Nestled at the confluence of the Clearwater River and the North Saskatchewan River in west-central Alberta, Rocky Mountain House sits approximately 77 kilometres west of Red Deer. The town occupies a strategic crossroads where Highway 22, known as the Cowboy Trail, meets Highway 11, the David Thompson Highway – a fitting tribute to one of the most notable explorers who once used this very location as a base of operations. The administrative offices of the surrounding Clearwater County are also located within the town.
A History Rooted in the Fur Trade
The story of Rocky Mountain House stretches back to the final years of the 18th century, when competing British and Canadian fur trading interests converged on this river junction. In 1799, both the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company established rival posts here – Acton House and Rocky Mountain House respectively – built on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan just above the Clearwater, and constructed with considerable fortification given the tensions with the Blackfeet and Piegan peoples of the region. The posts facilitated trade with the Blackfeet, Piegans, and the Kootenay peoples from across the mountains, and also produced pemmican and York boats for the wider fur trade network. The two rival companies merged in 1821, after which the Rocky Mountain House name was retained, and trading continued at the site until the post finally closed in 1875. The posts opened and closed a total of seven times over their history. Around 1980, only two stone chimneys remained standing, and an interpretive centre was later developed at the site to honour this legacy.
Exploration, Settlement, and Modern Times
Rocky Mountain House served as a launching point for explorers seeking a passage through the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, most notably the surveyor and mapmaker David Thompson. The westernmost post on the North Saskatchewan, it sat within sight of the mountains and drew travellers heading further west and northwest – a role the town continues to play into the 21st century. At the turn of the 20th century, a new wave of settlers arrived drawn by fertile farmland and abundant natural resources, with people of Scandinavian origin forming a significant part of that early population. By 1912, Rocky Mountain House had established itself as a proper town. More recently, on October 20, 2021, the town was struck by a magnitude 5.0 earthquake just after 9:20 in the evening, an event recorded as the second-strongest earthquake in Alberta’s history.