest Reserve and Ya Ha Tinda Government of Canada Horse Ranch. We can provide you with maps and directions to assist in your trip planning or you can join up with one of our guides and guests to have some company to ride with and show you the way. Perhaps you would like to expose your horse to cattle? You can join the ranch management with your own horse as we move our cattle throughout 50,000 acres of summer and fall grazing.
If you are an avid outdoor enthusiast then we would like to provide you with the following trip advice; plan to stay with us for a mid-week summer's adventure and bring your own mountain bike, white water kayak, or hiking boots and explore a wild part of Alberta that most of your friends and neighbors don't even know about. Your experience here is like having your own private cabin without the hassle and expense of owning a vacation property but with the opportunities to enjoy God's creation as found in Banff and Canmore but without all the people and cost.