The ranch has a lot to offer for any organized group of people: Outdoor Education, study groups, day tours, retreats, band camps, family reunions or just enjoyment. Inquire about special rates for children under 7 years of age.

• The area offers rivers, creeks, springs, meadows, hills, heavily treed areas and is ideal for hiking and orienteering programs
• A very good area for studying lower plants such as mosses and lichens
• Many swampy areas for studying pond life
• Abundant wildlife
• There are sawmill sites for impact studies
• There is an abundance of wild flowers, plant life and trees
• Located on the Little Red Deer River, there are cut banks that show a good geological history of the area including a seam of fossil shells
• Acclimation studies
• Basic outdoor skills and wilderness survival

Summer

• Horseback riding
• Team and wagon rides
• Fishing (must supply your own gear)

Winter (Pending suitable conditions)

• Snowshoeing
• Tobogganing
• Skating
• Cross Country Skiing (Groups must supply their own gear)

Bates Bar J Ranch is a family operation. A full time cook and staff provide nourishing meals in a modern kitchen.

1. The supervision of students and children on all activities and free time is the responsibility of their chaperones and leaders. A ratio of approximately 10 children to one chaperone or leader is recommended. Horse riding is an exception and is supervised by the ranch staff who are experienced horse handlers.
2. All overnight guests must bring their own bedding or sleeping bags and pillows plus toilet articles such as soap and towels.
3. There must be a minimum of 30 guests to open the premises and a maximum of 80 including supervision.
4. It is suggested that vehicles have chains or good snow tires in the winter months.
5. Bookings must be made in advance and a $150.00 reservation deposit is required.
6. Balance of payments to be made to the ranch after the tour is completed.
7. Groups will be responsible for damage they may cause, eg: broken windows, etc.

The group application form can be downloaded by clicking on the following link.
Group Booking Request

The group application form is in Adobe PDF format. You can obtain the latest free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking on the Adobe Reader icon.

The group application form is also available as a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet. The spreadsheet can be downloaded by clicking on the following link.
Group Booking Request - Excel Spreadsheet