5 small towns to visit in Alberta that have appeared in hit TV shows and movies

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There’s something special about visiting a place that you’ve seen on the big screen and it’s such a hot travel trend that there’s even a name for it: “set-jetting.”  

You might think of big cities as the ideal location for this kind of film tourism, but there are many picturesque small towns across Alberta that have served as filming locations for television productions and films — including Academy Award-winning movies like Brokeback Mountain and The Revenant. Producers of the popular HBO series The Last of Us were particularly fond of Alberta, with season one of the post-apocalyptic series filmed in more than 180 different locations across the province. 

So, if you’re looking for a mix of real-world charm and pop-culture nostalgia for your next road trip, these places are sure to deliver. Here are five underrated small towns that served as filming locations for popular TV shows and movies, and just a few of the things they have to offer visitors. 

Bellevue 

You may recognize the small-town streets of Bellevue, Alberta from season two, episode two of The Last of Us, where a once safe retreat becomes overrun by a horde of the infected. You can walk those very same streets before exploring the many other attractions and things to do in the scenic Crowsnest Pass.

In and around the town you’ll find hiking, fishing, wildlife watching and some fantastic historical sites. Don a miner’s helmet and a lamp and head underground on the Bellevue Underground Mine Tour. Nearby Frank Slide Interpretive Centre is located at the site of Canada’s deadliest rockslide for an educational pit stop. Then go take pictures of beautiful Lundbreck Falls and the Burmis Tree, the world’s most photographed dead tree. There are a lot of hikes in the area, but my personal favourite is the Star Creek Falls Loop.   

Fort Macleod 

Fort Macleod has become a filming hot spot in recent years. In addition to the HBO series, it was a filming location for the movies Brokeback Mountain, Interstellar, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. There’s a lot of Fort Macleod in season one, episode one of The Last of Us, with Main Street masquerading as Austin, Texas during a zombie outbreak.

Located about 175 kilometres south of Calgary, the town of about 3,300 people has much to offer visitors. Visit the Fort Museum of the Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) to learn the history of the NWMP and to watch a reenactment of the NWMP Musical Ride. Nearby, you can also visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves and interprets one of the oldest buffalo jumps in the world. Many artefacts in the centre showcase Plains buffalo culture.  You should also take time to explore the town’s historic Main Street, which was featured in the chase scene of Ghostbusters: Afterlife.  

High River 

Season one, episode three of The Last of Us starts in the former Beachwood Estates area of High River, which was destroyed in the 2013 floods and has since been returned to its natural state. This area served as Bill’s compound in the series. Less than an hour’s drive south of Calgary, High River is also well known as the filming site for Heartland, the longest-running one-hour scripted drama in Canadian television history.

It’s fun to explore the historic downtown area, see the murals and visit Maggie’s Diner, part of the Heartland set. About a 30-minute drive from High River, Bar U Ranch National Historic Site is a great place to further delve into the history of farming and ranching in Alberta. On Aug. 16, admission to the site is free in honour of Open Farm Day and there’s an old-fashioned rodeo on August 17.  

Nanton  

You may recognize Nanton’s Ranchland Inn from season one, episode five of The Last of Us as the place where Joel, Ellie, Henry and Sam seek refuge and share some touching moments. You may also recognize the town in some scenes from the movie Interstellar.

Nanton is about an hour’s drive south of Calgary and one of my favourite stops on any road trip. The town of just under 2,500 people is home to The Candy Store in Nanton. The store has a wide selection of candy, chocolates and 32 flavours of ice cream. They also sell classic toys, fireworks and antiques. The Ranchland Inn is the place to stay if you’re a fan of The Last of Us, as it was featured in the series. While in town, be sure to visit the Bomber Command Museum of Canada, which honours those who were associated with Bomber Command during the Second World War. The museum houses an impressive collection of historical aircraft including a rare Lancaster bomber. 

Okotoks 

In season one, episode eight of The Last of Us, Joel recovers in the Suntree neighborhood of Okotoks, a community of just over 33,000 people about a 40-minute drive south of Calgary. You may also recognize Holy Trinity Academy in Okotoks as a filming site from season two of the Netflix series, My Life with the Walter Boys.

Just outside of town, visitors can see the Okotoks Erratic, also known as Big Rock. The 16,500-tonne boulder was transported hundreds of kilometres from its original Rocky Mountain location by glacial sheet ice between 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. This fascinating remnant of the Ice Age is of great spiritual and cultural significance to Indigenous Peoples. Big Rock Brewery in Calgary gets its name from the Okotoks Erratic and so does the town of Okotoks. The name ‘Okotoks’ comes from the Blackfoot word ‘óóhkotok’ or ‘okatok’ which means ‘rock.’  

Debbie Olsen is an award-winning Métis writer and a national bestselling author. Follow her adventures on www.wanderwoman.ca.   

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