BAR U RANCH | Longview, Alberta

Plan Your Visit

Visitors exploring the heritage buildings on site are invited to step back in time to trace the history of the ranch. At some locations, Bar U interpreters demonstrate real ranch skills, such as cattle handling, roping, saddle making and blacksmithing, while telling the true stories of the way it was during the early years in the West.

Visitors gazing down from the visitor centre to the creek side ranch headquarters see a winding gravel road connecting buildings comprising what used to be the largest populated community in the region. In every sense, the Bar U was a community. Ranch owners and foremen and their families lived and worked here. Children went to school. Neighbouring ranchers socialized at the post office. 

OPEN SEASONALLY MAY-SEPTEMBER

Admission, Hours & Location

Nestled in the southern Alberta foothills, on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, the Bar U Ranch is located in the most scenically breathtaking ranching country in the world.

Admission

Adults - $13.25

Seniors - $11.25

Youth (17 & under) - free

Hours

Open daily (2025 operating season: May 12-September 30)

10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.* 

*No admission after 4:00 p.m.

Location

Approximately ninety minutes drive southwest of Calgary, Alberta, the site lies just west of the junction of Highway 22 & Highway 540, along The Cowboy Trail.

P.O. Box 82

Longview, AB
T0L 1H0

A ‘LIVING’ RANCH EXPERIENCE

Amenities

Guided tours of the Bar U are usually offered in one-hour intervals, on foot or by horse-drawn wagon, though visitors preferring to take their time and tour the site on their own are welcome to do so. Illustrated map guides, available at the visitor centre, direct guests to all of the heritage buildings while describing the ranch’s historical background.

Many guests choose to end their tours at the Bar U “roundup camp”, a popular site located by Pekisko Creek beneath a canopy of cottonwoods. This is where cowboys working the last of the general roundups called “home on the range”, back in the days when riders took to the hills, often for weeks at a time, in search of tens of thousands of head of roaming cattle.

Seated around the campfire, cook tents and chuckwagon nearby, visitors may hear the songs and stories of a simpler way of life, before railroads and fencing, how at roundup the cook was king, cowboys slept under the stars, cattle were serenaded, and all seemed right with the world.

Available services
  • The wheelchair-accessible Visitor Centre includes a reception area, fireside lounge, restroom facilities, heritage displays, video theatre and gift shop. Guests may either walk from the centre down to the ranch headquarters or take a horse-drawn wagon shuttle. Pekisko Creek General Store (gift shop including light snack options).
  • Picnic tables available throughout the site.
  • Free parking.
  • Smoking is permitted in a designated area outside the visitor centre. Smoking is not permitted inside the visitor centre or anywhere on the historic site. Due to the site’s irreplaceable buildings and artifacts, and the potential for grassfires, ‘no smoking’ rules are strictly enforced.
  • The Bar U Visitor Centre and washrooms are all wheelchair accessible.
  • Washrooms throughout the ranch site are wheelchair accessible.
  • The cookhouse and several of the barns are wheelchair accessible.
  • It is recommended that visitors with wheelchairs and walkers utilize the free horse-drawn wagon shuttle from the Visitor Centre to and from the ranch site.
  • Trails and pathways are not paved.
While the ranch welcomes leashed pets in an area outside the visitor center, no pets are allowed inside the visitor centre or on the historic site. Only Service animals are permitted within the ranch grounds.
  • The large parking area outside the Visitor Centre is able to accommodate recreational vehicles and buses.
  • The is no overnight parking available.

While the Bar U does not offer overnight accommodation, guest ranches, campgrounds, B&Bs, hotels and motels are all located nearby. Options are included, but not limited to:

  • Twin Cities Hotel is located in the Village of Longview.
  • Willow Hill Lodge is located 1 km north of the Village of Longview (reservations required).
  • Tails & Trails Campground is located in the Village of Longview.
  • Both Diamond Valley (32 km north of the Bar U) and High River (40 km northeast of the Bar U) have numerous accommodation options.
  • Numerous provincial campgrounds in the surrounding area.
  • The Bar U Cafe is now permanently closed.
  • Light snacks are available in the General Store.
  • Free coffee is available in the Visitor Centre as well as on site at Round Up Camp.
  • The Village of Longview (15 km north of the Bar U) offers the following dining options:
    • Little Apple Cafe & Bakery
    • Little new York Bistro (reservations suggested)
    • Longview Steakhouse (reservations required)
    • Twin Cities Saloon
    • Badlands Butcher & Catering Services (food truck)
    • Longview Jerky Shop

More than a National Historic Site, the Bar U, through its curriculum-based school programming offers K-9 students a living ranch experience featuring touchable history.

Whether exploring the ranch by horse-drawn wagon, visiting roundup camp, touring the blacksmith shop and cookhouse, or hiking the creek side riparian zone, students not only discover a unique part of their Canadian heritage but also learn about an important rangeland environment.

Bar U interpreters guiding school students strive to ignite young imaginations and encourage young minds to think in new ways about the past while delivering information and experiences that are as engaging and memorable as they are fun.

School programming is offered at the Bar U Ranch Monday through Thursday, from the end of May to the end of September. School bookings may be made throughout the calendar year and, as demand is high, teachers are advised to book well in advance. In addition to site entrance fees (see Hours & Admission) school groups of up to fifty students are charged a $147.00 program development and delivery fee. Larger schools or educational groups may be accommodated at extra cost.

Tours, which consist of four rotating programs, generally run four hours, from 10 am to 2 pm, including a 45:00 minute bag lunch on site. For inquiries, see Contact information.

The Bar U Ranch hosts a variety of private and after hours functions on a case by case basis.

From weddings to meetings to corporate retreats, the Bar U accommodates a range of private and after hours functions, in and out of doors, at the visitor centre or on the ranch site. Custom tours and historical presentations may be included on request.

Because the ability of the Bar U to host after hours functions is subject to many variables, including time, day, weather, available staff and number of guests, customers are advised to contact the administrative office well in advance.

Want to get involved?

We work to keep the spirit of the Bar U alive. As a registered non-profit organization, the Friends work to further public awareness and understanding of the site, and to protect it for the benefit, education and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Want to get involved?

We work to keep the spirit of the Bar U alive. As a registered non-profit organization, the Friends work to further public awareness and understanding of the site, and to protect it for the benefit, education and enjoyment of present and future generations.

DONATIONS

Support our not-for-profit

The Friends of the Bar U are stewards of the Bar U Ranch: promoting understanding of the history of ranching and demonstrating historical ranching practices. We thankfully accept denominations of any amount to further our mission and protect the legacy of the Bar U Ranch and what it represents.

Ways to give:

Calgary Foundation

Donations are accepted to the Friends of the Bar U Legacy Fund through the Calgary Foundation (QR code below)

Cash, Cheque, or E-transfer

E-transfer to:
accounting@friendsofthebaru.com

Cheques made payable to:
Friends of the Bar U Historic Ranch Association

P.O. Box 82

Longview, Alberta
T0L 1H0