When Indigenous and wellness tourism meet: Reconnecting with the land at The Woods Experience

Indigenous tourism operators are forging a new path in the wellness tourism industry, sharing their cultures with travellers who wish to reconnect with the land while nurturing their mental and physical health.  

The Woods Experience, approximately 1.5 hours by car from Edmonton, offers a year-round wellness experience where visitors can immerse themselves in Indigenous culture. Surrounded by 80 acres of northern boreal forest, The Woods Experience brings wilderness, community, and culture together.

This wellness space is owned and operated by Kendra, Wendy, Jesse and Gary. Together, they offer unique Indigenous cabin and tipi accommodations, cultural teachings, and a wide range of outdoor experiences including wilderness spa packages, the Native Wild Trading Post, and a variety of workshops and events.

Trapline Tours Experience

In their new Trapline Tours experience, guests accompany hunter/trapper guides in search of game and fur. They learn basic skills essential to survival in the wild, grounded in an appreciation for the land and traditional Indigenous hunting practices. 

Travel Alberta invested to build an all-season trapper facility to host the fur preparation portions of the Trapline Tours. As trapping season falls during the winter months, this facility acts as a classroom space and storage area for all necessary traps, tools, and supplies to offer this hands-on experience. The investment also helped purchase the necessary tools for the experience, including skinning tripods, knives, sharpeners, boiling pots, snowshoes, trappers’ sleds, and game cameras.

Authentic, Indigenous owned-and-operated experiences like this are a key trip driver for international travellers and a primary focus of Travel Alberta’s destination development strategy. To learn more about how we’re supporting Indigenous tourism, click here.