Summer travel planning is heating up, and that means it’s time for camping season. Camping remains one of the most affordable, family-friendly holidays you can enjoy. And there’s no better place than in one of Canada’s amazing National Parks. Our six essential tips for camping in Banff will help you plan and enjoy a memorable camping holiday with your family.
6 essential tips for camping in Banff
Canada has some of other finest national and provincial park campgrounds anywhere on the planet. They are beautifully situated in nature, on lakes, rivers and mountainsides. There’s really nothing more Canadian than taking a camping trip – pitching a tent in the forest or by a lake, starting up a campfire, cooking outdoors and telling ghost stories or tall tales. It’s practically a right of passage.
Get a Parks Canada Discovery Pass
If you want to camp or visit Banff or Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies, or any of Canada’s 100+ National Parks, you will need to purchase a Discovery Pass. For a family or group up to seven people, the cost is approximately $140 CAD.
Make camping reservations
Like a hotel in summer season, campgrounds in national parks are busy places that require reservations.
Parks Canada makes it easy to reserve your campsite with its online reservation system for 27 of its national parks and historic sites, including camping in Banff.
There are 13 campgrounds in Banff National Park, offering 2,468 campsites. How you choose a campsite is up to you! But it will depend on how you plan to camp, and how close you’d like to be Banff, Lake Louise or the Icefields Parkway.
Tunnel Mountain Village II campground is close to Banff town centre, with the added benefit of flush toilets. It’s also good for camping with an RV. Near the Icefields parkway, the sites at Johnston Canyon or Mosquito Creek campgrounds can be less crowded but equally scenic.
Choose the camping areas that works best for you! Just remember to book your campsite early to avoid disappointment.
Read more > How to Explore Beautiful Banff with Kids
No Tent? No Problem!
If you’re new the world of camping and haven’t assembled all of the equipment yet, reserving an oTENTik is the perfect solution. They are exclusive to quite a few Parks Canada campgrounds across the nation, including in Banff. Staying in an oTENTik is all about helping you feel comfortable in the great outdoors.
The oTENTik features an A-frame cabin/tent hybrid, mounted on a raised wooden floor. There are beds for up to 6 people, lighting, electricity, hot showers, indoor heat, an outdoor firepit and BBQ. All you need to do is to bring your own sleeping bags, pillows, food and some kitchen camp supplies.
Try equipped camping
If you’re a newbie to the camping experience, fear not! Parks Canada and Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) have partnered to offer an exciting new service at Banff’s Two Jack Main Campground – Equipped Camping.
There are five such reservable equipped camping walk-in sites, fully kitted out and set up with tents, sleeping bags and pads, cooking equipment and fire pit. This is the perfect way to ease into the camping experience, especially if you’re not sure whether your family will love it, and you don’t wish to buy all of the necessary equipment yourself.
Read more > Where to Eat in Banff: the best restaurants in town
Bathe in the beauty of nature
Camping in Banff opens up unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities in the 6,640 km2 of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers.
You may notice elk walking past your tent as you sip early-morning coffee, or see a black bear during a day hike to see the golden larches in fall. Do no harm, respect nature, and enjoy the great outdoors in Canada’s first and finest national park.
And don’t forget to enjoy a dip in the Banff Hot Springs as a special, unforgettable treat. Beware, the hot springs are uber-popular and crowded at any time of day. You may be waiting your turn if the facility is at capacity.
Pin for Later
Have you camped at Banff National Park? Did you see any wildlife? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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