Aspen Crossing takes you back to a simpler time. Along a 14-mile, 2.5-hour train ride, passengers get to enjoy serene prairie views, pass historic wooden elevators, learn about the area’s agriculture and the railroad, or simply relax to the soothing sounds of the wheels to the rails.
Choices
In addition to regular excursions year-round, there is a large variety of special event trains, including twilight departures, elevator tours, fun-themed trips, or brunch trains. Many of the trains include musical entertainment and/or a train robbery.
When to go
During May, June, and September, trains operate on Saturdays, Sundays, and most Fridays. July and August see trains every Friday through Sunday. October weekends and the days before Halloween are dedicated to the Train of Terror. The Polar Express runs from late November through December.
Good to know
The KIDD Ranch tour is a one-hour experience and runs every week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from May to the end of August, and includes a tour of a working ranch. In August, look for the Southern Alberta Music Festival to take place at Aspen Crossing.
Worth doing
While at the station, you can dine in an 1887 Pullman railcar. The restored equipment was once the private business car of former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and has played host to various VIP passengers. If you want to make your visit an extended stay, you can stay in the railway’s 350-site, big-rig friendly RV campground or one of three caboose cabins, complete with a store and ice cream shop, plus a food and drink delivery service right to your campsite. The cabooses are from the Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific, and Northern Alberta Railway. Aspen Crossing also features meeting and wedding spaces, plus a popular garden centre each spring full of locally grown flowers and plants.
Don’t miss
On the Prairie Tour, you’ll see the Mossleigh grain elevators, some of the rare original elevators left in Canada. In the 1930s, there were more than 5,000 grain elevators, and now less than 350 remain across the prairie provinces.
Getting there
Aspen Crossing is located 45 minutes southeast of Calgary on Hwy 24, just before Mossleigh.
Location: 1Km W # 24 Mossleigh, AB
Phone: 403-534-2129
Website: aspencrossing.com
E-mail: info@aspencrossing.com
