Camping in Banff
We are considering taking the plunge and going big this summer. Since we're already thinking about Wyoming or Montana...what the heck. We're about 2000K miles, one way...so I really only have one ...
Forum Discussion
GordonThree wrote:This is an idea worth considering. Your kids will thank you for not having to ride in the back for so many days in a row. May be more expensive to fly and rent, but you'll save 4000-5000 miles on your rig, your tires, your sanity and your family relationships.
Those parks are worth the long drive. the Canadian Rockies are outstanding.
Another option, fly in to Calgary or Edmonton and rent an RV. Almost every other RV I encountered in the two parks was a rental, you won't be alone. Figure out how much cost you'll incur with the long drive coming and going, both in fuel but more importantly in lost time and fatigue.
But if you do decide to drive, I'd get up and back as fast as your family can deal with it and skip any sightseeing along the way. Take the full 20 days if you can do it. You can go to those other places on another trip. We went to Banff and Jasper when I was 13 and it was the most memorable trip of my youth (and we went a lot of places in the west). Amazing mountains, lots of waterfalls, colorful lakes. IMHO there aren't any mountains in the lower 48 that compare with the Canadian Rockies.
You might consider camping around Banff or Yoho for part of your time there, then head up to Jasper for the rest. One can't realistically "commute" from Banff to visit Jasper on a day trip. You'll see what's along the road, but little more. These are BIG parks.
IIRC, you have a popup. You might consider a few days at Lake Louise in the fenced in part of the CG. Keeps the bears and humans separated. Tunnel Mountain in Banff and Whistlers in Jasper both have some FHU sites. But CG's like Tunnel Mtn., Two Jack, Lake Louise, Whistlers, Wapiti and Johnson Canyon all have flush toilets and showers.
While it has changed in the last few decades, I still find a visit to Canada reminds me how much more genteel the people and places are. Expensive? You bet. Worth it? You bet. Good news is that if you go in late June or July, the sun is up for many hours (16+) so you can maximize your time that way.
