Circle Tour: Bragg Creek to Medicine Hat – From Rockies’ Edge to Prairie Sun

This Southern Alberta circle tour links the forested foothills of Bragg Creek with the open prairies of Medicine Hat. It’s a ride that sweeps from the Rockies’ edge through ranchland, farming country, and historic prairie towns. Along the way, you’ll find markets, grain elevators, museums, and wide horizons that carry Alberta’s story mile after mile.

What makes this tour special? It bridges two Albertas — foothill communities with mountain views and prairie towns where the sky never ends.

⛰️ From Bragg Creek to Medicine Hat: Foothills & Farmland
Start your trip in Bragg Creek, nestled against the forest edge, then head south through Priddis, Millarville, Turner Valley, and Black Diamond — towns with markets, rodeo roots, and foothill charm.

Continue through Longview and High River, both known for cowboy culture and ranchland scenery. From Brant and Champion to Vulcan and Kirkcaldy, the land opens wide — expect grain elevators, historic churches, and small-town cafés.

Cross into prairie country through Hays, Vauxhall, and finally Medicine Hat, a city famous for its clay district, historic downtown, and Alberta’s sunniest skies. Just west, Redcliff adds greenhouse agriculture and small-town character.

🌾 Return from Medicine Hat: Prairie Towns & Historic Stops
On the eastern loop, cruise through Seven Persons, Etzikom, and Foremost — quiet prairie towns with stories etched into old storefronts. Orion and Skiff offer ghost town vibes, perfect for photographers chasing Alberta’s past.

Continue west into Dunmore, Wrentham, and Taber, Alberta’s corn capital. Coaldale and Coalhurst deliver small-town charm, before looping back through Claresholm, Granum, Nanton, and Stavely — all tied to Alberta’s ranching heritage.

Finish your journey in Fort Macleod, then back through the foothill communities of Millarville, Priddis, and finally into Bragg Creek, closing a circle that connects mountains to prairie.

☕ Hidden Gems Along the Way

• Okotoks Erratic (Big Rock) – a massive glacial boulder, perfect roadside geology stop

• Champion Pioneer Museum – small but full of prairie settler history

• Brant Grain Elevator – a classic prairie photo op in a quiet hamlet

• Skiff Grain Elevator Ruins – haunting ghost-town feel on the open prairie

• Redcliff Greenhouses – Alberta’s “greenhouse capital,” producing vegetables year-round

📸 Pro Tip:
Bring your camera for the ghost town vibes in Orion or the sunset glow on the Okotoks Erratic — these shots stand out from the usual stops.

Maps: Southern AB R7 & R8
Towns: Bragg Creek, Priddis, Millarville, Turner Valley, Black Diamond, Longview, High River, Brant, Champion, Vulcan, Kirkcaldy, Hays, Vauxhall, Medicine Hat, Redcliff, Barnwell, Wrentham, Taber, Coaldale, Coalhurst, Dunmore, Etzikom, Foremost, Orion, Skiff, Seven Persons, Claresholm, Stavely, Nanton, Granum, Fort Macleod