The Town of Cardston is located in the rolling foothills of Alberta Southwest, just minutes away from the U.S. border and 30 minutes from Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Originally settled by Mormon immigrants in 1887, Cardston is known for its rich cultural heritage and offers everyone adventure and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Located between Cardston and Lethbridge, Magrath is a farming Community with lots of heart and rich history.  In 1899, the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company recruited Mormon settlers from Utah and Idaho to construct a canal system that would supply farmers with water. These experienced settlers developed Canada’s first major irrigation project and were paid in cash and land.

 

This quaint village tucked into the lush foothills of the Rocky Mountains was settled by pioneers almost 100 years ago. Many descendants of the original settlers still reside in Glenwood, while many others have moved to the area for its natural tranquility and the serenity of small Community living. Glenwood offers a restful and scenic detour for visitors and explorers alike.

 

Right in the middle of nowhere but a half hour from everywhere, the Village of Hill Spring is a unique and welcoming Community. With a rich pioneering heritage, Hill Spring proves that good things really do come in small packages. From its natural beauty to its unique Community, Hill Spring is a great place to live or to visit.

 

Located five miles southeast of Cardston, the Hamlet of Aetna lies tucked between the Rocky Mountains to the west and the St. Mary River Valley to the east, with Snake Creek winding its way throughout the community. Settled in the 1890s by hard-working Mormon pioneers, Aetna has always been a quiet hub of Community activity and a beautiful place to call home or to visit.

 

Mark Beazer was the first permanent homesteader of this Hamlet, arriving with his wife and four children from Utah. Within 10 years of his settlement, 60 more families had joined his, and the Hamlet of Beazer was established. Today, this quiet Hamlet tucked into the rolling prairies remains proud of the pioneering spirit that brought this land to life and of the farming heritage and family values that continue to define this Community.

 

Carway is a small hamlet located in the extreme south of Alberta, 25 km south of Cardston. Aptly named for the Cardston Highway, Carway is the southernmost point of Highway 2 and turns into Highway 89 in Montana. Carway has become one of the preferred Canadian entries to the Glacier National Park through Going-to-the-Sun Road.

 

Meaning "of the pretty”, Del Bonita is a Community infused with the pioneering spirit of the families who settled this area. Once nothing but waves of grass stretching for miles, this area is now known for its beautiful rolling hills, cattle ranching, and the value of hard work. It is also an important port of entry between Canada and the U.S.

 

This Hamlet can be found five miles north -as the crow flies - of the Canada-U.S. border. Kimball is tucked into a lush area, surrounded by hills and bordered to the west by the St. Mary River. With Chief Mountain a mere 25 miles away, the stunning views enjoyed in this Hamlet are second to none. The Mormon settlers who pioneered this land at the turn of the 20th century referred to this as one of God’s chosen spots.

 

Travel seven miles west of Cardston, and you’ll come upon the Hamlet of Leavitt, whose original name was Buffalo Flats. Nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and a skyline dominated by Chief Mountain and the Canadian Rockies, Leavitt is a breathtaking spot worth taking in. Named in honor of Thomas Rowell Leavitt Sr., one of the original Mormon pioneers who settled in this area, Leavitt remains a small but thriving Community.

 

14 miles southwest of Cardston is the beautiful Hamlet of Mountain View. Aptly named in 1893, Mountain View offers stunning views of the Canadian Rockies. Just a short distance from Waterton Lakes National Park, this quiet haven of outdoor adventure and natural beauty retains the Community values it was built on.

 

Originally a small temporary trading post, this Hamlet had its beginning in the bottom of Pinepound Coulee near a large spring, hence its eventual name of Spring Coulee. Today, the residents of Spring Coulee live up the hill from the spring, farming some of the most verdant lands in the area. This is due in large part to an extensive irrigation system branching off the nearby St. Mary River Dam, which supplies much-needed water to thousands of acres of cropland.

 

Ancient artifacts that have made their way to the surface over centuries tell us that Welling’s first inhabitants were Indigenous peoples. As in many Cardston County Communities, Mormons eventually settled the land that would become Welling.

 

10 miles east of Cardston is the Hamlet of Woolford, lying between the St. Mary River and the Milk River Ridge. With high rolling hills to the Northeast (Lumpy Butte) and Butte Lake to its South, this quiet Community is surrounded by the natural beauty of the land and is located adjacent to the beautiful Woolford Provincial Park.