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Things to do in Hinton
Hinton is one of the most beautiful cities you can visit in the Alberta region of Peace Country. This place is known for its remarkable ranches, cradled amidst the Rockies. When here, you can embark upon many exciting adventures where you can camp along the lakeside and watch the country sky. Or, you can visit its unique museums that will tell you about the region’s rich indigenous history.
Moreover, the town has several recreational activities like skating, skiing, volleyball, basketball and so much more to offer. There are many picturesque locations that you can visit and enjoy a game of your favorite sport. This is the perfect place to visit with your friends and family when in the amicable land of Canada. You can also read about things to do in Canada.
Swimming at the Duncan Murray Recreation Centre
The Duncan Murray Recreation Centre has its very own 25-meter long swimming pool. In addition, it also has other refreshing spaces like a hot tub, showers as well as a special pool for kids. During the winter, the Duncan Murray Recreation Centre also offers 2 arenas for skating. This is one of the best indoor places for skating when in Hinton, Alberta.
If you enjoy indoor sports more than outdoor sports, there are several other recreational activities. You can take up here like squash, racquetball, basketball, volleyball, and even a climbing wall. Last but not least, if you do not enjoy sports at all, the Duncan Murray Recreation Centre also has Hinton Library. This is a great place to sit with your favorite book and get rejuvenated for the rest of your stay in Hinton. You can also stay updated about the latest events and programs taking place at the recreation center here.
Take a stroll in the Forest Service Museum
The Forest Service Museum of Hinton is located at the Hinton Training Centre. It is home to several artifacts from the history of the region. The museum is open for the public to come along and join self-guided tours throughout the day. Unfortunately, the museum is closed during the weekends.
Truly, the museum preserves the unique history of Alberta and has several precious objects that can help us trace it. There are several nature trails, parks, and recreational spaces that are located in close proximity to the museum. You must surely visit this place if you are curious and enjoy knowing all the tiny detail. It makes a region special. Visit this place with your kids, it will surely remember their visit to Hinton for the rest of their lives.
Solve a murder mystery at the Northern Rockies Museum of Culture and Heritage!
So many of us have found it dreadful to visit museums with our families during vacations. The information placards seem to reveal nothing about the objects and there always seems to be no way to enjoy the history of the objects beyond looking at them. Well, not anymore! The Northern Rockies Museum at Hinton offers a live murder mystery role-playing event in the evenings where you can solve puzzling crime investigations in the museum. What’s more, the story of the mystery is set way back in 1927, inspired by real-life events! You will receive all the information you need about the event once you arrive at the museum and opt for the game.
A character from the story will be assigned to you and you will receive all the supporting information about it. To know the rest, you will have to visit the Northern Rockies Museum in Canada. This event is conducted in the evening. Players will not know if they are the victim or the murderer till the day of the event. To make it even more exciting, the game also allows guests to bribe each other with “money” to change the course of the story. You will surely leave the museum with exciting memories after you enjoy your luck at playing Sherlock for the night.
Enjoy a driving tour of historical Hinton
Hinton is one of the most picturesque places in Alberta. The Peace Country is known for its proximity to the Canadian Rockies and lakes brimming with turquoise waters. When here, one of the most enjoyable activities that people embark upon, a drive across the region, exploring its many spectacular and historically significant regions.
Besides, if you rent a car or drive your own across the region, you will come across many sights. You will enjoy the Grand Trunk Pacific Station, King Ranch, Hinton Coal Branch Archives, etc while driving in the region.
Catch a play at the Performing Arts Theatre of Hinton
The Performing Arts Theatre of Hinton is one of the biggest thriving theatre communities in the region. The theatre hosts several exciting performances where you can vicariously enjoy the adrenaline rush of watching excellent acts.
Here, you can witness some of the best of theatre from a vibrant group of theatre. Volunteers that collaborate to keep the performance tradition of the region alive. They host theatre acts and are also one of the most thriving standup communities in the region.
You can visit their website to know about their latest events and grab a funny old standup show. This is one of the most authentic and exciting ways of knowing more about the social and cultural fabric.
Outdoor adventures at William A. Switzer Provincial Park
The spectacular William A. Switzer Park is located on the Bighorn highway that connects Grande Cache and the Hinton area of Alberta, Canada. The place is resplendent with some of the most gorgeous lakes in the region, like Gregg Lake, Cache Lake, Blue Lake, and Jarvis Lake. Over time, many of these lakeside areas have become some of the most sought-after avenues for camping grounds in Canada.
People from all across the world visit the park to enjoy refreshing camping stay here, in Hinton. The park is located in the scenic foothills of the Canadian Rockies at an exciting elevation of 3770 ft. The park was named after one of the Legislative Members of the region, William A. Switzer.
The William A. Switzer Provincial Park offers a wide range of outdoor activities like swimming, beach volleyball, and surfing. You can also enjoy fishing, canoeing, kayaking, powerboating, and many more adventure activities. Hop on board and visit this iconic hill-top destination in Canada with your friends and family.
A surreal Broadwalk experience in Hinton
Hinton is home to the world’s longest freshwater boardwalk. A boardwalk is a wooden surface for walking, built across marshland. It is equal parts exciting and surreal to walk along a boardwalk built in the middle of gorgeous mountain views. The boardwalk is a great way to explore the local wetland system of Hinton. This unique boardwalk is built upon Maxwell Lake and it would not have been here without the support of the volunteers from the local community of Hinton.
The Beaver Boardwalk of Hinton is about three kilometers long. It has several sitting areas if you wish to rest, enjoy the gorgeous view, or click pictures. It also has interpretive signs that will help you navigate the Broadwalk and reveal exciting information about the place.
You will be delighted to see beavers in their natural habitat during your walk; however, the number of beavers in the area can be varying depending upon the time of the year you are visiting.
The best time to visit the Beaver Boardwalk is in the mornings or evenings as the beavers are active at this time. In addition to beavers, you will come across various other exciting flora and fauna during your walk.
Try your hand at Golfing at the Hinton Disc Golf
Hinton is an area that is actively built and taken care of by its thriving local community. One of its most active and enjoyable community acts, among several others, is the Hinton Disc Golf Association. It was introduced to the region only recently, in 2015, near Hinton Mountain Bike Park. It began as a small initiative, however, the community has made it a very successful place now.
Disc Golf is an exciting twist to the conventional sport of golf as here, enthusiasts can play with flying discs instead of hard balls. The locals use baskets instead of golfs and to ensure that the disc reaches the right baskets.
Discs are relatively a lot less expensive and this version of golf is much easier as well. You can bring along your own frisbees and enjoy a game of disc golf after a long day of exploring. You can also find rentals for the game at the Hinton Visiting Centre.
Join the Wild Sculpture Trail at Sundance Provincial Park
Sundance Provincial Park of Hinton is located in the southern region of Alberta. All you have to do is drive on highway 16 and after a kilometer, you can enjoy the Wild Sculpture Trail of Hinton. This region is home to unique sandstone formations known as “hoodoos”.
The melting glaciers from Sundance Valley created these beautiful and natural formations via erosion. It is said that the formations date more than a thousand years ago in this region. Moreover, the provincial park is home to more than seven lakes, including Emerson Lake. These lakeside areas make for exciting camping grounds if you wish to rest here after you explore the sandstone formations. Here is a map to guide you across the lakes of the region in Hinton.
The Park is divided into two regions, first area encompasses the five Emerson Lake and borders on the Athabasca River. This area is a great place to stop for a round of fishing, joining smaller trails, or camping. The second section of the park is much larger and home to the sandstone formations as well. The formations are found near Sundance Lake and Sundance Creek.
Biking at the Hinton Bike Park
Hinton Bike Park is another community-driven initiative that allows you to bike along the foothills of the Rockies, free of cost! This is a great vacation activity to indulge in. Mountain biking can be a rejuvenating experience for the mind and no better place to try it than Hinton!
The people have maintained the upkeep of this park with the intention of allowing a space for the development of skills and to foster mountain culture. The park offers bike rides for safe and regulated “sessions”. This is one of the very first mountain hiking sites in the Yellowhead region, given its wide success, its many models have emerged across the region.
Furthermore, the bike park sprawls across 37 acres of land and is currently also expanding itself. The Hinton Mountain Bike Park is located centrally in the region, enthusiasts can access the Hinton trail network from here as well. The park also hosts several events and workshops regularly, do not miss a chance to attend one of these when in Hinton, Alberta.
Indeed, this Municipal park is suited to enhance your biking skills. There are many jump areas, pump tracks, drop zones and exquisite forest trails. You can first try your hand at the skills area and then progress to the woods area for an adrenaline-pumping adventure.
Skiing at the Hinton Nordic Centre
The Hinton Nordic Centre has more than 35 kilometers of exquisite trails for all skiing and skating purposes. Hinton is one of the most exciting winter destinations in Canada, the well-groomed trails of Hinton Nordic Center make it one of the most popular skiing destinations in the area.
There are a wide variety of trails, some of which are tailor-made to meet the needs of beginners visiting the region for the first time, whereas there are some expert trails as well, in case you wish to challenge yourself as a skier.
They offer ski passes that can allow you to ski in the region for the entire day. The passes are available at the Hinton Nordic Centre kiosk, they are also available online. If you do not have the equipment, do not worry, there are several rentals here for you to pick skiing equipment from at reasonable rates.
When here, you can enroll yourself in many snow activities like races and other recreational sports like skating and snowboarding. The Chili Loppet and the Biathlon Alberta are some of the many races that you can participate in with the locals of the region.
Rent a cabin at Willmore Wilderness Park
The Willmore Wilderness Park is a biological conservation site located in close proximity to Jasper National Park. It is 4600 square kilometers wide and home to several beautiful cabins that you can stay in for a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The wilderness park is surrounded by several other parks like the Kakwa provincial park and the Rock Lake provincial park among others. The park is located on Highway 40 and is located in close proximity to the town of Grande Cache. The staging areas of Sulphur Gates, Cowlick Creek, Berland River, and Rock Lake are located near the wilderness park as well.
Alberta Community Development takes care of the park which is home to a large number of mountain goats and bighorn sheep. Other important animal species include grizzly bears, wolves, lynx, black bears, rocky mountain goats, and a lot more. The flora of the region is quite exquisite as well- when here you can see beautiful balsam fir, aspen poplar, white spruce, and other trees.
In addition, the park offers a wide variety of recreational activities as well. When here, you can enjoy camping, mountain biking, skiing, hunting, and hiking. Several trails, including the Pope Thoreau Trail, Great Divide Trail, and Willow Creek Trail, among others, are popular here as well. An important thing to note is that you will not be allowed to bring your own motorized vehicles to the wilderness park.
Grab a bite of the Yukon Sausage at the shopping districts of Hinton
Hinton has a large shopping area, divided into three exciting districts. Yukon Sausage is a local creation, started by a local butcher. Today, the eating joint offers delicious jerky sausages and roasts, freshly created. You can also purchase ready-to-eat meals here if you want to take some along for the rest of your exciting day in Hinton.
Currently, this place is located in the Valley Shopping district. When here you can also shop at Maximum Outfitters and King Drug, You can pick up a bike rental at the Vicious Cycle store in the Green Square district or buy souvenirs at the Parks West Mall. All these local establishments offer goods and services that are created by the local community and shall enable you to enjoy your stay in Hinton without any inconvenience.
Ice Climbing along the Canyon
The Ice Climbing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. Hinton offers some exclusive ice climbing options in the winter season. When here, you shall be able to try waterfall ice and mixed climbing under the supervision of experts from the region. It is one of the most popular sports in the area, were using a steady drip of ice water you shall be able to climb slippery ice surfaces.
Icefields Parkway is one of the most frequently chosen ice climbing spots in Alberta. This place offers some easy climbing options during the early months of winter before large avalanches. Avalanche Canada offers basic courses that can help you navigate avalanche terrains in the region, making sure you make informed decisions before you begin ice climbing. Weeping Wall and Polar Circus trails are some of the most commonly visited ice trails in the region.
A delicious Mexican meal at Rojo Marron
Rojo Marron is a cantina located near the valley district of Hinton, Alberta. This cafe is a popular place to eat and drink in, favored by the locals and the tourists alike, The place offers a well-curated menu, designed by in-house experts. The recipes are generational, with mouth-watering options like tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and many more. There are several vegetarian and vegan options available here as well.
The place is famous in the region for its delicious coffee as well. When here, you can try some fresh espressos and teas along with your hearty meal. You must come here with your friends and family to get a taste of Canadian hospitality.
Horseback riding along the Athabasca River
Alberta is famous for its many cowboy traditions, horseback riding being one of its most popular remnants. It is not uncommon to see locals and tourists exploring the region on top of horses, along narrow trails within the woods. Horseback riding is a great way to explore the beautiful mountain views of the region. At a reasonable price, you will be guided by a professional who will take you across adventurous horse riding routes like the one along the foothills of the Rockies, right beside the crystal-clear waters of the Athabasca River, Old Entrance is one of the most frequently visited horseback riding spots, it is located only 10 minutes away from Hinton. Most of these rides begin in the morning or in the afternoon, you must make your bookings today for this exciting experience. Also read about Things To Do In Edmonton, Alberta.
