Inside Our 2026 Canada Adventure Seeker Retreat in Central Alberta

A Weekend of Fishing, Small-Town Exploring, Family Fun and Central Alberta Adventures

What happens when a group of Canada Adventure Seekers get together for a summer retreat in Central Alberta?

Apparently, we fish, barbecue, paint rocks, send kids hunting for prizes, explore small towns, visit bakeries, walk trails, learn a little Canadian history, eat dinner inside a century-old saloon, get caught in an Alberta hailstorm and somehow still manage to fit in some time to relax.

Our 2026 Canada Adventure Seeker Retreat brought us together at Bearberry Cabins near Sundre, Alberta, with adventures stretching throughout Mountain View County, Clearwater County and up to the Rocky Mountain House area.

It was a weekend built around exploring together, sharing experiences and discovering just how much there is to do in this part of Central Alberta.

A Home Base at Bearberry Cabins

Bearberry Cabins gave our group a home base between adventures while keeping us close to lakes, trails, small towns and historic attractions.

Some of our best moments were also some of the simplest.

Back at Bearberry Cabins, we gathered for a group BBQ, relaxed around the campfire and had time to actually visit rather than rushing from one attraction to another. With Canada Adventure Seekers travelling in from as far as Ontario and British Columbia, Bearberry Cabins turned out to be the perfect place for everyone to meet, settle in and call home for the weekend.

For the younger Adventure Seekers, we had a nature themed scavenger hunt complete with prizes. Rock painting added another fun activity around the campfire. Those quieter moments helped balance out a weekend filled with exploring.

A Day Trip to Rocky Mountain House

The next day, we loaded up the vehicles and made the drive to the small town of Rocky Mountain House for a day of exploring.

Our stops included Mountain House Bakery & Cake Art, Copper Creek Café & Mercantile, some local thrift shopping, Rival Trade Brewing and more. Downtown Rocky Mountain House made an easy place to wander between stops, grab something to eat or drink and discover a few local businesses along the way.

Of course, Alberta decided to contribute some excitement of its own.

On our drive back toward Bearberry Cabins, we travelled through an intense hailstorm near Burnstick Lake. A good reminder that even an August road trip through Central Alberta can come with some dramatic weather. It was an added bit of adventure to an already fun filled day.

Exploring Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site

Another stop on our Clearwater County day trip, and a highlight of the retreat, was our visit to Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site.

This Parks Canada site shares the stories of the fur trade, Indigenous peoples and historic transportation routes that helped shape this part of Western Canada.

Our group explored the interpretive displays, hiked the trails, learned about York boats and watched a blacksmith at work.
The children who stayed for the demonstration were even given freshly forged nails to take home. A simple little souvenir, wrapped in experience, that became one of those memorable travel moments you can't buy in a gift shop.

We also found geocaches, a playground, a puppet show, and a penny press machine while exploring the site. Oh, can't forget to mention the Parks Canada Red Chairs, as well as the bison!

It was history, but it was hands-on and educational enough to keep all of our Adventure Seekers interested along the way.

Fishing at Burnstick Lake Near Sundre Alberta

Meanwhile, one evening, a small group of us headed to nearby Burnstick Lake for a little fishing. Although for one Adventure Seeker, it was going to be a completely new experience.

Burnstick Lake is home to northern pike, walleye and yellow perch, with fishing open from May 15 through March 31 under the current 2026 Alberta fishing regulations. The recreation area also has a sandy public beach, boat launch and fishing dock, making it an easy place to spend some time on the water or along the shoreline.

We were targeting northern pike that evening. Adventure Seeker Kim had travelled from British Columbia for the retreat and had never been fishing before. She wanted to give it a try, so naturally we were hoping she would get the chance to experience the excitement of actually hooking into something.

And she did.

For her first fish ever, Kim found herself fighting a northern pike!

If you've never had a pike on the end of your line, they can put up a surprisingly good fight, something Kim discovered very quickly. She couldn't believe how strong it was as she worked to bring it in.
By the end of the experience, she announced that she was "hooked" on fishing now.

I'd say that's a successful first fishing trip.

The evening itself wasn't exactly blue skies and sunshine either. A short storm and then some light rain moved through at times while we fished or took shelter. But eventually the clouds helped create a beautiful sunset over Burnstick Lake. Then came one of those sounds that belongs to a Canadian lake.

Loons calling across the water.

A little rain, fishing rods in hand, a beautiful Alberta sunset, loons in the distance and someone catching her very first fish. Those are some of the Adventure Seeker moments I love.

Group Dinner at the Bearberry Saloon

One of the most memorable group outings was also right in the small community of Bearberry, Alberta. Later, we headed to the Bearberry Saloon for dinner together. And it is worth mentioning that this isn't your average restaurant stop.

The historic saloon is more than 100 years old, and one of its most entertaining traditions is that visitors can leave their names on the walls. Naturally, that became an absolute highlight for Adventure Seekers of all ages. There is something undeniably fun about being allowed to write on the wall, especially when you're a kid and normally spend your life being told the exact opposite.

Minors are welcome in the saloon until 8 p.m., making an early group dinner possible for families travelling with children. Right beside the saloon, the Bearberry Community Hall also has a large playground, giving the kids another place to burn off some energy.

Between the history, the signed walls, good food, dinner together and the playground next door, it turned into much more than simply stopping somewhere for a meal.

Exploring Sundre in Our Own Ways

The central Alberta town of Sundre gave our group several different ways to explore.

At one point, we divided into smaller groups depending on what everyone felt like doing and their timelines. Some visited local bakeries, others headed out for trail walks, some stopped at the Sundre Visitor Information Centre to learn more about the area and introduce themselves. Scenic road trips up the Red Deer River were another highlight. 

We could experience different pieces of Sundre and still come back together to swap stories about what everyone found.

For a group with different ages and interests, that little bit of flexibility worked perfectly alongside all of the activities we shared together. 

One Retreat, Plenty of Adventures

Our 2026 retreat around Mountain View County and Clearwater County wasn't about racing through a packed itinerary.

It was about bringing Canada Adventure Seekers together, sharing some great experiences and leaving enough room to enjoy the places we were visiting.

We fished.

We explored trails, small towns, and wildlife.

We visited bakeries,  backroads, and historic sites.

The kids hunted for fun things in nature for prizes, painted rocks, signed the walls of a century-old saloon and collected a hand-forged nail from a blacksmith.

We gathered for a BBQ, sat down for dinner together and spent plenty of time simply enjoying the company around a campfire at Bearberry Cabins.

Every activity added something a little different to the weekend.

Why Central Alberta Works for a Group Adventure

The Sundre, Bearberry and Rocky Mountain House region offers an impressive amount of variety without requiring hours of driving between every activity.

Within the surrounding area, travellers can find lakes, fishing, hiking and walking trails, small-town shops, bakeries, historic sites, wild horses, scenic drives and unique rural stops such as the Bearberry Saloon.

For a group where everyone has slightly different interests, that matters.

You don't have to choose between an outdoor weekend, a family getaway, a small-town road trip or a history-focused adventure.

Around Central Alberta, you can mix a little bit of all of them.

This Won’t Be Our Last Adventure Seeker Retreat

Our 2026 Canada Adventure Seeker Retreat may be over, but it definitely won't be our last.

FAQ

Where was the 2026 Canada Adventure Seeker Retreat held?

Our main home base was Bearberry Cabins near Sundre in Central Alberta.

What did the Canada Adventure Seekers do during the retreat?

Our retreat included fishing at Burnstick Lake, a group BBQ, a kids scavenger hunt, rock painting, exploring Sundre, bakery visits, trail walks, a group dinner at the Bearberry Saloon, a Rocky Mountain House day trip and a visit to Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site plus more as seekers traveled to the destination. 

Is the Bearberry Saloon family-friendly?

Minors are allowed inside until 8 p.m., making an earlier dinner possible for families. A large playground is also located beside the saloon at the Bearberry Community Hall.

What can families do around Sundre and Bearberry?

Families can explore local trails, lakes, small businesses and attractions around Sundre and the surrounding countryside. Bearberry also provides access to rural experiences, fishing areas and unique local stops.

What can you do near Rocky Mountain House?

Visitors can explore downtown Rocky Mountain House, local cafés and bakeries, nearby lakes and outdoor recreation areas, as well as Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site.

Is Central Alberta good for a group getaway?

For our Canada Adventure Seeker Retreat, it worked extremely well. Having Bearberry Cabins as a central meeting point allowed us to enjoy plenty of experiences together while still having enough flexibility for different interests and ages.