Mountain Campsite Recommendations

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Minnie

You think it's rough? Huh. We found it pretty decent. A few narrower spots/corners at the beginning, if you start at the section just west of Longview, but beyond that, pretty smooth and well maintained for a trunk road. We are up and down the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail/Canmore Hill quite a bit each year and find that to be a much more rough and rattly road than we found 40S from Longview.

By rough, I mean not paved - depending on the year it can be washboard in places. And always dusty. If you camp off the Hwy (not in a campground) the access points can be rough.

[Violator]

Originally Posted by MillerTime GFG

Appreciate all the suggestions!

That Livingstone Falls campground looks unreal, and it's quite close. Was going to book it, but I see it's first come first serve. Can anyone weigh in on how easy/difficult it is to grab a spot? We have a week open, so could show up on a Sunday or Monday if that would make it easier.

Try this have been going to the area for a couple years after finding everything close to banff and calgary to be less than ideal for camping.

http://rockymountaincamping.ca

Castle falls is really good me and the gf went just before all the fire bans and were one of only two sites occupied but we went during the week and left saturday.

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by troutman

By rough, I mean not paved - depending on the year it can be washboard in places. And always dusty. If you camp off the Hwy (not in a campground) the access points can be rough.

Ah ok, I getcha. Definitely agree on the dusty. We open the car doors after a trip and it's like the field of dust surrounding Pigpen from Peanuts lol. It can be pretty thick in the door frames after a trip. A colleague of my husband's does some vehicle cleaning for us a few times a year; he used to be a detailer and so he and my husband barter services back and forth - the first time he detailed my car after a recent trip down the trunk road, he was all "where the HELL were you driving?!" My husband just says "we like to take the roads less traveled and they're usually gravel/dirt."

We tend to measure how rough the road is by our daughter - with her arthritis and chronic pain issues, she's often very tender and so if it's super rough, we will not take a route if she happens to be with us. That was one of the roads we thought she'd be fine on. We have a couple of workarounds if she wants to come, involving a lot of extra padding, which is what we did this past week up on the Smith-Dorrien and it seems to work.

We just really enjoyed that route. Quiet road, but well maintained and wide in most places, beautiful scenery - we could just meander without upsetting any other drivers, quickly pull over if we wanted to check something out without having someone up the tailpipe, freaking out.

[Shazam]

If you go on weekdays you will have your pick of anywhere.

Definitely try out Two Jack Lake. This is one of the best tenting sites in the world.

I really like Bow Valley Campground for tenting. Try getting A-39, A-40 or A-41. They're walk-in sites that are absolutely awesome.

I also like to go east. Try out Dinosaur Provincial Park (it's not near Drumheller). Take a tour of the park as well. It's incredible.

Federal sites are awesome because you get free firewood.

[MillerTime GFG]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Definitely try out Two Jack Lake. This is one of the best tenting sites in the world.

Thanks! Any site recommendations there? One next to the water would be awesome.

[Shazam]

Make sure you're booking the "Two Jack Lakeside" campground, the other one is sprawling RV land.

Definitely try to take any of the walk-ins. The area is heavily treed so I don't think it matters much otherwise. When you reserve there are pictures of each campsite.

[Muta]

The Pocaterra region south of Nakiska is awesome. The campsite is in amazing condition, too.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Shazam

If you go on weekdays you will have your pick of anywhere.

Definitely try out Two Jack Lake. This is one of the best tenting sites in the world.

I really like Bow Valley Campground for tenting. Try getting A-39, A-40 or A-41. They're walk-in sites that are absolutely awesome.

I also like to go east. Try out Dinosaur Provincial Park (it's not near Drumheller). Take a tour of the park as well. It's incredible.

Federal sites are awesome because you get free firewood.

This is an amazing post for 2 reasons:

1. We camped in site A-40 last year in Bow Valley Campground and it is indeed awesome

2. My wife and I camped at Two Jack Lakeside probably 14 years ago. Both of us forgot the name and location and have always wanted to return. So thanks!

We showed up and the entire place was occupied, and somebody recommended we try the walk-ins because they're usually open. It was almost confusing how spots that amazing were "usually open". There are advantages to not having an RV, and that would be one of them.

[vanisleflamesfan]

Originally Posted by foshizzle11

I second this. Or even going a little bit farther to racehorse creek, it is awesome out there as well, don't forget your fishing rods!

Great little spot and a lot of tree cover in case it does rain or snow.

If you are going out on May long, DO forget your fishing rods because that water is not open until June 16th.

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/fishingregs/es1.html
http://www.albertaregulations.ca/fis...ES1-Rivers.pdf
http://www.ab-conservation.com/report-a-poacher/

[foshizzle11]

you are correct, don't go fishing this weekend in those areas. None are open until June.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

Takkakaw Falls?

[Shazam]

I have been trying to remember where the hell I've tented.

Little Elbow is really really nice. D-74-77 are the walk-in sites. These are very secluded. There is a very scenic easy hike nearby with a cool suspension bridge.

You should really also try going east. There are a great number of fantastic campgrounds. Little Bow is one. There is a lake there you can swim in. It is quite temperate. Bring cash, there is a general store with ice cream.

Unlike the mountains, it stays really warm through the night.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear

Takkakaw Falls?

Is the road open yet?
Thought that was June-Oct but I usually ski up it, not drive.

[foshizzle11]

Originally Posted by Shazam

I have been trying to remember where the hell I've tented.

Little Elbow is really really nice. D-74-77 are the walk-in sites. These are very secluded. There is a very scenic easy hike nearby with a cool suspension bridge.

You should really also try going east. There are a great number of fantastic campgrounds. Little Bow is one. There is a lake there you can swim in. It is quite temperate. Bring cash, there is a general store with ice cream.

Unlike the mountains, it stays really warm through the night.

Little bow on a long weekend is total shi$ show. If you are looking for mountain camping, this isn't it. It is a reservoir, the swimming area is pretty good, but the sites are pretty jammed together and there is little privacy. It is more like a parking lot.

The Little Elbow tenting sites are awesome, I would also recommend those and that place isn't that far from Calgary.

I still prefer down south on highway 40 over that area though.

There are some spots along forestry trunk road north of Cochrane that are awesome, definitely worth it to take a drive and just stop when you find a place you like.

[dammage79]

I was going to say Spray Lakes but there's no lake..... I was a little taken aback by that last week on my drive through K country.

[transplant99]

I just got back from dropping our RV at Dutch Creek and just a heads up....it is brutally full already.

We have an area that is hard to get to and many wont try, but even it was pretty much covered. No idea on the paid side of things, but anyone that takes the trunk road west off 40 beside the campground is gonna be in for a big surprise.

Good luck all and safe travels.

Gonna be a great weekend but man its gonna be busy.

[vanisleflamesfan]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I was going to say Spray Lakes but there's no lake..... I was a little taken aback by that last week on my drive through K country.

It looks like most of the mountain reservoirs are virtually empty. Anticipating a fairly substantial run-off?

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by foshizzle11

There are some spots along forestry trunk road north of Cochrane that are awesome

No there aren’t.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by vanisleflamesfan

It looks like most of the mountain reservoirs are virtually empty. Anticipating a fairly substantial run-off?

Talking with someone who works for ATCO, yes.

Near record snowfalls for the last decade, late and hard heat...
Fine if there’s not a lot of rainfall.

Also they’re playing it a lot safer after 13.

[foshizzle11]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

No there aren’t.

I mean as far north as Sundre, just west of there or a bit farther than that.

Everything is going to be packed this weekend anyway. No matter where you go.

Drive safe!