Alberta Adventure: Barrhead

Did you know that the original Klondike Trail – the shortest route to the Yukon during the Gold Rush – ran through central Alberta? Or that summiting a silage pile in a tractor is as much as a rush as climbing the chains up a cliff to reach an alpine lake? Neither did I until we went to Barrhead this summer. So much to learn and experience, so little time! When someone says, “Come to the farm for a visit,” don’t hesitate. It’s an Alberta adventure you won’t want to miss.

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On the Farm near Barrhead, Alberta

We gladly accepted our new in-laws – technically our daughter’s new in-laws – invitation to come for a visit to their family farm near Barrhead, Alberta. Jumping in with both feet we helped with construction of a chicken coop, admired the Galloways, wandered over to say hi to the “girls” – aka miniature donkeys named Freda and Louise – and harvested onions from the garden.

It was full-on harvest season during our short stay. We watched the contracted swather navigate the fields of oats and barley for hours, giving up and going to bed hours before she finished her task after midnight. In the morning the chopper and trucks arrived, and the real fun began. Load after load of chopped silage was dumped as the tractor piled and packed. And then someone suggested I should go for a ride in the tractor. It was enough to get the heart pumping! 

Now you might not have new in-laws living the farm life in Central Alberta, but that doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate farm life in the area. Every year, Alberta Open Farm Days provides the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at real working farms in the County of Barrhead There are similar events in other areas of the province as well. Start planning next year’s Central Alberta getaway now.

What and Where is Central Alberta?

Punch that question into Google and Wikipedia comes up with “Central Alberta is bordered by the Canadian Rockies in the west, Southern Alberta and the Calgary Region to the south, Saskatchewan to the east and Northern Alberta to the north.” Huh. Doesn’t give me much.

It goes on to talk about rivers and tourist attractions – from Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions to Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site to the Ukranian Cultural Heritage Village. The information also includes a list of national, provincial and municipal parks. Perhaps the most fun is the series of roadside attractions – from the giant mushrooms in Vilna to pumpkins in Smoky Lake, perogies in Glendon, Kielbasa in Mundare, and a large pysanka in Vegreville. Yes, Ukrainian heritage figures prominently!

But nowhere in this somewhat lengthy summary does it mention the historic Klondike Trail. It doesn’t talk about the true geographical center of Alberta. The summary doesn’t mention the only ferry currently operating in central Alberta. Ukrainian immigrants weren’t the only settlers in Central Alberta – what about the Dutch communities surrounding Barrhead? Many parks were mentioned, but Fort Assiniboine Sandhills Wildland Park was not included. Our Alberta adventure started with a farm visit, but it opened our eyes to an underappreciated part of the province.

The Geographical Center of Alberta

Did you know that the geographical center of Alberta is not Edmonton? Nope. In fact, it’s closer to Barrhead. Surveyor Roy Chimiuk calculated the exact spot and cut a path through the forest to the location. In 1993, a small cairn with a grizzly cub statue was set in place to mark the place. You can access it by following Highway 33 – a.k.a. Grizzly Trail – 10 km north of Fort Assiniboine to a roadside information kiosk. From here a five-kilometre hike leads to the site.

On an Alberta Adventure Heading to the Klondike

Heading to the Klondike… er… Klondyke Ferry, that is! In between the garden and crop harvests, we snuck away for a half-day tour of the countryside. During the late 1800s, the old Barrhead townsite was a frequent stopover along the Klondike Trail. The Klondike Trail was the shortest route to the Yukon during the gold rush. Highway 33 follows sections of the original trail. 

We drove through Barrhead – too early for the craft distillery tour – and up through Neerlandia. Along the way, we learned about the Dutch settlers who came to this part of Alberta in 1912, settlers like Rients de Jager, Jan Oldegber, Douwe Terpsma and Willem van Ark. The name “Neerlandia” references their home country, the Netherlands. We stopped in at the Neerlandia Co-op to pick up some treats for Freda and Louise – and ended up with some gluten-free bread, washers and bolts for chicken coop and a bottle of wine for dinner and almost ended up with a small, stainless steel barbeque for the trailer as well. This series of interconnected stores has Walmart Superstores beat – hands down!

The Klondyke Ferry 

Leaving Neerlandia, we wound our way along backroads to the Klondyke Ferry which crosses the Athabasca River near Vega. This cable crossing is one of only six remaining ferries left in Alberta. Adventure, it was!

We watched from our picnic spot at the Klondyke Ferry Park as a local farmer drove on with his tractor for the 230-metre wide crossing. Then, picnic packed up, it was our turn. Ken, the ferry operator, patiently answered our questions about the ferry and its use.

Fort Assiniboine Sandhills Wildland Park

Driving off the other side of the ferry crossing, we were soon in the Fort Assiniboine Sandhills Wildland Park on the north shore of the Athabasca River. Sandhill cranes nest in the fens dotting the dunes and jack pine forests, although we didn’t hear any of their distinctive chatter. During the right season, birders can also enjoy sightings of pileated woodpeckers, bay-breasted warblers, black-throated green warblers, magnolia warblers, Cape May warblers and great grey owls.  

There are two main trail staging areas in the park. We drove into the Central Staging Area to check out the variety of trails in the eastern portion of the park. The Klondike Trail Staging Area, in the southwest end of the park, provides access to a portion of the historic trail itself. 

A Little More History

After leaving the park, our last stop on this circle tour was the Fort Assiniboine National Historic Site. We love building connections to the past and national historic sites always give us those pathways. Fort Assiniboine was designated a national historic site in 1935. The Hudson’s Company built the fort after its merger with the North West Company in 1823. It was an important link in the trade route connecting the Saskatchewan and Athabasca river systems. The fort closed in 1877. There are no known above ground remains of the fort. Who knows, maybe one day an archaeological survey will discover more of the story from what lies below the surface.

It’d be good to come back and paddle this section of the Athabasca in the wake of the fur traders. We need to hike that trail into the geographical center of Alberta and wander the Klondike Trail. And we must toast the past, present and future of this overlooked part of the province with a cocktail or two from the locally owned and operated West of the 5th.

I guess we’ve just invited ourselves for another visit 😉

When You Go on Your Own Alberta Adventure

The Klondike Ferry is about a 42-km drive (40 minutes) from Barrhead. The ferry runs seasonally from April to October. Camping with both serviced and unserviced sites is available at Thunder Lake Provincial Park, 18 km west of Barrhead.

Looking for more Alberta adventures? Check out Discovering Alberta’s Grande Cache!