Sundre: Nature Trails, River and Culture

The Red Deer River flows right through Sundre; the Snake Hill Recreation Area is at the north end of town. Here, active outdoor experiences meet cultural discoveries in town: you can choose from hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing on maintained nature trails, tobogganing on a maintained hill, as well as exhibitions and events. If the trails are the focus of your trip, the Recreation Area’s location at the north end is a useful point of reference for finding your way around Sundre.

Nature Trails and Outdoor Activities

The Snake Hill Recreation Area has more than 17 kilometres of maintained nature trails. They are intended for hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing. Their length and range of uses give you several ways to spend time outdoors: depending on your group’s interests, decide whether you’d like to explore the trails on foot, by bike or on cross-country skis. The information provided does not indicate a specific route or trail layout; the 17 kilometres refer to the nature trails throughout the Recreation Area.

The Recreation Area also has a hill maintained for tobogganing. This provides a separate attraction alongside the trails for a different kind of activity. If you want to accommodate different interests during your stay, you can think of hiking, cycling or cross-country skiing as ways to experience the trails, and tobogganing as another activity to focus on. The Red Deer River flows through Sundre.

Discover Wildlife and Local Culture

At the Sundre & District Museum, the Chester Mjolsness World of Wildlife Exhibit features more than 170 specimens from six continents. Its international scope makes the exhibit a distinct focus of a museum visit: you can concentrate on wildlife while discovering specimens from several continents. The Niels Eskesen Reception Gallery serves as the entrance to the museum’s other exhibits. It includes a small general store, public washrooms, a viewing gallery and the World of Wildlife exhibit.

Mahikan Trails Indigenous Experiences offers another perspective on nature and culture. In Sundre, the experience includes a walk with traditional First Nations knowledge keepers along a forested boardwalk. Unlike exploring nature trails on your own, this experience centres on walking with the knowledge keepers. If you’re interested in Indigenous perspectives and nature, this is a distinct activity to consider when planning your trip.

Pioneer Village is another cultural stop in Sundre. It covers four acres in the Riverside District. The Sundre Arts Development Centre hosts concerts every year. Those interested in culture can therefore choose among exhibitions, a walk with knowledge keepers and concerts, rather than focusing their stay exclusively on the nature trails.

Getting Around and Special Events

The Sundre Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Centre is on the east side of the bridge over the Red Deer River. There, you can get information about Sundre’s trail and park system.

During the winter festival on the Family Day weekend in February, the Sundre & District Museum hosts, among other things, wagon rides and historical demonstrations. If you’re interested in events like these, keep the date in mind when planning your trip. The annual concerts at the Arts Development Centre and the winter festival offer different cultural experiences; you can choose between them depending on whether you’d like to enjoy music or historical demonstrations.

If you’d like to explore other places from the same selection, find Priddis, Crossfield, Millarville, De Winton, Cremona, Calgary, Chestermere and Bragg Creek here.

For the broader travel overview: Division No. 6.