Circle 6 Ranch Getaway

Welcome to the SN Ranch, a working cattle ranch, in the Porcupine Hills in Southern Alberta. For your get-away choose a cozy western or country themed private self-catered house. Bring your own horse(s) and ride in our gorgeous Porcupine Hills or take part in a cattle drive.

This is beautiful country for hiking. Enjoy the springs, creeks and ponds and watch the abundant wildlife and birds. Fish for trout, help gather fresh ranch eggs or picnic on top of a large hill and look out over magnificent grassland, hills and prairies where you can see for miles.

Springtime on the ranch brings new life; new calves, foals and kittens. In the winter cross country ski or toboggan in the beautiful terrain. Perhaps go on a hayride (winter or summer).

At the end of the day, join in at a campfire/fireplace on scheduled evenings and sing-a-long with the SN Ranches own singing cowboy.

Circle 6 Ranch Getaway is perfect for scrapbookers, ladies weekends, couples or families. Bring your family together for a reunion in the spectacular foothills ranch country. The beauty and solitude will appeal to musicians, artists and writers. Who can resist a good book in front of the cozy wood burning fireplace? Whatever you do - come, relax and enjoy a peaceful holiday.

The SN Ranch was originally owned by a fellow named Noah Sitton who applied for that brand. The story goes that the brand was already in use so Noah settled for the SN half diamond brand. Noah was a horse trader/thief! Word has it, he would steal horses from Canada, take them south and sell them across the border. Then, on his way back up here, he would steal a bunch more horses, bring them up across the line and sell them to people up on the Canadian side of the line. Whatever part of the Sitton story one can believe... the SN half diamond brand was acquired by that colorful, original owner and today’s owners, the Ewings, still enjoy it to this day!!

Charlie & Sherry Ewing (your hosts a the ranch ) bought the SN Ranch in 1982 from Charlie's folks. The Ewings are seedstock producers of a cattle breeding program and company called Beefbooster. All SN bull calves are performance-tested and selected for certain desirable and economically important traits. Charlie & Sherry chose the name Circle 6 Ranch Getaway in honour of a long-standing local horse brand that was registered to the Box X, now a part of the SN. This brand was acquired by their daughter Lonni on her 13th birthday.

Charlie Ewing has ranching roots on the SN since the age of 2. And when he's not busy around the ranch, you'll find him playing and practicing his guitar, writing and composing songs. He has just released a brand new CD available by contacting the ranch. Sherry Ewing was a "town girl" who got her first horse at the age of 12. Sherry’s a registered nurse but her first love is horses. The Ewings lead a busy ranching life and would love to share it with you.

Accommodation

The Coop

The guesthouse known affectionately as The Coop and the other home place ranch buildings were built in 1918 by a fellow known as T C Milnes. TC was a fairly wealthy man who owned the "Milnes Block" in Claresholm. (The Milnes block is the big stately brick building on the southwest corner at the traffic lights in Claresholm.) In about 1957, the Coop was converted from a chicken coop or chicken house to a guest house, as there were no extra bedrooms for guests in the main SN ranchhouse.

In 1982, The Coop was renovated and an addition put on. In 2004, this cozy "house" was refurbished into its present state for a guest getaway complete with custom country-themed living area, kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. If you like chickens, apples and daisies, this is your house! Just up the hill from the main ranchhouse, The Coop provides a self-contained relaxing home-away-from-home for guests wanting a rustic ranching experience! Complete with its own wood-burning stove, The Coop has a queen-sized bed, two singles and a hide-a-bed and will sleep up to 6 people.