Okotoks, Alberta : Erratic Rock
travel, tourism Canada

( hiking, picnicking )

Erratic Rock

The Erratic Rock (Big Rock) is a historical site and sightseeing attraction located west of the community of Okotoks, Alberta in the Southern Alberta Foothills region of Canada.

The Erratic Rock is a massive boulder left behind by the ice age and the glacial processes of many moons ago. The rock is the largest boulder on the Foothills Erratic Train.

The Foothills Erratic Train is a row of massive rocks located along the eastern Foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The string of boulders stretches from the community of Jasper, Alberta to Montana, USA measuring over 700 kilometres long.

The Erratic Rock, today, is a tourism attraction in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. There is a walking trail leading out to the rock. There are information signs located along the route. The trail then loops behind Big Rock before it loops back to the parking lot. Short and sweet.

The trail provides an opportunity to visit with the quartzite rock weighing over 16,500 tonnes. And.. during your visit we encourage all visitors to stand next to Big Rock for a photo moment.

We ask that you do not touch the rock nor climb on it as it is a protected site. In the 1970s the Erratic Rock was the first item from the earth to be named as a provincial historic site in Alberta, Canada.

For many years the Big Rock was a spiritual place for the First Nation people and it was also a navigational landmark for the Early European settlers.

The Blackfoot First Nation, in the early days, called the region "Okatok" which means rock. The rock they were referring too is the massive glacial rock located west of the community of Okotoks. Back then it also stood out.

For those who wish to stick around longer at the Erratic Rock there are some sitting benches, a look out viewing deck, pit toilets and some sightseeing picnic tables near the parking lot.

How to Get to the Erratic Rock

Travel to the community of Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. From Highway #2a near Olde Towne Okotoks travel south to Highway #7. Turn and travel west on Hwy #7 for 10 kilometres. The massive boulder will be hard to miss on your right. There you will see the parking lot.

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