Photo: Alberta Travel

A visit to the Big Rock or Okotoks Erratic should be included in travel plans to Alberta, Canada.

Big Rock or The Okotoks Erratic is a glacial erratic which was carried by an ancient glacier then deposited on the plains when the ice retreated. When in southern Alberta travel out to see the Okotoks Erratic, a mound of rocks laying in the middle of a flat field and the largest glacial erratic in North America. Native legend tells of Napi the trickster who sat on the rock to rest. As a gift for allowing him to rest there, Napi gave the rock his cloak. However, the weather changed and became cold so Napi took his cloak back and the rock rolled after him. He called on his friends the buffalo and deer to help out but they were flattened by the rock. Finally Napi called on the bats to help, and they dove at the rock until one of them finally hit it and broke it in two. Hence the rock was broken in two.