Pincher Creek

Pincher Creek is a town of about 3,600 people in the foothills of Southern Alberta. It is a good base for exploring provibcisl parks in the region, and has some heritage sites.

Understand

Pincher Creek as seen from the North, with the rockies in the background.

The town received its name in 1868 when a group of prospectors lost a pincer in the small creek at this location. These pincers would have been used as a mechanism for trimming the feet of the horses and thus had some value to the group. In 1874, the North-West Mounted Police came to southern Alberta. One of them discovered the rusting tools in the creek, and they named the area Pincher Creek. In 1898, Pincher Creek was incorporated a village. In 1906, the community was incorporated as a town and named Pincher Creek.

Get in

St Johns Anglican Church

Pincher Creek is located along Highway 6. The Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3) is located 3 km north of Pincher Creek at the hamlet of Pincher Station. Pincher Creek is 100 km (62 mi) west of Lethbridge and 217 km (135 mi) southwest of Calgary.

By bus

• Mountain Man Mike's Bus Service, ☏ +1-778-382-7729, info@mountainmanmikes.ca. Weekly service between Calgary and Kaslo with stops in Okotoks, High River, Claresholm, Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, Sparwood, Fernie, Cranbrook, Creston, Salmo, Nelson, and Balfour. This service provider also offers a twice per week service between Kaslo and Vancouver via Nelson. (updated Mar 2022)

See

• 1 Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village, 1037 Bev McLachlin Drive, ☏ +1 403-627-3684. Early Sep-late May: M-F 10AM-4:30PM; late May-early Sep: daily 10AM-6PM. Home to the Visitor Information Centre, Country Store, and a Western Canadian Frontier Village with 27 heritage cabins and two museum buildings. Adults $12, seniors $10, youth (7-17) $6, under 7 is free, family (2 adults and up to 4 youth) $30. (updated Oct 2018)
• 2 Lebel Mansion (Allied Arts Council), 696 Kettles Street, ☏ +1 403-627-5272. Pincher Creek landmark was built in 1910 and served as the private residence of local businessman Timothee Lebel until 1924. Purchased by the Town of Pincher Creek in 1985 to become the current home of the Allied Arts Council. (updated Oct 2018)
• 3 Lundbreck Falls (25 km (16 mi) northwest of Pincher Creek on Hwy 3). The Crowsnest River plunges 12 m (39 ft) into a deep pool in the canyon below. Watch the falls from the observation platform and then walk down into the limestone gorge for a closer look. (updated Oct 2018)
• 4 Oldman Dam (14 km (9 mi) northeast of Pincher Creek on Hwy 785.). (updated Oct 2018)
• 5 Heritage Acres Farm Museum (17 km (11 mi) northeast of Pincher Creek on Hwy 785.), ☏ +1 403-627-2082. (updated Oct 2018)

Do

• 1 Castle Mountain Ski Resort, Pincher Creek (45 km (28 mi) west of Pincher Creek along Hwy 507 and Hwy 774.), ☏ +1-403-627-5101, toll-free: +1-888-754-8667, info@skicastle.ca. Kilometres of groomed skiing runs, natural half pipes, deep fresh powder, short lift lines and wide open spaces. (updated Apr 2018)
• 2 Beauvais Lake Provincial Park (19 km (12 mi) west of Pincher Creek along Hwy 507.). Biking, bird watching, boating, fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, snowshoeing. (updated Oct 2018)

Eat

Budget

• Bright Pearl, 745 Main Street, ☏ +1 403-627-4828. Chinese. (updated Oct 2018)
• Green Bamboo Peking House, 757 Main Street, ☏ +1 403-627-5555. Chinese, Asian fusion. (updated Oct 2018)
• The Grill (inside the Legendary King Edward Hotel), 729 Main Street, ☏ +1 403-904-3066. Pizza. (updated Oct 2018)
• Harvest Coffeehouse, 766 Main Street, ☏ +1 403-904-4000. Coffee, tea, sandwiches, soup. (updated Oct 2018)

Mid-range

• Boston Pizza, 1130 Table Mountain Street, ☏ +1 403-627-2787. Pizza, Canadian (updated Oct 2018)
• Kinbari Sushi, 1303 Veterans Street, ☏ +1 587-800-3419. Japanese, sushi bar. (updated Oct 2018)

Sleep

Hotels

• Heritage Inn Hotel & Convention Centre, 919 Waterton Avenue (Hwy 6), ☏ +1 403-627-5000, toll-free: +1-888-888-4374. (updated Oct 2018)
• Ramada by Wyndham, 1132 Table Mountain Street, toll-free: +1-800-870-3911. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. (updated Oct 2018)
• Super 8 by Wyndham, 1307 Freebairn Avenue, ☏ +1-403-627-5671, toll-free: +1-800-536-1211. (updated Oct 2018)

Motels

• Blue Mountain Motel, 981 Main Street, ☏ +1 403-627-5335. (updated Oct 2018)
• Foothills Motel, 1049 Waterton Avenue, ☏ +1 403-627-3341, fax: +1 403-627-5090. (updated Oct 2018)
• Parkway Motel & European Lodges, 1070 Waterton Avenue. (updated Oct 2018)
• Westcastle Motel, 1042 Waterton Avenue, ☏ +1 403-627-2880, westcastlemotel@gmail.com. (updated Oct 2018)

Camping

• 1 Beauvais Lake Provincial Park (19 km (12 mi) west of Pincher Creek along Hwy 507.). Two campgrounds; Beauvais Lake Campground and Beauvais Walk-In Tenting Campground (updated Oct 2018)
• 2 Lundbreck Falls Campground (25 km (16 mi) northwest of Pincher Creek on Hwy 3.), ☏ +1 403-627-1165, toll-free: +1-877-537-2757. Unserviced & walk-in tenting: $23; power $30. (updated Oct 2018)
• Sleepy Hollow Campground, 1229 Waterton Avenue, ☏ +1 403-627-2033. (updated Oct 2018)
• Veterans Memorial Campground (Pincher Creek Municipal Campground), 940 Lawrence Street, ☏ +1 403-627-4322. (updated Oct 2018)

Go next

• Waterton Lakes National Park: 50 km (31 mi) south of Pincher Creek on Highway 6; offers many outdoor recreation options and beautiful scenery.
• Frank Slide Interpretive Centre: In 1903, the mining town of Frank, Alberta, was devastated by 82 million tonnes of limestone crashing down from Turtle Mountain. The Frank Slide Interpretative Centre in the Crowsnest Pass, 44 km (27 mi) west of Pincher Creek on Highway 3.

Routes through Pincher Creek

Cranbrook ← Crowsnest Pass ← Jct N ←	W  E	→ Fort Macleod → Lethbridge
ENDS ←	N  S	→ Waterton Lakes N.P. → Babb