Explore Outdoors
Paddle Seven Persons Creek
There are two routes to paddle Seven Persons Creek.
There are two routes to paddle Seven Persons Creek.
“Paddling Seven Persons Creek is wild, adventurous, and you get such an adrenaline rush. Whereas, the South Saskatchewan River is very relaxing and calm. With both, you travel through the coulees and see so much wildlife. The two waterways are like no other; it’s honestly so stunning.” - Teresa Humphries, co-owner of Outdoor Xcape Rentals.
Desert Blume (Heron Crt. SE) to Kin Coulee Park — best for beginners.
For a wild and adventurous day on the waterway, Seven Persons Creek is the place to be. Throughout an approximate three hour paddle, you may cross paths with deer, beavers, moose, blue herons, ducklings, and geese, while surrounded by large coulees and refreshing natural sights. Completely immersed in the quiet space, with only the neighbouring sounds of nature, this in-city creek isn’t far to find. Paddle the rapids and go with the flow on the winding streamline.
Desert Blume to South Saskatchewan River — best for experienced paddlers.
Paddle among the reeds, rapids, and culverts on the narrow and quick waterway. Ducks and geese may fly as you arrive at their floating spot, and kingfishers might happily hop ahead of you to lead the way. Deer, muskrats, and beavers are other wild creatures that have been seen while paddling this creek. Tall bluffs will tower over you, followed by a canopy of trees. There are many hop-off points once you reach the South Saskatchewan River, where you can join hundreds of seagulls and a few fishing blue herons living a life we often don’t think about in Police Point Park. If this is the paddle for you, make sure to scout the route beforehand — water level is always changing, and there is a short portage you need to be ready for.
| To shorten this route, you can start at Kin Coulee Park, 104 South Kin Coulee Rd. SE.
A mountain bike festival in the rolling hills.
Over the years, there has been massive mountain bike trail development in three areas in and around Medicine Hat: Echo Dale Regional Park, Redcliff, and Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. Each scenic spot offers an extraordinary experience with coulee, forest, or red rock backdrops, and they’re all within 45 minutes of each other.
Medicine Hat’s 670 Collective Mountain Bike Club hosts Battle Creek Showdown in Elkwater, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, where the event sees over 200 riders from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Columbia, from children to adults.
“A lot of people say it’s their favourite race of the year. It’s a fun event for everybody — for people doing their first race or for really experienced racers and riders who want to push themselves and their limits,” says event organizer Michelle LeBlanc.
People race the thrilling and challenging trails in Elkwater at this one-day event. Afterwards, riders indulge in a dinner that’s catered by a local business. In the past, Mike’s Meats and Camp Cookhouse have fed the hungry crowd. Mountain bike enthusiast Ginette Brinkman sets up a table that features her mountain bike-inspired pottery exclusive to Battle Creek Showdown.
The mountain bike trails in Elkwater live among aspen and lodgepole pine forest. With a handful of camping areas nearby, friends and families often make the trip a full week or weekend adventure.
“I love the few days prior when we see all the cars and trucks pulling in with bikes on the back. To think people are coming from all over the place to come to our little gem in the prairies to ride their bikes is really cool,” says LeBlanc.
670 Collective feels fortunate to have a space like Elkwater that can house a large number of people, with trails, accommodations, and things to do.
“Elkwater is this hidden gem and oasis in the middle of the prairies that has all the facilities we need to organize something like this,” says LeBlanc. “It’s the perfect place. Many come a week prior and make it a part of their summer holidays.”
The first time LeBlanc rode in Redcliff, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She says the area is so unique and diverse and the trails live among the coulees and cactus and along the South Saskatchewan River valley.
“All the trails in each area blend so well with nature. It’s not intrusive at all — it feels very connected to the environment.”
Find seasonal events throughout Medicine Hat.
Fall is officially here, and so are so many seasonal events. Check out the details below, and find more by clicking on the events names.
Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede
2055 21 Ave. SE
Saturdays from 9a.m. - 1p.m. until October 4.
Free Event
Visitor Information Centre
330 Gehring Road SW
Various events + dates
Tickets required
Medalta in the Historic Clay District
713 Medalta Ave SE
Fridays at 11am | Saturdays at 11am and 1pm
Tickets Required
Co-op Place
2802 Box Springs Way NW
Various dates + times
Tickets Required
Locations Known Once Purhcased
Available Until November 7
Ticket Required
Monarch Theatre
609 2 St SE
Tickets Required
Redcliff Lion's Park
301 6 St SE, Redcliff, AB
September 26
$5 Per Bowl | Free Family Activities
Historic Cape School
830A Balmoral Street SE
Various October Dates
Tickets Required
Medicine Hat's Historic Downtown
October 1-31
Registration Required
note: comfort food + drink
675 2 St SE
October 8
Free Event
Medalta in the Historic Clay District
713 Medalta Ave SE
October 15, 22, 29
Free Event
October 16
Tickets Required
Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede
2055 21 Ave SE
October 16-18
Tickets Required
Historic Cape School
830A Balmoral Street SE
October 21, 25, 26, 27 & 28 from 6:30PM–9:30PM | October 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 & 31 from 6:30PM–10:30PM
Fast Pass Available | Tickets at Door
Medalta in the Historic Clay District
713 Medalta Ave SE
October 24
Tickets Required
Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre
401 1 St SE
October 24
Free Event
Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre
401 1 St SE
October 24
Free Event
Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede
2055 21 Ave SE
October 31
Free Event
From a big to small city.
Medicine Hat local JoLynn Parenteau writes about Indigenous people, places, language, and traditions, in a column with the Medicine Hat News.
With articles published regularly since 2021, Parenteau feels it’s time to encapsulate each story in a book: an anthology to inspire someone to support an entrepreneur, visit a new place, try a recipe, learn a language, connect with culture, and to preserve the true stories of historic and modern-day Indigenous life.
As a Métis (Cree-French) woman living in Alberta all her life, growing up in Peace River, spending her adult years in Edmonton, and moving to Medicine Hat in 2018, Parenteau has met people who capture her curiosity, who are then featured in her series.
“I realized I had been carrying these stories for over two years now. I didn’t want them to get lost,” says Parenteau. “It’s important to me to preserve these stories, and I hope people will find this book and genuinely connect to them, even if our cultures are different.”
Reviewing her writing for her book, Parenteau sees how she’s grown as a writer and also her understanding of Indigenous culture. “I see from the very beginning places where I was still learning, and now that knowledge lives in me intrinsically.”
She’s watched her interest grow from people, to places, to language and traditions, and along the way she’s grown closer to her own culture.
“Those connections to culture really are soul-uplifting for all of us, and it’s so important through all heritages,” says the writer. “Everyone is so multi-faceted. There’s never one single layer to a person. That’s what I enjoy discovering about people.”
Along with writing, Parenteau has been invited to speak at events, such as the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness’ 2023 national conference in Halifax/Kjipuktuk, ‘the great harbour’, and at Saskatoon’s Innovative Approaches to Housing & Homelessness conference in 2022.
In Medicine Hat, she’s taken part in Pecha Kucha, a community event where locals speak of personal experiences, and spoke at the Medicine Hat Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre’s Kindling Connection event, where she presented an author’s reading and shared three legends from across Turtle Island for Indigenous Story-Telling Month in February.
In 2022, Parenteau launched the 90-minute personal finance budgeting course ‘Métis Money Moves’, and since then has grown it to a 10-hour, four class instruction.
With her journey of building and growing her own finances, and what she’s seen in her work of supporting vulnerable neighbours, she’s built this course to empower individuals and families to take control of their own financial future.
Whether she is writing, speaking, or teaching, Parenteau has set her sights on helping people, through story-telling from her experience and stories shared by others.
A lively festival in downtown Medicine Hat.
Medicine Hat’s Historic First Street was brimming with liveliness during the Together Again festival. The heart of the city was filled with various festivities that invited families of all ages to be immersed in the uplifting event with live performances from Canadian headliners and commemorations of diversity in the community.
There was a component of entertainment and gathering that happened every hour, from 1-10p.m., along with a market featuring over 65 local businesses until 6:00p.m., and a beer garden that showcased Medicine Hat’s three breweries and its distillery.
Josie Doll, entertainment and events coordinator, City of Medicine Hat, says Together Again was intended to reunite residents and really celebrate the community’s resilience over the years.
“It’s unlike any event Medicine Hat has ever had. This festival is so multi-faceted, and we hoped those who planned to come stayed until the end of the night for the firework finale,” says Doll. “It really showcased the spaces, businesses, and organizations we have downtown and highlighted what it's like when it's all activated in this way.”
It featured a 600-seat dinner table on Finlay Bridge, an escape room at Medicine Hat Public Library, a portrait unveiling, a celebration of new Canadians, a Municipal Historic Resource announcement, and a main stage with performances from The Royal Foundry, The Northern Pikes, 54-40, and High Valley, along with local bands Taking August and Band of Brothers.
“Events like this are a great way to bring people together and unify our voices,” says Kelli Ireland, marketing specialist, Strategic Management Analysis, City of Medicine Hat. “It helps create positivity in the area and encourages people to experience different elements of our downtown. The area is growing and bears a unique vibe and bringing the community down to experience things like this in their own backyard is really special.”
For this year’s event, the weather was a high of 22 degrees C, and the sunshine was out to warm the hearts of everyone around.
“A large event like this really shows the spirit of Medicine Hat when we can come together in this way,” says Doll.
Find more information about the event and the event schedule at medicinehat.ca or Together Again YXH.
| This event was funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Mountain bike red rock coulees.
This area was the first in the region to develop mountain bike trails. Narrow, technical cross country riding meets badlands views and exposure, leading to an adventure only found in the prairies.
Book a spot in Redcliff Municipal Campground, and ride right from your campsite!
You read that right, Redcliff is the Greenhouse Capital of the Prairies! There are over five greenhouses to visit and pick up fresh, crisp veggies, and some even have freshly prepared salsas and other condiments!
If you’re looking for a full on meal, in Redcliff there are locally-owned eateries, like Sizzling House Restaurant, Redcliff Bakery, and A1 Pizza! Medicine Hat is only a 10-minute drive from Redcliff, where you can also find breweries, cafes, bakeries, and eateries!
Curious to learn more about the Redcliff mountain bike trails from someone who rides them? Just ask avid mountain biker Chris Istace!
Find the local bike shops Gravity Sports and Cyclepath!
Redcliff to Medicine Hat: Approximately 10 minute drive
Redcliff to Elkwater: Approximately 45 minute drive
An adventure in the rolling hills.
The highest point between the Rocky Mountains and Labrador, Canada is bound to have some sweet biking. The lodgepole pine and aspen forest offers a refuge from the hot, summer days in Medicine Hat. Dive into fast, flowy, and tech trails that have recently been added to Hidden Valley Ski Resort, or explore some rooty, rocky cross-country trails found throughout the rest of the park.
Book a spot in a Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park campground, and ride right from your campsite! There are new flowy trails near some campsites for anyone to explore!
12-34 Cafe in Elkwater is a great stop for a snack. If you’re looking for a brewery, cafe, bakery, or eatery, Medicine Hat is a short 40-minute drive away!
Curious to learn more about the Elkwater mountain bike trails from someone who rides them? Just ask avid mountain biker Chris Istace!
Find the local bike shops Gravity Sports and Cyclepath!
Elkwater to Medicine Hat: Approximately 40 minute drive
Elkwater to Redcliff: Approximately 45 minute drive
A mountain bikers playground.
Medicine Hat is surrounded by large coulees and cliffs and lives in the South Saskatchewan River Valley in Southeast Alberta. As you drive into the city on the Trans-Canada Highway, you’ll dip down and observe the terrain transform from flat prairie land, to a mountain bikers playground — where 14 new trails invite you to ride between Echo Dale Regional Park and Gas City Campground!
Book a campsite in either Echo Dale Regional Park Campground or Gas City Campground and ride right from your campsite!
The experience doesn’t stop on the trails. A unique feature to Medicine Hat is the city trails are connected. Once finished mountain biking for the day, you can leisurely ride and grab a cold drink or a fresh bite at a brewery, cafe, bakery, or eatery.
Curious to learn more about the Medicine Hat mountain bike trails? Read about avid mountain biker Chris Istace's experience!
Find the local bike shops Gravity Sports and Cyclepath!
Medicine Hat to Elkwater: Approximately 40 minute drive
Medicine Hat to Redcliff: Approximately 10 minute drive
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