Forestry Trunk Road — Hwy 734 Nosehill Creek to Brazeau Collieries Ghost Town

The Coal Branch country west of Drayton Valley is one of Alberta’s most overlooked overland corridors. Picking up Hwy 734 near Nosehill Creek and driving southwest, you’re threading through cutblocks and old-growth spruce before the road drops toward the Brazeau River valley and the ruins of Brazeau Collieries — an entire coal mining town that burned and was abandoned by the 1950s. Concrete foundations, collapsed tipple structures, and the eerie silence of a place that once housed hundreds of workers make this a legitimate ghost town run. The road itself is maintained gravel transitioning to two-track clay in the lower sections; wet weather turns the clay stretches greasy fast.

A capable high-clearance rig handles this in dry conditions, but don’t trust a dry forecast in the foothills — carry traction boards and a recovery kit regardless. The ghost town site requires some short hiking from the road to fully explore the ruins. Best season is June through October, with mid-summer offering the driest road surface. No permits required, but the area is active timber harvest country so watch for logging trucks on blind corners. Fuel at Drayton Valley or Nordegg before you head in — there’s nothing out here.