Crowsnest Pass & Frank Slide

Highlights

• The Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, overlooking the 1903 rockslide
• Bellevue Underground Mine tour (optional, seasonal)
• Crowsnest Mountain and the pass's mining-town history
• A full but manageable day south of Calgary

Itinerary

8:00 AM

Pickup & drive south

Your driver-guide picks you up at Calgary Airport (YYC) for the scenic drive south on Highway 22, tracing the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains through ranch land and rolling foothills. Watch the peaks grow closer as you approach Crowsnest Pass, a rugged mountain corridor straddling the Alberta-British Columbia border, long shaped by coal mining and dramatic geology. It's a picturesque morning drive, rich with mountain views, setting the stage for the region's remarkable and sobering history ahead.

Calgary Airport (YYC), AB

Crowsnest Pass, AB

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, AB

10:30 AM

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre

Arrive at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, perched above the boulder field left by Turtle Mountain's catastrophic 1903 rockslide, one of Canada's deadliest natural disasters. Inside, exhibits and multimedia displays recount the seconds when 82 million tonnes of limestone buried part of the town of Frank. Step outside onto the viewing platforms for a sweeping look across the slide's massive grey scar and the peaks beyond, a humbling and unforgettable landscape shaped by sudden, violent geologic force.

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, AB

Bellevue Underground Mine, AB

Calgary Airport (YYC), AB

12:30 PM

Bellevue Underground Mine

Grab lunch on your own nearby, then descend into the Bellevue Underground Mine on an optional guided tour, seasonal and subject to availability. Don a hard hat and follow former coal-mining tunnels deep into the mountainside, hearing firsthand accounts of the harsh conditions faced by early-twentieth-century miners who once worked this seam. The cool, dark passageways offer a striking contrast to the sunny pass outside and a tangible sense of the industry that built this Crowsnest Pass community.

Bellevue Underground Mine, AB

Crowsnest Pass, AB

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, AB

2:30 PM

Return drive

With the mountains still framing the horizon, begin the return drive north out of Crowsnest Pass toward Calgary. Retrace Highway 22 through the foothills, watching the rugged peaks gradually soften into open ranch land as the afternoon light shifts. It's a quieter, reflective stretch of the journey, time to look back over photos of the slide's boulder field and the mine's dark tunnels before the pass finally gives way to the wide Alberta prairie stretching ahead.

Crowsnest Pass, AB

Bellevue Underground Mine, AB

Calgary Airport (YYC), AB

5:30 PM

Arrive back

The day concludes with drop-off back at Calgary Airport (YYC) in the late afternoon, closing out a journey through some of southern Alberta's most dramatic mountain history. From the haunting boulder field at Frank Slide to the underground tunnels at Bellevue, it's a day that pairs striking Rocky Mountain scenery with sobering stories of disaster and hard labor. Your driver-guide will see you safely to the terminal as this memorable Crowsnest Pass excursion comes to its end.

Calgary Airport (YYC), AB

Crowsnest Pass, AB

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, AB

Route & Distances

1. Calgary Airport (YYC)→Crowsnest Pass≈ 245 km
2. Crowsnest Pass→Calgary Airport (YYC)≈ 245 km

Distances are approximate driving distances, for reference only — actual route and mileage on the day may vary.

Check Availability

What's Included

Own Expenses

Optional activities you can add on-site — not included in the tour price.

• Frank Slide Interpretive Centre admission≈ $12 CAD / person
• Bellevue Underground Mine tour≈ $20 CAD / person

  Seasonal — typically runs spring through fall.

Cancellation Policy

Good to Know

• Valid government-issued photo ID is required for every traveler on all departures.
• Pickup and drop-off times are approximate and may shift by 15–30 minutes depending on traffic and road conditions.
• Itinerary order and stops may change due to weather, road closures, or park conditions — safety comes first.
• Comfortable walking shoes are recommended; stops involve short, easy walks rather than technical hiking.
• Let us know about mobility needs, dietary restrictions, or large group sizes at the time of booking so we can plan accordingly.
• Multi-day tours are priced based on double-occupancy hotel rooms; single-traveler and triple-occupancy rates are available on request.

Frequently Asked Questions

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