Saddling up for rides May 15, 2026

The McKenzie Story

With McKenzie's Trails West, you're riding with a family that has spent nearly six decades learning these mountains, living in them, and raising their children in them. 

McKenzie's Trails West is a multi-generational outfitting operation in the Cline River Valley. Since 1967, our family has been welcoming adventurers from across Canada and around the world into some of the most remote and breathtaking backcountry in the Canadian Rockies. Our passion for the land, our horses, and the people we guide is the way our family has lived for generations.

Page Summary
  • Multi-generational family business has guided Alberta Rockies adventures since 1967.
  • Horse back riding, pack trips and camping adventures in Alberta.
  • Small groups, experienced guides, and protected wilderness create personal experiences.

Our Past

McKenzie's Trails West was founded by Ed and Milly McKenzie in 1967, but Ed's story in the wilderness started long before that.

Ed grew up in Stauffer, Alberta, where his childhood was made up of fishing, hunting, farming, and riding broncs on weekends for a few extra dollars. He earned his first guide's license in 1949 and spent years working for local big game outfitters, learning the land and building the kind of backcountry skill that can't be taught in a classroom. When he and Milly started their own outfit in 1967, they brought everything they had to it. Ed's natural charisma and deep knowledge of the wilderness paired perfectly with Milly's love of people and sharp business instincts. Together, they built McKenzie's Trails West into one of the most trusted and recognized outfitting operations in Alberta.

Over the years, Ed and Milly welcomed guests from all over the world into this wilderness and became passionate advocates for its conservation and protection. They understood that this land was worth fighting for.

They also raised nine children inside the business. For the McKenzie kids, "family time" meant exploring unspoiled wilderness. Our playmates were horses. Our playground was rugged mountain peaks, crystal clear streams, and open alpine country. It was not always an easy life, but as we’ll tell you, none of us would trade a single day of it for a lifetime of comfort.

Our Present

Ed and Milly raised their children side by side in this wilderness, and that bond never left.  McKenzie's Trails West was built over decades of shared hard work, adventures, and a love for this stretch of the Alberta Rockies.

Today, McKenzie's Trails West is managed by Shelley Schenk and her husband, Kelly, with core family members woven into every part of the operation, sharing their horsemanship, hospitality, and camp experiences. Guests consistently say they don't feel like customers here. They feel like they've been folded into something real. The stories around the campfire, the easy banter between guides on the trail, and the genuine care for every rider all come from the same place it always has.

Our Future

What's next for McKenzies is already within reach.

McKenzie's Trails West is building on nearly six decades of trust with a clear eye on what comes next. We are always looking for more ways for adventurers to access this wilderness and for a stronger foundation to deliver the quality of experience guests have come to expect.

The next generation of the McKenzie family is coming up through the ranks with serious horsemanship, deep knowledge of the backcountry, and the same drive that built this outfit from the ground up. They're learning the trails, the horses, and the craft of guiding. The future of McKenzie's Trails West is in skilled hands, and the best of what this outfit offers is still ahead.

How Our Story Influences Your Adventure

Guests who ride with McKenzie's Trails West are not getting a packaged wilderness experience delivered by seasonal staff. They are riding with people who were raised on these trails. The care for every guest is personal. And the country they ride through is a place the McKenzie family has been protecting and sharing for nearly sixty years.

Frequently Asked Questions About McKenzie's Trails West

McKenzie's Trails West was founded by Ed and Milly McKenzie in 1967 and has been operating continuously in the Alberta Rockies for nearly 60 years, making it one of the most established guided horseback outfitting operations in the province.

Yes. McKenzie's Trails West is a multi-generational family business, currently managed by Shelley Schenk and her husband, Kelly, the daughter of founders Ed and Milly McKenzie. Extended family members remain actively involved in daily operations across guiding, hospitality, and horsemanship.

McKenzie's Trails West operates in the Cline River Valley of the Alberta Rockies, between Jasper National Park and Banff National Park. It is one of the most remote and unspoiled stretches of backcountry in the Canadian Rockies.

First, the family's roots in this specific wilderness go back nearly 60 years. Our guides know these trails at a depth that takes generations to develop. 

Second, groups are intentionally kept small, ensuring every guest has a personal experience. 

Third, the riding area itself is one of the last large stretches of Alberta mountain wilderness untouched by highway or commercial development; it’s accessible only by horse, foot, or helicopter.

McKenzie's guides combine our formal certification with deep generational knowledge of the land. The McKenzie family's connection to Alberta guiding stretches back to 1949. That knowledge and passion have been passed down through the family ever since.