Calgary Round Trip: Wild West and Dinosaurs

Set aside a few days to explore Calgary with an RV rental before you head out on your journey into the past. Note: Motorhome Republic will also be helpful for your needs in campervan rentals in Montreal, in Hamilton, and other top destinations all over Canada. If you can, try to time your trip so it coincides with the Calgary Stampede - this is one of the biggest events in the nation, and has a little something for everyone, no matter your age or stage. After you leave the city, First Nations culture and ancient dinosaur fossils await!

The Cultural District
Calgary’s "post card to the world" in the heart of the city is home to dozens of arts and culture hotspots like galleries, museums, theatres, concert halls and outdoor festival space, plus excellent shopping, dining and nightlife, all within a few city blocks.

Glenbow Museum
View over 31,000 works of art including an Asian gallery showcasing Buddhist and Hindu sculptures and the award-winning Blackfoot First Nations Aboriginal gallery. Check out diverse temporary exhibitions from other leading galleries.

Calgary Stampede
Billed the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”, North America's premier rodeo and western festival is a rollicking time when residents don cowboy hats, boots and western wear. Pancake breakfasts are served in city streets from chuckwagons.

Canada Olympic Park - WinSport Canada
Site of several 1988 Olympic Winter Games events, this is an athlete training centre where you can ski, snowboard and bobsleigh in winter. In summer, hit the slopes of this urban playground on a rented mountain bike, or soar from the top of Canada Olympic Park’s ski jump tower on North America’s fastest zipline.

Heritage Park Historical Village
Discover “How the West was Once” at Canada’s largest living history museum. Play on an antique midway, ride an authentic steam train and visit a working blacksmith shop and one room schoolhouse. Guides costumed as pioneers bring the history of the old west to life.

Two-steppin’ Calgary-style
Ride a mechanical bull and order a plate of rib-stickin’ ribs at the Ranchman’s Cookhouse and Dancehall then learn to line dance or start two-steppin’ at free drop-in dance lessons every Friday. From the stomping good times of Wild West-flavoured Calgary, drive into the arid Badlands to explore dinosaur country. Get a feel for pioneer and First Nations’ life in the early days of the province before heading south into the scenic southern reaches of the Rocky Mountains.
 
Royal Tyrrell Museum
Canada’s only museum dedicated exclusively to palaeontology has one of the world’s largest dinosaur displays. Meet scientists and discover how they dig up mysteries from the past and prepare specimens for research and display. Learn how to make your own fossil replica.

The Canadian Badlands Passion Play
Be transported back 2000 years by actors in a dramatic portrayal of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in a natural bowl
amphitheatre every July.

The Hoodoos
Eerie sandstone pillars resting on a thick base of shale capped by a large stone, Hoodoos take millions of years to form and stand 15-23 ft (5 to 7 m) tall. Found across the arid Badlands region, they are fragile; the Blackfoot and Cree believed they were petrified giants who come alive at night to hurl rocks at intruders.

Rose Bud Theatre
In the hamlet of Rosebud, a professional rural theatre company composed of resident actors, student apprentices, and visiting artists performs in the Opera House after the audience enjoys a gourmet meal and live music in the historic Mercantile Dining Room.

World's Largest Dinosaur
Climb an 86 ft (26 m) Tyrannosaurus Rex statue and admire the badlands from inside her gaping jaws.
 
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park
Return to a time when millions of prairie buffalo roamed the land of the Blackfoot First Nation. Join local interpreters on a tour of local historic sites and learn about medicine wheels, tipi rings, buffalo jumps, and nearby pictographs. Then stay overnight at the on-site Tipi Village.
 
Dinosaur Provincial Park
Stroll the badlands and see dinosaur bones strewn on a landscape that is one of the most important fossil beds on earth, the source of more than 35 dinosaur species from 75 million years ago. Drop in at the visitor centre open from May to October in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, then hit the walking trails or take a bus or hiking tour of a dramatic arid landscape.

This leg of your journey will give you a taste of what life was like back in Alberta's wild west days - from an old whiskey trading post to the site of an aboriginal hunting ground, this is a fantastic chance to jump boots and all into the state's colorful past.

Medicine Hat Clay Industries National Historic District
In the early 1900s, local clay factories distributed stoneware and pottery as far away as Australia. Step inside a rare beehive kiln, peek into the old factory and see how pottery is made. An International Artists in Residence program hosts contemporary ceramic artists from around the world. 
 
Saamis Tepee
The world’s tallest tepee – 20 stories high - is built of steel as a tribute to local First Nations native culture and history. Beneath the tepee is the Saamis Archaeological Site where experts believe over 83 million artefacts are buried. Explore the site on a self-guided walking tour.

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
Rising up to 1,970 ft (600 m) above the surrounding prairie, the hills encompass provincial parks in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. Drop in at the visitors’ centre in Elkwater and explore Horseshoe Canyon and Reesor Lake viewpoints on 50 km of hiking trails. Go fishing, camping and watch for wildlife.
 
Fort Whoop-Up National Historic Site
An interpretive centre takes you back to the chaotic 1860 days of this notorious whiskey trading post. Learn about the legacy of the North West Mounted Police and the Aboriginal people, pioneers and colourful, rebellious folks with entrepreneurial spirit who shaped Western Canada.

Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump
Over 60 million buffalo roamed the Great Plains when Europeans arrived in North America. A UNESCO World Heritage Site for the world’s oldest, largest and best preserved buffalo jump, this is where the Blackfoot people hunted buffalo for their survival by driving them over a cliff. Try tepee camping, catch a drumming and dance performance or learn beading.

While you could drive this leg of your trip in less than half a day, you'll want to spend at least several days - even as much as a week or more - exploring the incredible landscapes along the way. Waterton Lakes National Park in particular is worthy of extended exploration, and spending some time on a ranch before you head back to Calgary could well be the perfect way to round off this wild west inspired itinerary. 

Remington Carriage Museum
Over 240 horse-drawn carriages from the 19th and early 20th are on display. Visit the carriage factory, blacksmith shop and livery stable. Take part in the summer-long carriage ride program by booking a ride on a vintage or reproduced carriage. Drop in to see the museum’s herd of Clydesdales, Canadians and Quarter Horses.

Great Canadian Barn Dance
Kick up your heels at weekly Barn Dances on Saturday nights May through October. Enjoy a hearty western country-style dinner, a live musical stage show and free dance lessons in the dance hall.
 
Waterton Lakes National Park
Rugged, windswept mountains rise abruptly from prairie grassland in this cross-border park that adjoins Montana's Glacier National Park in the US to form the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Hike to alpine meadows in this UNESCO World Heritage site or take a two-hour boat tour down the Upper Waterton Lake, one of a chain of lakes.
 
The Prince of Wales Hotel
Built in the 1920s to lure American tourists north during the prohibition-era, the grand all-wood railway hotel is perched overlooking Upper Waterton Lake. Enjoy English High Tea in the impressive lobby with wall-to-ceiling windows and views across the park.
 
The Cowboy Trail
Nestled between the Rocky Mountains and the prairie in Alberta’s high ranching country, the historic Cowboy Trail along highway 22 is a corridor for western vacations and adventures. Stay at a guest ranch or working ranch, sign up for a horseback trail ride or pack trip, take in a rodeo, festival or powwow for a day.