Victoria Day Long Weekend In Banff

[timmy67]

It started off as a great weekend. We drove from Edmonton to Calgary on the Firday, spent part of Saturday in Calgary then continued on to Banff. Saturday and Sunday could not have been nicer. Lots of sun, warm weather and beautiful scenery. Sunday night it got cold and it stayed cold for the next 2 days. Over those 2 days we saw lows just above freezing and highs of about 8 degrees celsius. We saw rain, snow, a little sleet and almost no sun for the rest of the weekend. The upside was: we were in the mountains, we met some friends from Australia and we were in the Airstream. Have a great long weekend to all our friends south of the border.

Tim

[farmboydkb]

Tim my wife and I are planning a trip from East Central Illinois that will take us to Banff (2 nights) and on to Jasper (2) nights before heading on down through Kamloops and on to Vancouver and Victoria. We know Vancouver/Victoria very well and will proceed on to the Olympic Penninsula. We've not been to Banff and Jasper. They are dreams we've had for a long time. We pull a 25 Airstream. Can you suggest a campground at Banff? Which campground were the pix above taken at? Can we make reservations? Thx for any comments/insights. Looks like a great weekend. dkb

[bolerama]

Hi dkb,
On your way to Banff, I would suggest stopping at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park "Centre Block" on the Saskatchewan side. (Rainbow Campground and Warlodge Campground have nice private spots on the outer loops.) Then go north to Banff and on to Jasper. After Jasper head west to Mount Robson park in BC. It is gorgeous. I believe it is the highest point in the Canadian Rockies.

We have only had our A/S for one year, and we haven't camped in Banff and Jasper with it yet, so I can't suggest good campgrounds that can fit a longer unit. The last time we were there we had our 13 foot Boler. Most campgrounds take reservations, and they are recommended.

Have a great trip!
Lisa

[bolerama]

Hi Tim,
We know how you feel....whenever we camp, we get bad weather! Life with an Airstream has sure improved that. We don't mind being stuck indoors now! We live in Saskatoon, so we hope to see you on the road someday!

[farmboydkb]

Lisa and Paul -- Thanks for great suggestions. They all sound doable. We'll report back. 'much appreciated. dkb

[timmy67]

DKB, we stayed at Tunnel Mountain II right in Banff. If you require power and water and you do not require a nice spot then Tunnel Mountain II is fine. Tunnel Mountain I does not have hookups but is a very nice campground with site in the trees and a little more privacy. TMI also has firepits, however you will need a daily permit to have a fire and buy the wood on site.
Just outside Banff there is a great little campground beside Two Jack lake which is part of Lake Minnewanka. No services but the spot is fantastic.
You can reserve at Tunnel Mtn but I don't know about Two Jack. All the information can be researched here:

www.pccamping.ca

or try toll free at 1.877.737.3783

Have a great time on your trip and I hope you enjoy Banff. It is a beautiful place but be prepared for huge crowds if you will be there on a weekend.

Regarding Jasper: We have stayed at Whistlers campground before and it's great. This year we will be trying out Wapiti campground. You can also research Jasper campgrounds at the above link.

Tim

[farmboydkb]

Tim -- Thanks for the info and the links. We're much looking forward to it. dkb

[timmy67]

DKB, just a quick note, last year it cost us $420.00 return to take the trailer and truck plus 4 people to Vancouver Island. I know the US $ is a little stronger than ours but it is still a healthy expense. Just thought you should know.

Tim