Tucked into the northern Alberta landscape roughly 68 km north of Grande Prairie and just 7 km east of Spirit River, Rycroft is a small village that has quietly been part of the region’s story for well over a century. The community sits within a land area of approximately 1.85 km², and as of the 2021 federal census, it was home to 550 residents living in 243 of its 299 private dwellings. That figure marked a decline of around 10.1% from the 2016 count of 612 people, which itself represented a modest dip from the 628 residents recorded in 2011. The population density in 2021 stood at roughly 297 people per km². Nature lovers in the area have easy access to Dunvegan Provincial Park, situated about 20 km to the north of the village.
The community’s name has an interesting backstory. Its original post office operated under the name Spirit River before being renamed Roycroft in 1920 to recognize R.H. Roycroft, a well-regarded local figure. The spelling was later adjusted to Rycroft in 1933, the form the village has carried ever since. Rycroft is part of the broader Peace Country region of Alberta, an area known for its agricultural heritage and wide-open northern character.