Calgary Stampede ranch vacations are the ideal way to see The Calgary Stampede, which is this year celebrating its Centennial celebration - making July 2012 a great time to plan a Canada ranch vacation. The 10-day rodeo, exhibition and festival held each year in Calgary, Alberta, is one of the world’s largest rodeos and attracts over one million visitors every year.
![]()
Photo courtesy of Siwash Lake Ranch
So why not head to "Stampede City” on July 6-15 during your dude ranch vacation to see what’s hailed as “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”? The 2012 Calgary Stampede is set to be the best yet – experience the thrill of the rodeo, the thundering power of the GMC Rangeland Derby, the nightly spectacle of the TransAlta Grandstand Show, and much more.
Whether you choose to fly or drive, Top50’s Canada guest ranches are all ideally located for the Calgary Stampede...
After experiencing the thrill of the Canada rodeo, take a full day’s drive to Siwash Lake Ranch in BC, breaking up the journey with a stop at the gorgeous Rocky Mountains before travelling through the spectacular Kamloops. If you’re keen to get there sooner, why not take a two-hour helicopter trip to the ranch, stopping for a picnic on Mount Robson en-route? The Calgary Stampede ties in perfectly with Siwash Lake’s summer packages, whether you opt for Horse Power - aimed at novice to intermediate riders wanting to focus natural western horsemanship - the Siwash Summer Getaway that would appeal to families looking for a multi-adventure stay in authentic wilderness, or the Range-Rider special – ideal for intermediate to advanced riders looking for cattle work and the freedom to ride on their own without a guide.
Or take a dude ranch vacation at Three Bars Ranch, which is the closest BC ranch to Calgary at just a 4-hour drive. With the journey taking you through Banff and Lake Louise, the trip is a beautiful one. If you’d rather fly than drive, you can always opt for a flight to or from Cranbrook to Calgary, which run daily.
Tip: Get Chuck Wagon tickets – in Three Bars’ opinion, the best part of the Calgary Stampede!
Let the Calgary Stampede inspire you for a dude ranch vacation at Free Rein Ranch in BC, which is perfectly located for flights into Calgary from the local Kamloops airport – the ranch even runs transfers to make your trip even easier. With flights with Air Canada and Jazz priced from just $85 Canadian, it’s a quick, easy and cheap alternative to the 8-hour drive to Calgary.
Canada guest ranch Echo Valley Ranch and Spa, in BC, also has great flight options for a luxury dude ranch vacation to tie in with the Calgary Stampede. Flights with WestJet Airlines between Calgary and Kamloops run daily and take just 1 hour, ideal whether you rent a car to get to the airport or take advantage of Echo Valley’s 2-hour transfer service.
Alternatively, take a road trip from Vancouver to Calgary and stop off at Echo Valley for a dude ranch vacation along the way. The ranch is a one-day drive from Vancouver with a trip through the Canadian Rockies en-route, or 10 hours from Calgary. Or why not take a scenic train ride with the Echo Valley Ranch by Rail package? The special package combines a dude ranch vacation with the Rocky Mountaineer train from Vancouver to Banff – Banff being ideally located for the Calgary Stampede.
Tip: Keep your diary free for a dude ranch vacation to Echo Valley in 2013, with special tours in the works for next year’s Calgary Stampede!
Tod Mountain Ranch in BC is another popular ranch for guests wishing to visit the Calgary Stampede as part of a western Canada road trip. Located halfway along the route between Calgary and Vancouver, with Banff and Jasper popular stops between Calgary and the ranch (total 7 hours drive), Tod Mountain is located just 4 hours from Vancouver – a perfect mid-way ranch vacation between the two popular Canada destinations.
For more information and to book Canada ranch vacations for the Calgary Stampede, visit Top50Ranches.com