Region : Seeker Bio
Exploring Sundre and Bearberry: What are Things to Do on an Alberta Weekend?
A Canada Adventure Seeker Retreat in West-Central Alberta
Exploring Bearberry, Sundre and Rocky Mountain House with the Canada Adventure Seekers
Exploring Sundre and Bearberry: Things to Do on an Alberta Weekend - I've visited Rocky Mountain House several times over the years. I've driven past Starlite Diner more times than I can count. And it had been years since I'd last spent any time in Sundre.
That changed on this trip.
Exploring Sundre and Bearberry on an Alberta weekend was the focus of this year's Canada Adventure Seeker retreat. We used Bearberry as our home base while exploring west-central Alberta, revisiting some places and discovering others along the way.
For years, the Canada Adventure Seekers have connected through EH Canada Travel, sharing stories, photos, ideas and adventures from across the country. The Adventure Seeker Club brings together Canadian travellers, bloggers and people who simply enjoy getting out and exploring. Some of us know each other well. Others we have mostly known through social media.
Our first retreat took us to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Cary Horning chose the destination and planned the weekend, sharing one of her favourite places in Canada with the group. I came away from that weekend with a much better appreciation for Moose Jaw and how much there is to see and do there.
This time, Cary's daughter Andrea took the lead and chose Bearberry, near Sundre. Andrea also wrote about the retreat for EH Canada Travel, so you can read her perspective on our 2026 Canada Adventure Seeker Retreat here.
What We Found Exploring Sundre and Bearberry on Our Alberta Weekend
The Canada Adventure Seeker retreats give us an opportunity to connect in person and get to know each other better.
We are all quite different, but we share a love of Canada, travel and getting out to have adventures. Because of that, the retreats are as much about spending time together as they are about exploring the destination.
Bearberry Cabins made a good base for the weekend because there was plenty to do nearby. At the same time, the cabins gave us somewhere to cook meals, sit around together and relax between outings.
Before we even started exploring, though, there was a welcome waiting for us.
A Sundre Welcome for the Canada Adventure Seekers
The Town of Sundre's Economic Development office had prepared welcome swag bags and tourist information for us before the trip.
The Town had also shared information about our visit with local partners. When we arrived at the visitor information centre in Sundre Sunday morning, the staff had printed out EH Canada Travel's social media post announcing that the Adventure Seekers were coming to town.
It was fun to see that our visit had been noticed before we even arrived. The visitor centre staff also pointed us towards some of the places we could explore while we were in the area.
Then, with information about the area in hand, we headed out to explore.
Bearberry Cabins and Wild Horses in West-Central Alberta
Wild horses frequently graze in the fields around the cabins, and we saw them during our stay.
We shared the Kodiak Cabin with fellow Adventure Seekers Lisa Muldoon and Diana Johnson-Santos, along with honorary Seeker Jeff Santos. Kodiak is one of the larger cabins, with three bedrooms and room for six. It has a wood-burning stove, a fully stocked kitchen and a modern jet tub.
My favourite feature was the massive 10-by-24-foot deck overlooking the fields where the horses like to graze.
There were several activities we could have done around Bearberry, including horseback riding. Unfortunately, that was one adventure that didn't work out this time, so we headed north instead.
Exploring Rocky Mountain House and Its Fur Trade History
Rocky Mountain House is about an hour north of Bearberry.
I've visited Rocky Mountain House several times over the years, usually for one very specific reason: the bakery and coffee shop. I've also spent time exploring David Thompson Country in winter, including some of the area's outdoor adventures. You can read about that winter trip here. This time, I finally visited the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site.
The Rocky Mountain National Historic Site sits along the North Saskatchewan River, an important route during Canada's fur trade. It includes the remains of four forts, trails and exhibits about the people who lived and worked here.
Andrea captured more of our visit in her Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site photo album, including the exhibits, trails, historic cemetery, York boat and blacksmith demonstration.
I already knew about the rivalry between the English Hudson's Bay Company and the French Northwest Company. What surprised me, though, was just how close their two posts were. The two companies established posts only a few hundred meters apart in 1799.
Standing among the remains, I started thinking that there must have been some good stories behind that rivalry.
I was right.
I went home and did some digging. The two companies used signals to let incoming traders know that their fort was open for business. The Northwest Company eventually memorized the Hudson's Bay Company's calls.
When Northwest Company traders saw a Hudson's Bay Company trading party approaching, they would use the Hudson's Bay Company's own signals. The traders would follow the familiar call, only to be diverted towards the Northwest Company's post instead.
There were other tricks, too, including fake trading parties designed to send the competition chasing after traders who weren't actually there.
It made me look at the remains differently. These weren't simply two old trading posts located close together. They were evidence of competing companies actively trying to outsmart each other.
The site also has a herd of Plains bison. Our Ontario Adventure Seekers were particularly excited about that. Plains bison aren't something they see in Ontario, so seeing the herd became one of the highlights of the visit.
The Canada Strong Pass also made this a particularly good year to visit. Admission to the national historic site was free during our visit.
Rival Trade Brewing in Rocky Mountain House
I couldn't help but laugh at the name.
Rival Trade was founded in 2020 and offers a range of craft beers, including some interesting flavours. We arrived on a rainy Saturday afternoon and the taproom quickly filled with locals talking and laughing.
There were some unusual choices, including hard pink lemonade, orange cream ale and key lime sour, along with more traditional IPAs, lagers and cervezas. Meanwhile, John Dough's pizza is made fresh on site.
After spending the afternoon at the historic site, drinking beer at a place called Rival Trade seemed like a pretty good way to end it.
A Thunderstorm Changes Our Burnstick Lake Plans
It exploded against the windshield and piled up on the car. Hail sprayed up behind us in huge rooster tails, like the wakes behind a boat. For a few minutes, it looked more like we were driving through a January blizzard than an Alberta summer storm.
Then, almost as quickly as it arrived, it was gone.
So much for Burnstick Lake.
Had the weather cooperated, we would have spent some time at the lake, which has a sandy beach and opportunities for fishing and water sports, along with camping, an ATV staging area, a playground and horseshoe pits.
Instead, we stayed at the cabin until dinner.
Dinner at Bearberry Saloon
It turned out to be a good place to be on a rainy evening. The covered deck gave our group plenty of room to eat dinner while staying dry and watching another storm roll through.
Inside, the walls are covered with wood shingles where visitors have written their names to mark their visit. The staff even keep Sharpies available for guests.
Our plans for a campfire were eventually washed out by the continuing rain.
So, we went back to our cabins and pulled out a deck of cards. We spent the rest of the evening playing games and visiting.
Exploring Sundre's Nature Boardwalk, Coffee Shops and Snake Hill
The visitor information centre had pointed us towards the Sundre Interpretive Nature Boardwalk, a one-kilometre boardwalk built by volunteers in 2024.
The trail begins near the visitor centre and winds through forest and along the river. Interpretive signs identify local plants and wildlife, and access ramps make the boardwalk easier for more people to use. During construction, the volunteers also managed to preserve the marsh habitat.
It was hot and humid that morning, so I appreciated having a way to get outside without committing to a major hike. The trees and river made it a pleasant way to spend some time outdoors.
From there, we headed into town for coffee at Backwoods Coffee Shop and Bakery on Centre Street.
The iced coffees and Mooccino's are made fresh, so they take a little time. On a hot morning, nobody complained about sitting around, visiting and waiting.
We also made a quick stop at Snake Hill Nature Recreation Area before continuing on.
Bergen Rocks International Sculpture Park
Admission was $5 per person, so it was an easy stop to add to the day. We wandered through the sculptures before getting back on the road.
Starlite Diner and Hawktail Brewery: Stops Along the Way
We drove south from Edmonton using the QEII and stopped in Bowden along the way.
Starlite Diner had been on my radar for years. We've driven past the old-school railcar diner many times but had never stopped. This time we did. The diner has a UFO theme, and even the menu gets into it. You can order a Crop Circle Salad, Alien Fingers or a Gazoo Burger.
On the way home, we took a different route through some of Alberta's backroads and stopped in Rimbey at Hawk Tail Brewery. We sat on the patio, sampled some of their craft beers and shared potato skins. It was a warm summer day and the brewery was busy. It felt like a place that had become part of the community rather than simply somewhere people went for a drink.
More Things to Do Around Bearberry and Sundre
- Horseback riding
- An ATV tour
- Fishing
- Rafting
- Mountain biking around Bearberry and Snake Hill
We had plenty to fill the weekend without trying to fit every possible activity into it.
The Canada Adventure Seeker Retreat Experience
Frequently Asked Questions About Bearberry and Sundre
Where is Bearberry, Alberta?
Bearberry is in west-central Alberta, near Sundre and the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. It is about 2 hours and 55 minutes from Edmonton and 1 hour and 50 minutes from Calgary by car.
What is there to do near Bearberry and Sundre?
There are plenty of outdoor activities in the area, including horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, rafting and ATVing. You can also visit the Sundre Interpretive Nature Boardwalk, Snake Hill Nature Recreation Area, Bergen Rocks International Sculpture Park and the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site.
Is Bearberry a good weekend getaway?
Bearberry worked well as our weekend base. The cabins gave us a comfortable place to stay and spend time together, while Sundre, Rocky Mountain House and other nearby communities gave us plenty of places to explore.
What is there to do in Rocky Mountain House?
The Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site includes the remains of four fur-trade forts, exhibits, trails and a herd of Plains bison. The town also has independent shops, restaurants and Rival Trade Brewing.
Exploring More of Alberta
Have you discovered somewhere in Alberta because you finally decided to stop instead of driving past? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
A weekend exploring Bearberry, Sundre and Rocky Mountain House, and discovering more of west-central Alberta along the way.
What We Found Exploring Sundre and Bearberry on an Alberta Weekend: a Canada Adventure Seeker retreat exploring west-central Alberta.
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