Welcome to the Bar U Ranch

Several weekends ago I hopped in my Jeep and headed south down my favourite Alberta highway, The Cowboy Trail, in search of the historic, sprawling Bar U Ranch. Located south and west of Calgary, The Bar U Ranch is the only National Historic Site in Canada that commemorates the history of ranching. Housed on 367 acres of rolling rangeland surrounded by the mighty Kananaskis Mountains, the Bar U is a must see for anyone who is interested in the history of ranching, farming or vividly and realistically unpacking early life on the prairies. As you can see from my snaps above, the ranch is a treasure trove of memorabilia from the 1880’s on through to the 1950’s. Parks Canada has done a wonderful job preserving and showcasing life on a working ranch, taking great care to provide patrons with a realistic experience. From the post office with its wanted poster for The Sundance Kid (!) to the cookhouse with dog-eared Zane Grey novels on to the blacksmith shop and horse barns, each element of the ranch is thoughtfully curated to help shape the story of the ranch’s rich, historic past.

Once encompassing 7 townships and over 157,000 acres at its peak, the Bar U was home to some of the West’s most hardy pioneers of the wide open range, from Fred Stimson and John Ware to George Lane, one of the originators of the first Calgary Stampede in 1912. The ranch expanded and contracted with the vagaries of economy and ranching trends over the years, once impressing Edward, Prince of Wales so much that he bought the neighbouring ranch, naming it E.P Ranch. I loved my tour of the ranch on that hot, breezy Sunday! With the succulent scent of wild clover wafting across the range, I was in my element as a farmer’s daughter. I witnessed many artifacts that reminded me of our old farm back home, such as the seed drill, thresher and binder twine you see above and really wished I had my Dad with me. He would have enjoyed this thoughtfully curated stroll down memory lane!

If you are in Alberta this summer and get the chance to drive down the Cowboy Trail, please visit The Bar U. You will not be disappointed! You can learn more about the ranch here, and please also visit my website to see a few more snaps from my afternoon there.