Camping in Alberta and British Columbia this summer

Hello,

We have camped in Canada and Montana/Idaho/Washington many times over the years. If you give us an idea of the route you would take (and the month), I can be of more help. And it sounds like you have flexibility as to the type of camping spot, so I think we can find you some spots!

Cool thing about your idea is that Parks Canada is offering Free Entry and 25% off camping again this summer. We took advantage of it last year and plan to do so again this summer.

Thanks Sunny

Looks like my route is I-94 to Jamestown ND, Highway 52 to border and Highway 39 to Caronport/Trans-Canada Highway to Abbotsford to Mt Baker.

Likely we would detour up to Jasper. We won't be hiking or lingering much, its basically a road trip to Washington State, through gorgeous scenery.

We've driven through North Dakota/South Dakota/Montana so much that we could probably drive it with our eyes closed.

I know the feeling! Our son lives in South Dakota, and we've driven there over 40 times. We make a loop through both Dakotas. We plan our route based on gas stations with clean restrooms.

We've only stayed in Tunnel Mountain, Lake Louise, and Whisters and I suppose they are all full. I remember considering the paved lot next to the visitor center on the Icefields Parkway. On the way we have stayed at both units of Theodore Roosevelt and Fort Peck in Montana. I liked all of the places we stayed on that trip.

It's frustrating that camping reservations have to be made so far in advance. Our August camping reservation was made 10 months ago. Good luck!

Ok, well not knowing the month or dates, I can't check the Parks Canada system. But I will say that the first week of August is a holiday for Canada, so it seems to always be full then.

I will list our favorite stops, some you probably already know about. None of them involve actual HIKING, but some are a bit of a walk :)

1. Johnston Canyon Hike. There is a campground here too, but it does fill up. An alternative that we've used a few times is the campground in Banff. Some of those spots are like a Parking Lot --- but with Elk. However, for 1 night, it's worth it in order to be in that area and last year we found a couple of sites that were quite lovely, with a wonderful view. I looked for sites that were at the edge of the campground rather than the center. Tunnel Mountain Village 1, site A44 was a real winner. We also stayed at Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court, site A202 and it was fine.
2. Peyto Lake. On the way to Jasper. Short hike up to the lookout. This view Never disappoints.
3. Icefields Parkway Visitor Center. We stopped here last Labor Day weekend and it was sunny. Possibly the only time in 20 visits that has happened! They do allow camping in their parking lot now.
4. Jasper. If you drive all the way up to Jasper, you should find a camping spot at Whistler Campground. It is huge. We haven't been since the fire.
5. Spiral Tunnels and Takakkaw Falls. After you turn around and come back down through the Icefields Parkway and go through Yoho National Park, you will come to these two favorites. The road to Takakkaw Falls is very tight with switchbacks, so I think you will have to leave your camper somewhere.

I guess I haven't helped all that much regarding camping, but if you have a specific question, let me know. I hope this helps!

Thank you, Sunny. We are looking at July. I have looked at Parks Canada and Banff and Jasper campgrounds are basically full. We have seen everything on the list on a previous trip, not to say we wouldn’t want to spend some time seeing them again. They certainly are some of the highlights

@mnannie, we LOVE Theo Roosevelt and have been there a few times. Last year, we visited the North Unit where we were sure to get a campsite and ended up doing some new hikes.

We also love Custer and have spent a lot of time there. It is one of my favorite state parks in the country.

One thing we’ve done in the U.S. is used a lot of. National Forest Campgrounds. There are a lot of beautiful ones and they don’t fill up quite so soon.

And if you decide to drop down through Kootenai National Park, Radium, and North Idaho before continuing on through Washington state, I can offer ideas.

Uffda. Sorry things are full.

Your responses got me thinking.....We stayed at Kananaskis one year because of the fires in Jasper. And it's part of the Alberta Provincial Parks system. So I did a quick search using that system rather than Parks Canada and, for example found some availability at the Bow Valley campground near Canmore. I didn't look beyond that quick search, but maybe you'll have luck with the B.C. and Alberta Provincial parks.

I am not a camper but the topic of booking campsites comes up on my local radio station and elsewhere. The National Parks are booked separately from Provincial Parks. For BC Provincial Parks campsites (which are in very high demand each year), you may have more luck on weekday nights versus weekends when I believe the most popular get fully booked as soon as they are available.

Should you take bear spray?