Alberta Prairie Railway
A real steam train excursion — board right from the resort’s own boardwalk, with on-site loading and unloading. Everything about riding the train from here →
The Local's Guide
Things to Do in Stettler, Alberta
The Heart of Alberta earns the name — steam trains, a big warm lake, walkable downtown, and prairie skies that do the evening entertainment for free.
The Icons
Start With These
Buffalo Lake · 25 min
One of central Alberta's warmest big lakes — swimming, boating, and beach days at Rochon Sands. Grab a paddleboard from our rentals on your way.
Downtown Stettler
A genuinely walkable main street — coffee, restaurants, shops, and the West Stettler Park ponds — minutes from your site on foot.
Golf
Stettler Golf & Country Club in town and Pheasantback close by — bring the clubs.
Big Valley & the Badlands Edge
Historic Big Valley (the steam train's destination) is 30 minutes south; keep going for Drumheller's dinosaur country as a day trip.
Local Farms & Orchards
Seasonal U-picks, markets, and farm stands dot the county — ask the office what's ripe this week.
Day Trips Worth the Tank
Donalda’s world-largest oil lamp and the Willow Canyon badlands (25 min), Big Valley’s Jimmy Jock Boardwalk and 1912 station, canoeing at Big Knife Provincial Park, and DNA Gardens’ U-pick orchard and estate winery (40 min).
Eat & Sip Local
Stettler Brewing Company & Fireside Winery for local pints, breakfast at The Coffee Tree, the famous Cream Johns at Bloke’s Bakery, Sweet Home’s specialty coffees, and The Fresh Wife’s handmade skincare — all a short stroll or drive from your site.
Time Your Visit
Free live music at Entertainment in the Park all summer, Taste of the Heartland farm dinners, October’s Pheasant Festival and the museum’s Booseum haunted house, and Polar Express™ train season each December.
Staying with us? Everything above pairs with a sauna-and-cold-plunge finish — book a private spa hour.
Make a Weekend of It
Your Base Camp
RV and tent sites, four themed cabins, RV glamping, and — from Winter 2026 — the Prairie Haven glamping village. All walking distance to downtown.
Good to Know
Stettler Questions
What is Stettler known for?
The Alberta Prairie Railway steam train excursions, Buffalo Lake 25 minutes away, and a genuinely walkable small-town main street in the 'Heart of Alberta.'
Can you see the steam train from Prairie Junction?
Yes — the Alberta Prairie Railway runs right by the resort, and catching it steam past your campsite is a guest favourite.
How far is Buffalo Lake from Prairie Junction?
About 25 minutes by car — an easy beach day, and paddleboard rentals are available at the resort.