Skip to main content

Disconnect to reconnect

Cochrane to Sundre: Where wellness, culture, and adventure meet

In the Cochrane to Sundre region, three major river systems carve through the rolling foothills and ranchlands north and west of Calgary. Within this historic corridor, travellers slow down and discover Indigenous traditions, luxury glamping, and farm-to-table flavours.

Enhancing soft adventure, river tourism, and premium accommodations here will tap into new opportunities for year-round discovery. This evolution honours the area’s rich history while building its potential to contribute to these communities’ vibrancy and longevity.

Explore the zone’s key projects

At a glance

Location: Western Alberta
Key communities: Cochrane, Sundre
Projected visitor spend: $588M by 2035*
GDP: $422M by 2035*
Jobs: 2,755 by 2035*

*With investment

Cochrane Tourism
Explore Sundre

Guests follow their guides on horseback on a grassy trail near a forest.

Resident sentiment toward tourism is high

83% of Cochrane to Sundre residents say that tourism is important to the local community.

Discover resident perspectives
Demand drivers

High demand for key activities

Highly engaged international travellers are already planning trips to Alberta—but Cochrane to Sundre needs more ​​wellness experiences, luxury accommodations, and culinary-driven tourism to fully meet that demand. These additions can anchor year-round itineraries and drive sustained tourism growth.

A guest steps out of a barrel sauna surrounded by boreal forest.
Health and Wellness
Friends enjoy dinner around a table together.
Culinary Farm to Table
Guests relax on the porch of a modern mini cabin in the boreal forest.
Luxury Glamping

Developing Alberta Tourism

Key Projects

Travel Alberta helps local tourism grow by facilitating the development of projects that will attract overnight visitors throughout the year. We work closely with local communities to remove barriers to development, provide business coaching to help operators grow and prosper, and invest to accelerate the development of four-season accommodations and experiences that will drive meaningful economic impact and job creation.

Georgina De Caigny, founder and owner of Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, poses with a pack of young wolfdogs.

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, Cochrane

New day use area, including a weather-sheltered stage and seating for educational programming. Visitors support rescue efforts by taking tours, including the chance to interact with the pack.

People relax on the porches outside their cabins in the forest.

Painted Warriors, Sundre

Fixed-roof cabins to expand the operating season and encourage overnight stays. Guests immerse themselves in Cree and Metis culture through land-based wilderness skills.

Guests sit outside a blue microcabin near a forested area.

Mahikan Trails, Sundre

Highlighting Indigenous culture, including a trappers’ cabin and a plexiglass trappers’ tent for night sky viewing. These year-round outdoor experiences offer guests a deep connection to ancestral land and Cree history.

Couple tasting mead wine at Fallentimber Meadery in Water Valley.

Fallentimber Meadery, Water Valley

Honey and distillery attraction with increased touring capacity, program offerings, and seasonality. Travellers can experience three generations of beekeeping heritage through interactive tours and mead tastings.

Why develop tourism

Investing in tourism helps make communities a better place to live, work, and visit.

Learn more

More revenues

Communities with strong visitor economies earn more municipal revenues per capita, which can be reinvested in the services and amenities that residents love.

Lower taxes

Residents pay lower residential property taxes in areas with strong visitor economies.

More jobs

More visitors create a steady customer base for local businesses, creating great jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Discover more about the Cochrane to Sundre TDZ

This 2023 report informs and identifies specific actions Travel Alberta, the Government of Alberta and the TDZ communities should take to support the design of a comprehensive Destination Development Plan.

Download the discovery report

Media highlights

People inspect antlers while sitting around a campfire with their tour guide.

AFAR: 4 Days in Alberta

The global publication highlights two female-led Indigenous businesses as must-visit stops for authentic cultural adventure along the Cowboy Trail.

See the itinerary
Couple playing the piano in front of the Old West-style Rockyview Hotel in Cochrane.

CochraneNow: A 10-year vision for economic vitality

Cochrane's new Economic Development Strategy prioritizes investment readiness and business expansion to drive sustainable, long-term regional growth.

Read more about the potential
A Cree/Iroquois traditional Guide leads guests in a medicine walk through a forest.

AFAR: Medicine walks showcase the healing power of nature

Mahikan Trails in Sundre offers visitors transformative Indigenous medicine walks through Alberta’s wild boreal forest.

Get inspired
Learn more about the area

Better together: Building Indigenous tourism through trust and collaboration

Two Indigenous sisters share the importance of partnerships to growing Indigenous tourism throughout Alberta and how this industry creates opportunities for the next generation.

Read more
Learn more about the area

Meet four small businesses that grew with support from Travel Alberta

Discover how four small businesses, from e-bike tours to glamping and craft brewing, thrived with Travel Alberta's support.

Read more
Kelsey's Caravan stand up paddle board river trips
Learn more about the area

Getting Albertans out on the water, one paddleboard at a time

As one of the only outfitters in Cochrane who offers guided paddle boarding trips, Kelsey Baldwin is on a mission to get Albertans out on the water.

Read more
Learn more about the area

The new buffalo: How Mahikan Trails shares Indigenous culture through tourism

For Brenda Holder and her staff, their primary goal is for those visitors to leave Mahikan Trails with a deeper connection to the land around them.

Read more

Connect with our Destination & Commercial Development Manager

Learn how Travel Alberta can support your success in the Cochrane to Sundre region.

Sheri Emberg

Sheri Emberg

West Country