Hiking and Mountain Biking There�s no shortage of places to hike or bike in Crowsnest Pass, that�s for sure. Hikes vary in level of difficulty, so you�ll want to check on these beforehand. Popular hiking and mountain scrambling destinations include, Turtle Mountain & Crowsnest Mountain, Window Mountain Lake, the old ghost town of Lille and the Miner's Path in Coleman. Be sure to bring your camera! If you prefer to peddle, there�s miles upon miles of backcountry trails and roads in the area, suited to mountain biking. For books, maps and info on hiking in Crowsnest Pass and surrounding area, visit Crockets Trading Company, located across the street from Crowsnest Angler & Fly Shop.
Frank Slide Interpretive Centre an absolute 'MUST SEE' place to go! Open year-round 10 am to 5 pm. (closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Day & Easter Sunday) Located at the site of Canada's Deadliest Rockslide, the newly-renovated Interpretive Center contains new exhibits and interactive displays. The rockslide occurred at 4:10 am on April 29, 1903, when in the pre-dawn hours, 82 million tonnes of limestone broke from the summit of Turtle Mountain and crashed into the valley below. The slide obliterated a portion of the sleeping town of Frank, claiming approximately 70 lives. Among the displays at the Centre, you�ll find replicas of the townsite�s buildings, as they appeared on the fateful morning when the mountain moved. If you�ve toured the Interpretive Centre before, but have not been back since the renos were completed, you owe it to yourself to pay a return visit. Bellevue Underground Mine Daily tours begin May 22 throughto Labour Day .... Put on a coal miner�s helmet and lamp, and take a guided underground tour of the Bellevue Mine. The coal mine opened in 1903 and operated until the early 1960s. Numerous coal-mining artifacts are on display at the site. Knowledgeable interpreters are also on hand to explain what it was like to be a miner and the intricacies of the �room-and-pillar� method of coal mining. This is the only underground mine tour in Alberta. To reach the mine, look for their sign next to the Old Dairy Ice Cream Shoppe on Main Street, Bellevue. Speaking of ice cream, be sure to stop at the Old Dairy for a cool, refreshing treat, once you�ve toured the mine. Crowsnest Museum ...Located in the old Coleman Elementary School, this museum is chock full of artifacts, of which more than 25,000 are on display at any given time. If you�re interested in the Crowsnest Pass, its people and its rich history, this it the place for you!
Spelunking (Cave Exploring) The highest concentration of caves in the Rockies lies within a 4 km. radius of Crowsnest Pass � the most well known caves are Gargantua, Cleft and Yorkshire Pot � the second longest and deepest in Canada. Cleft Cave is the cavern of choice - large room and ice crystals no technical climbing and minimal tight squeezing in Cleft. It can be explored in one to 1.5 hours. Most of the caves are located at high elevations about four hours hiking and 900m of elevation gain from the nearest road. Crowsnest Heritage Route This self-guided driving tour takes you through the five towns that make up the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass (Bellevue, Hillcrest, Frank, Blairmore and Coleman). A free brochure, available at numerous locations throughout the Pass, including our fly shop, contains detailed maps of each town. Locations of heritage sites and buildings, along with interesting historical descriptions, are included in the brochure. Directional signage along Hwy. 3 and within each community will help you to locate sites. Coleman Historic District part of the heritage route. Crowsnest Pass Art Gallery & Gift Shop Located along Hwy. 3 in the town of Frank, the CNP Art Gallery features new exhibits monthly. Open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm, and weekends and holidays from 1 to 4 pm. Tel: 403-562-2218 Rum Runner Days & the 17th Annual Thunder In The Valley� Fireworks DisplayJuly 14-17, 2010.... with the �ever amazing,� Thunder In The Valley� Fireworks on Saturday, July 16. The fireworks start at 11:00 pm., and the best place to view them is downtown Blairmore. If you have the opportunity to attend, you will be impressed - guaranteed! Organized by the Blairmore Fire Department, it�s the town�s highlight event of the summer. Other Rum Runner Days activities include a pancake breakfast, parade, co-ed slo-pitch tournament, golf tournament, Show & Shine, midway rides for the kids and various family events. Hillcrest Cemetery On June 19, 1914, an explosion at the Hillcrest Mine claimed the lives of 189 coal miners - the worst mining disaster in Canadian history. Most of the victims were buried in two mass graves at this cemetery. There�s a monument and interpretive panels present, honouring those who died in this tragedy. Coleman Historic District Leitch Collieries Historic Site ...Leitch Collieries was one of the largest and most ambitious coal mines in the early history of the Crowsnest Pass. Established in 1907, it was the only coal company in the Pass completely Canadian owned and operated. Its first entry into coal seams occurred at Byron Creek, south of the present site. The No. 2 mine was started in 1909, 1km northwest of the area known as Police Flats. Crowsnest Pass Golf Club � 18 hole ... absolutely FABULOUS views from every hole. A sheer pleasure to golf! Allison/Chinook LakeProvincial Recreation Area ... In the winter it has Excellent x-country ski trails! ... In the summer: The loop trail is a short 2 km stroll around the lake, starting at the parking area. A suggestion would be to travel counter-clockwise, for the best views (of Mount Tecumseh)(left). The big mountain to the NE is Crowsnest Mountain(right) , which you can just see the top half of. Alberta SouthWest Travel Guide for detailed information on all venues in Alberta SouthWest.
PINCHER CREEK about 1/2 hour drive south, southeast from Crowsnest Pass Visitor Information � 403-627-5199 Attractions Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village Located in the heart of Pincher Creek, Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village has a wealth of wonders and conveniences to offer. The boardwalk features 16 heritage buildings spread over 6 acres of creekside property that one can experience up close, including 18,000+ artifacts from pioneer past. Open all year round. Tel: 403-627-3684 . Winter hours: Sept. 5th to May 18th: 10 AM - 4:30 PM Monday to Friday only . Summer Hours: May 19th to Sept. 4th: 10 AM - 6 PM Open 7 days a week.
MD PINCHER CREEK ( = the area around the town of Pincher Creek ) Attractions Heritage Acres & Crystal Village (Collection of miniature buildings made completely from telephone insulators by a local rancher.) .....Heritage Acres a working Agricultural Museum, which is operated by the Old Man River Antique Equipment and Threshing Club. The museum is situated on 180 acres of land, owned by the club. It is Northeast of Pincher Creek, off Highway 3, on secondary Highway 785. After turning onto Highway 785, it is approximately nine kilometers to the site (east of the Oldman River Dam.). Look for the Elevator to your right! The Museum is open seven days a week from about 9 am to 5 pm. Visitors are always welcome. Members may often be seen restoring machinery and buildings around the site.
Three Rivers Rock & Fossil Museum ...Located a short drive from the Town of Pincher Creek, the Three Rivers Rock & Fossil Museum is a private collection of more than 3,000 specimens. Items on display include fossils, petrified wood, rare rocks from around the world, shells and artifacts from the sea, jewellery and more. Call ahead for an appointemnt. Address: Highway 785 & 510 Pincher Creek AB Canada. Telephone 1 403 627-2206 Parks & Recreation Castle Falls ProvincialRecreation Area West of Pincher Creek on Hwy 507 to Hwy 774then south 16 kms, watch for the Park sign, turn west for 9 kms or Follow Hwy 3 west from Pincher Creek to Hwy 507 then south 16 km which turns into Hwy 774 south for another 16 kms, watch for the park sign indicating a west turn for 9 kms. Activities: Fishing, hiking, biking, river walking, day use area located by the falls for picnicking, swimming, and general lounging on a smoothed layered rock. Old Man River Dam Provincial Park & Recreation Area & Campgrounds Visual Info Website Beauvais Lake Provincial Park this is just 15 km off the hwy between Crowsnest Pass and Pincher Creek Lundbreck Fallsvery nice area to bring a picnic and explore ... only a 15 minute drive east from Crowsnest Pass! On the way to us from Calgary! Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jumpis Alberta's oldest continually operating theatre at 97 years of age. Since 1912, the Empress has been serving up an eclectic...Located 18 km north & west of Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada at a place where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains meet the great plains, one of the world's oldest, largest and best preserved buffalo jump's known to exist -- Head-Smashed-In. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, Head-Smashed-In has been used continuously by aboriginal peoples of the plains for more than 5,500 years. Definitely worth your time to stop in and spend a couple of hours here!
The Empress Theatre - Fort MacLeod. .... Nestled in Fort Macleod's historic main street, the Empress Theatre mix of movies, concerts, and live theatre to audiences from all over Southern Alberta. Check their Event Calendar for all the action!
Fort - Museum of the North West Mounted Police ....the most famous attraction in Fort Macleod, documents and explores the challenging early years of the NWMP, now known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). 'The Red Coats are Coming', a dramatic interpretation of early aboriginal and police culture. Running in May and June, this program is offered for both schools and the public. NWMP Musical Ride, one of the first riding demonstrations took place in Fort Macleod in 1876, the riding tradition lives on at the Museum, with daily shows from July 1 to Labour Day weekend, excluding Tuesdays. Visit the Giftshop for a variety of locally made handcrafted gifts. Contact: 1-866-273-6841 or 403-553-4703 Located at: 219 Jerry Potts Blvd. Fort MacLeod, Ab. Open: Early May to Thanksgiving weekend.