Covered Wagon Ride in Banff with Western Cookout

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/18

Duration3h

GroupUp to 56

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Ride a covered wagon to a backcountry cookout, then try your hand at roping and horseshoes.

A covered wagon ride in Banff National Park along the Bow River leads to a remote backcountry cookout at 3 Mile Cabin, where you choose between steak or vegetarian dinner, play western games, and return by wagon. The 3-hour activity runs mornings or evenings and suits all ages; the remote kitchen serves set menus only.

The Experience

What's the best way to experience a working backcountry cookout without arranging your own transport? The wagon does the traveling for you. You'll ride for about two hours along the Bow River, watching for wildlife and taking in views of Sulphur Mountain and the Canadian Rockies while the horses handle the route. Midway through, you arrive at 3 Mile Cabin, a remote outpost where the kitchen operates with what it has on hand — no custom orders, just honest food cooked to order.

Before eating, you work up an appetite with western games: lassoing and horseshoes are the main events, and they're the kind of thing that keeps kids and adults occupied the same way. Then comes the meal — your choice of an 8oz AAA steak or a vegetarian plate, both served with baked beans, roasted potatoes, fresh-baked cornbread, coleslaw, and dessert, plus coffee, tea, juice and hot chocolate. The food is hearty and meant to stick with you after a morning or evening ride.

You'll need to arrive 30 minutes before your departure time, and the whole experience runs about three hours from start to finish. This is a wagon ride only — you're not on horseback — which makes it accessible for families with younger children and for anyone who wants the backcountry experience without the saddle. The remote location is part of the appeal: you're genuinely away from the main park facilities, eating under open sky with the Rockies around you.

What’s included

A 2-hour covered wagon ride along the Bow River with views of Sulphur Mountain.
your choice of an 8oz AAA steak dinner or vegetarian dinner with baked beans, roasted potatoes, cornbread, coleslaw, and dessert.
coffee, tea, juice, and hot chocolate.
western games including roping and horseshoes.
a live English-speaking guide.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for back problems

Operated by Banff Trail Riders

Is this one for you?Book the morning departure if you want the ride and meal finished by early afternoon, or choose evening if you prefer to spend your day elsewhere and end it with the cookout. Either way, the remote location and set menu mean you're eating genuine backcountry food, not a catered version of it — which is exactly what makes the experience different from a standard park activity.