Tacansina Ranch-Designer Home East of Banff Park

Farm stay in Bighorn No. 8, Canada

  1. 12 guests
  2. 4 bedrooms
  3. 8 beds
  4. 1.5 baths
Rated 4.81 out of 5 stars.145 reviews
Hosted by Claire And Michael
  1. Superhost
  2. 13 years hosting

Listing highlights

24-hour self check-in

Check yourself in with the lockbox whenever you arrive.

Unbeatable location

100% of guests in the past year gave this location a 5-star rating.

Mountain and valley views

Soak up the views during your stay.
It is a beautifully designed ranch house with an equally stunning view of the mountains of Banff National Park. Set on 480 acres of rolling foothills between Calgary and Banff/Canmore, the ranch sleeps 8-12 people (depending on the configuration of the group) . This is our hiking + skiing basecamp.

The space
THE SPACE:
You will not find another ranch house designed like this. It has massive log beams holding up the roof and floor to ceiling windows on the south and west sides.

The ranch house itself is actually two buildings (main house and the guest house) connected with a large outdoor covered patio space that we call the breezeway.

The main house is a fully open space with logs arranged to form 2 adjacent hexagons, 12 inch thick cement walls that encase floor-to-ceiling windows across the south and west sides of the structure. It has a large wood-burning fireplace in addition to the in-floor heating to create a cozy space when you relax on the couches or the murphy bed. The kitchen is fully functional, with the centre-piece of it being a 15 foot long Island. The main house bathroom is stunning with a huge bathtub and shower area and tile throughout.

The guest house contains 4 bedrooms. It has warm cork flooring, its own 1/2 bath and high ceilings. Each bedroom accommodates the following:
Bedroom one: 1 King-sized bed that can convert into 2 twin beds
Bedroom two: 1 King-sized bed that can convert into 2 twin beds
Bedroom three: one queen bed and one single bed.
Bedroom four: three single beds
Murphy bed: This queen bed is located in the main house. It is in the open living space but is the best place to wake up to the stunning mountain view.


Around the house you will find a rundle stone patio on the southwest side with a rustic firepit and seating around it. between the two buildings is the 800 square foot breezeway, with a 16 foot long handcrafted wood table with benches (created using timber from the property). On the south and southwest side is our 4500 square foot grass lawn that is kid-friendly.

Guest access
GUEST ACCESS:
Guests will have access to the ranch house and the land. There is a log cabin on the property, but it is not available for use.

Other things to note
OTHER THINGS TO NOTE:
ATV's, Snowmobiles, Motorbikes or any off-road vehicles are not allowed to be used at the ranch. It is protected land under the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Where you’ll sleep

1 of 3 pages

What this place offers

Valley view
Mountain view
Kitchen
Wifi
Dedicated workspace

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4.81 out of 5 stars from 145 reviews

Overall rating

  1. 5 stars, 86% of reviews
  2. 4 stars, 10% of reviews
  3. 3 stars, 3% of reviews
  4. 2 stars, 1% of reviews
  5. 1 stars, 0% of reviews

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for accuracy

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars for value

Guest reviews mention

Where you’ll be

Bighorn No. 8, Alberta, Canada
Exact location will be provided after booking.

Neighborhood highlights

THE RANCH HISTORY:
According to the Cochrane Historical Society, our ranch was first created in 1889 and was known back then as "The Ripley." The first family that owned it raised Galloway and Hereford Cattle in the valley and had built a house, a stable and lime kiln by what they called "Ripley Creek", now known as Baymar Creek, which empties into Ghost River. Old First Nations trails cross the ranch as well as old and current wildlife trails. When the Palliser expedition came from the north in 1858 to go through the Banff area, they crossed Deadman's Hill, which essentially is the hill or ridge that our house and our cabin are situated. It was called Deadman's Hill because of a First Nation story of a major battle along the Ghost River (Formerly Deadman's River).

THE AREA:
The ranch and the area that it is located is the foothills of Alberta, the land just before the start of the rocky mountains. The ranch house sits on the top of a ridge about 20 km west of the mountains, which can easily be seen from the house and many other vantage points across the property.

The area is pristine wilderness and ranch lands, with thick forest foothills covering most of the area except for the bottom of the valley where native grasses are predominant.

There is a significant amount of wildlife that call this area home. This includes black bears, grizzly bears, deer, wolves, cougars, lynx, bobcat, elk, moose, coyotes, badgers, hawks, bald eagles etc.

Just 2 km hike to the north of the ranch house is the Ghost River and to the south about 10 km is Ghost Lake, which is a reservoir with inflow from the Bow and Ghost Rivers.

On a clear day you can see downtown Calgary to the east and if you look to the west you will see a wide swath of mountains, including Devil's Head and Devil's Gap, which is the valley leading to Lake Minnewanka of Banff National Park.

Meet your host

Superhost
269 reviews
4.83 out of 5 average rating
13 years of hosting
Where I went to school: University of Calgary&Boston University
My work: Architect & Realtor
Claire and Michael, we are a family of 6. Graduates of University of Calgary and Boston University, respectively. Both of us Claire is an architect and Michael is a realtor. We love the outdoors and adventure, specifically skiing, hiking, traveling backcountry camping, live music and spending quality time with friends and family.

Claire And Michael is a Superhost

Superhosts are experienced, highly rated hosts who are committed to providing great stays for guests.

Host details

Response rate: 100%
Responds within an hour
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Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Checkout before 11:00 AM
12 guests maximum
Safety & property
Exterior security cameras on property
Nearby lake, river, other body of water
May encounter potentially dangerous animal