Bragg Creek
Bragg Creek is a rural hamlet nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, southwest of Calgary. It lies on the edge of Kananaskis Country, at the entrance to the Elbow River Valley. The town and its quiet, tree-lined streets are a far cry from the hustle and bustle of nearby Canmore and Banff, providing an ideal retreat to kick back and do some golfing, dining, and relaxing in one of the mountains’ true gems.
Bragg Creek is around 40 km from the southwest corner of Calgary and can be reached by driving along Highway 22X from the south side of Calgary or south along Highway 22 from the north or west side of Calgary. From Banff or Canmore, head east on the Trans-Canada Highway for around one hour to Highway 22, then south for 20 km to reach the hamlet.
Click here to read about our favourite Bragg Creek restaurants.
Bragg Creek Shopping Centre.
Bragg Creek History
The Stoney Trail, a trading route that passed through the area, had been in use for generations when the first white people arrived in the early 1880s. The first settlers were farmers, followed by Calgarians who built vacation homes in town. Today many of Bragg Creek’s 1,000 residents commute daily to nearby Calgary. The ideal location and quiet lifestyle have attracted artists and artisans. The town claims to have more painters, potters, sculptors, and weavers than any other similarly-sized town in Alberta.
Things To Do in Bragg Creek
Arriving along Highway 22 from either the north or south, you’ll be greeted upon arrival in Bragg Creek by a slightly confusing intersection with a treed triangle of land in the middle. Take the option along the north (right) side of the distinctive polished-log Bragg Creek Trading Post II to access the main shopping centre, a Western-themed collection of basic town services interspersed with specialty shops and cafés. Back at the main intersection, BRANDED VISUALS (1 White Ave., 403/949-3000) is one of the Canadian Rockies’ finest galleries, with stunning wildlife photography in print, puzzle, and book form.
White Avenue, also known as HERITAGE MILE and originally the main commercial strip, has more of the same and leads through an appealing forested residential area. This road continues southwest to 122-hectare (300-acre) BRAGG CREEK PROVINCIAL PARK, a day-use area alongside the Elbow River where the effects of major flooding in 2013 can still be seen. With a basket of goodies from one of Bragg Creek’s many food outlets, leave the main parking lot behind to enjoy lunch on a riverside picnic table.
WINTERGREEN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (403/949-3333), six km north of town on the west side of the Elbow River, is an immaculately manicured golf course with water hazards on 14 of the 18 holes.