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?

Thank you Sunny, I think, Kootenai National Park, might be a good stop, also, I'm seeing a park, Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park, that may make a good stop. Bow Valley could also work.

Thanks Claire, yup, middle of the week is often a better option. Its great to be retired and flexible!

To get from Washington to Banff, the GPS probably tells you take the Coquihalla Hwy (Hwy 5) to the Trans Canada Hwy (Hwy 1) via Kamloops. That is a good and scenic road. But IMO you would do much better to go via the Okanagan Valley (Hwy 97) and join the TCH at Salmon Arm or Sicamous. Biased, because I grew up in the Okanagan, but I think its one of the most beautiful places on earth. Plenty of rustic places to camp along the lake, including:

1. Bear Creek Provincial Park (west side of the lake, near Kelowna)
2. Fintry Provincial Park (west side, between Kelowna and Vernon)
3. Evely Recreation Site (near Fintry, less serviced)
4. Ellison Park (not on a through road, but about half hour from Vernon)

There are dozens of others, plus dozens more private (less rustic) sites. And there are resorts and hotels all up and down the valley.

I can tell you more by PM if you decide to go this way.

Take a look at Hipcamp. We use it a lot for here in WA and really like it. It’s like Airbnb for camping.

Mt Robson PP is just west of Jasper and very beautiful. There are 3 campgrounds there, some need reservations, but the biggest one - Robson Meadows - has a number of FCFS. https://bcparks.ca/mount-robson-park/#camping

Takakkaw Falls is very tight with switchbacks, so I think you will have to leave your camper somewhere.

Definitely! It’s worse than switchbacks, I recall some section has to be driven in reverse.

Should you take bear spray?

Careful with bear spray, make sure it is legal to bring into Canada. Personal defense pepper spray (like sold at Costco) is not. Many firearms are a no-no also as you likely know.

Doing the same drive this summer. Crossing at North Portal increases time and fuel costs, done that once. Now powering thru Montana instead, each way, despite ultimately crossing into BC.

I'm appreciating the route recommendations.

@Toby, you are referencing Takakkaw Falls, but I'm not seeing another post mentioning the falls? Our main focus is creating a more interesting route to Washington State. We won't be doing as much sight seeing and hikes. We won't be doing any drives that require dropping the camper off and having to return to it. I am interested in more details on your route, Toby. I do know crossing into Canada requires more time and gas than driving thru Montana and North Dakota, but we've done that route too many times. (And we've gone thru South Dakota about as often)

@Susan and Darren, I will spend some time with Google maps exploring your ideas, thank you.

@Mikliz, Thank you. We are familiar with Hip Camp, used it last year on Whidbey Island. The place was fine, we'll need to research a little deeper should we use it again.

re. Bear Spray, I took that as a joke? I do have a can of bear spray from REI, though not sure if it expires. We have a hard sided camper and won't be doing any long hikes due to lack of time.

Bear spray: I looked for an official link but failed. Bear spray with a specific EPA number is allowed into Canada.

Edit: Here’s a US gov link

https://cbpcomplaints.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1637?language=en_US

You can buy bear spray in Canada, but I'm not sure you can bring it across the border into Canada. When you buy bear spray here, you have to be trained in how to use it, and you have to be registered as possessing it.

But, yes, bear spray is a good idea. Also, practice some bear aware strategies, not just for your sake, but for the bears' sakes. (If they become "problem bears," they may be destroyed.)

https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/mtn/ours-bears/securite-safety

And you never know, when you're in bear country, if a bear might be just around the corner. One time, my DH and I went for a little walk (I wouldn't even call it a hike), around a path on the grounds of Kananaskis Village, where we were staying. Suddenly, my husband said, "There's a bear." I started to scoff, because there was a sign about bears on the end of an intersecting path, and my husband is the sort of person who would think it was funny to say that when he meant there was an image of a bear on the sign. But, there, on the path, heading right for us, was a black bear. We were literally a few feet away from one of the resort's parking lots.

Another time, we were walking on a path along the river in Banff when, across the river, we saw three bears: a mother grizzly and her two ~yearling cubs. We thought it was no problem, because we didn't know at that time how fast grizzlies can swim. Anyway, they weren't that far away from an event centre where a bbq was happening. This was at dusk, and we watched them settle into the undergrowth, presumably to sleep.

Another time, we saw a huge grizzly a few yards from the road, sitting in a field, scarfing down dandelions. (I believe this was the bear known as "The Boss" IYKYK.) Anyway, this was not far from Banff Townsite, just on the other side of the highway, near a popular picnic area with a pond.

When you camp here, be very careful of how you store your food. Make sure you use the bear-safe bins to dispose of garbage. Don't throw foodstuff into the campfire. Don't leave scraps at the campsite. And when you hike, carry bear spray and make noise.

In the days when we used to camp with our kids, we have switched sites (when they were easier to come by), because the people at the site next to ours were being stupid or because the previous occupants had left food scraps behind.

Another information page about bears: https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/canadian-rockies/banff/stories/bears-in-banff/

Just to be clear, I am not worried about bears. I am worried about having an interesting route to Washington with places to stop to sleep with an occasional stop for a pretty viewpoint

We have encountered bears, including mommas with cubs, and other wildlife in the past.

Oh, yeah, sorry. I ran with a tangent on your thread.

Back to our regularly scheduled topic...

You could try Sibbald Lake Campground. It is between Calgary and Banff, not too far off the trans Canada. I think it doesn't tend to fill up, but that may not be true anymore. Another spot to look at might be near Field BC, there are a few campgrounds there, Kicking Horse is one of them, and if you google that you will get the website. Field is a little off the track for heading up the ice fields parkway, but it is a pretty drive on it's own.

My husband and I were living in Edmonton, and we frequently camped with a little motorhome at 2 o’clock creek near the Icefields Parkway. I looked online and there are sites available mid summer. I don’t believe they had any hookups. It’s on a lot of grassland, but has many hiking trails.
Not too far from Nordegg which has a rich history. Worth a visit.

Thank you all so much. I'm making progress. Looks like I can get a night at Sibbald Lake or Bow Valley. I can also get a night or two at Mt. Robson. Would love somewhere in between. Was hoping there'd be a random single night in Jasper or Banff parks. There is a lot of availablility in Jasper's overflow campground. Ideally, we'd be further south, but late planners can't be choosy!

@Darren, we plan to take your detour and hope to find a campsite in or around Kelowna. Thank you.

We've seen much of Jasper and Banff, which is not to say we wouldn't enjoy returning to favorite spots.

I got to looking at sites in Yoho, especially the two waterfalls. We could spend a half a day or so in Yoho and see less in Banff. We could drive from Sibbald Lake to Morraine Lake to Yoho, then Peyto Lake, camp at Thompson Creek (by 2 o'clock, which doesn't have availability) Next day, Athabasca Glacier, Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls, drive to Mt. Robson provincial park to camp for the night.

@ Darren, looks like Bear Creek has no availability in Kelowna, but Fintry does, so that should work.

Just chiming in to say good luck Jules! Have been wanting to visit Banff/Jasper for years. Someday soon we hope. Let us know how it works out.

I'm sure you know most of these, but just in case this lists a lot of campgrounds along Icefields parkway
https://hikebiketravel.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-camping-on-the-icefields-parkway/

OK, so at Takakkaw Falls, in Yoho, Toby mentioned tight roads and a need to drop off a trailer. We will be going from Sibbald Lake to probably Thompson Creek, where does one leave a trailer?

Here’s the critical section of road. With a trailer you would have to do the middle section in reverse.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4554982,-116.4387836,15z/data=!3m1!1e3?g_ep=Eg1tbF8yMDI2MDYwMl8wIJvbDyoASAJQAg%3D%3D

Jules, I am confused.

I was the one who first mentioned Takakkaw Falls, which is near the Spiral Tunnels overlook in Yoho National Park.

But Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta are both in Jasper National Park and if you continue on from there to Mt. Robson, it doesn't look to me like you would be going near Takakkaw Falls.

@Sunny, we had planned to go into Yoho for the day, we haven't been there. From there we were going to do Jasper overflow camping and then on to Mt. Robson. Yesterday, I found a random day for camping in Yoho so I took that, and we will spend some time visiting the faves in Jasper and Banff (Morraine, peyto and the falls) then stay in Yoho and go to Kelowna area from there. I'm stalking Parks Canada and Alberta's hoping one camping day opens up in Banff or Canmore area otherwise, we'll be at Sibbald Lake. SIbbald Lake looks lovely and would work fine, but I'd like to spend that night closer to Banff. I see a lot of Alberta Parks campsites and a city one are First come first serve which is tempting, but I don't want to count on it since we'll be arriving late.

Ok, thanks for the clarification :) It would be ideal if you camped somewhere near Johnston Canyon or Lake Louise. You could leave your camper in your campsite, pop over to Takakkaw Falls and the Spiral Tunnels, back track to hook up your camper and head on up the Icefields Parkway to Peyto Lake, etc. (If I understand your route now)

One thing you might not have caught is that Moraine Lake road is closed to private vehicles. You have to take a bus out and back. I'm not sure, but you might be able to leave your camper at the shuttle parking lot.

Good to know, Sunny, that probably makes Moraine lake less likely. I'm really interested in seeing the status of Athabasca glacier. I fear that it is much smaller.

If any one has an idea of a campground of some sort closer to Banff than Sibbald lake, I'd be appreciative. I am watching all the Alberta campgrounds near Canmore

Yes, Athabasca Glacier has definitely receded. We were there last year and it has signs showing the difference, but we could tell at a glance that it was smaller than our previous stop in 2019.

What date are you looking for in the Banff area? I am finding availability on some days. There is also an Overflow area between Banff and Lake Louise. It's not great --- a gravel parking lot next to the Trans-Canada Hwy, but it is an option.

@Sunny, I am looking for something for July 11. So of course, it had to be a Saturday! I didn’t see a Banff overflow on Parks Canada

I think I saw at least one road (maybe the one to Takakkaw Falls) that had a sign indicating trailer parking for vehicles that exceeded the maximum length.

We parked our truck and trailer across Icefield Parkway next to the visitor center when we did the Toe of the Athabasca. The signage along the trail indicating how quickly the glacier is retreating was alarming to me.

It sounds like your plan is coming together nicely!

Shoot! I see availability on the 12th, so I was hopeful.

The overflow 'parking lot' is listed as Lake Louise Overflow for $13.50 CAD but you are right, it isn't listed as reservable. It is first come, first serve, but I saw a blog post that says it's rarely used now that it isn't listed. Here is a link to show it's listed on Parks Canada fee page:

https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/tarifs-fees

We've driven by it a few times and it looked fairly empty. It's on the south side of the highway fairly close to Lake Louise.