Bar Diamond Guest Ranch

Bar Diamond Guest Ranch is a working ranch on 34,000 acres along the Red Deer River in Bindloss, Alberta -- about 90 minutes north of Medicine Hat and 3.5 hours east of Calgary. Jim and Carol Hern run about 700 commercial Angus cattle on two ranches. Stay types on bardiamondguestranch.com: the historic 121-year-old Bar Diamond Lodge (six rooms in the log ranch house), Uplands Lodge (seven rooms in a more modern western house, family-style meals downstairs), and Billy Martin's Cabin (a pioneer-style cabin by a spring-fed creek, built as a tribute to the 1896 homesteader). Carol's and Jim's party barns are on-site for pool, shuffleboard, foosball, and table tennis. They do not list prices online because each stay is a custom package. Families get a special discount on accommodation. Contact hernranches86@gmail.com or 403-504-9743. Address: 23064 Range Rd 41, Special Area No. 3, AB T0J 0K0. Tours: Aboriginal Sites (half day -- teepee rings, twin medicine wheels, vision quest site), Meet the Locals (full day, groups of 4+), horseback riding (2 hours morning and afternoon; children 12+ on the trail, younger ponied; helmets provided), Belgian-horse wagon with Marmaduke and Masey (2 hours), and ATV rides (2 hours).