Rving in southwest Canada

SideHillSoup wrote:
I just saw your post on the amount of time you are going to spend between Winterpeg and Vancouver, wow, that's not very much time as it will most likly take you 4 days just to drive that distance in a motor home.
Soup

I saw it also.
I would stay home and relax.
You will be in the saddle behind the wheel 75% of the daylight hours.
1440 to 1500 miles between the two cities.

More Black Bears per sq mi on Vancouver Is than anywhere else but they are really hard to see.

In 5 or 6 days, don't even worry about a place to overnight... you'll barely have time! It's a 24 hr drive without stopping. Just for your information, BC alone is huge! You could fit Texas and Wyoming inside BC with just a tiny bit of overhang. If you are wanting to see anything of Canada, allow a little more than 5 - 6 days. That being said, you should travel the Icefield Parkway (Banff- Jasper), the Okanagan is beautiful and is stellar wine country. Most BC Provincial campgrounds do not have hookups. Google TripAdvisor.com and you will get tons of info without even asking a question.

Having lived on the Canadian Prairies for 18 years of my life and you only have six days basically when you get to Winnipeg just start driving on Highway #1 and keep driving till you get to Banff or at least Calgary. You wont see much anyway between Winnipeg and Calgary. Not that there isn't but if you have 6 days your best bet is to see the good stuff.

If you are in Calgary during Stampede I would check it out if you are into that sort of stuff. If you get a spot at Calaway Park they offer pancake breakfasts and free shuttle rides to stampede which is so helpful. plus there is a small amusement park. You have Six Flags, this would be more like Half a Flag. But it ours and I love the place both the park and the campground. You can also try Calgary West RV Park.

If not make reservations at Tunnel Mountain as soon as possible in Banff. Use your toad to checkout the town and the area around banff. Lake Louise campground is nice but yes it is noisy because of the trains. And do check out Lake Louise itself and if you have time take one of the teahouse hikes. The views are incredible and bring cash to buy snacks and drinks at the end of the trail.

Another option would be to stay in Golden BC as there are private campgrounds that offer 50 amp service. On your way stop at Spiral Tunnels ( a must if you like trains), Takkakawa Falls with your toad. Your MH will definately not make it. Continue on from Golden to Revelstoke (awesome scenery), Rodgers Pass is on the way. There are a few full service campgronds in this area but they do book up fast There is a KOA which isn't bad.

From Revelstoke you have two options. You could go to straight to Vancouver either using the Coquihalla Hwy(sp) or the Hwy 1. Hwy 1 is an awesome drive but it will be really slow going in your MH. It is a slow go through a very scenic canyon but has truck traffic and is two lans and quite curvy. Take the Coke if you are on a time line. Another option would be to go to Kelwona from Revelstoke and skip Vancouver and go directly into Washington from Kelwona. Kelowan is on Lake Okanogan and you can rent a boat for the afternoon and go skiing or just hangout on the lake and soak up the sun. Also there is an abundance of wineries in the Kelowna area. Lots of great golf courses here as well. Vancouver is nice but it is quite a big city which requires alot of time to get around and see the sights.

Its really too bad you are so pressed for time. No matter which way you go enjoy our country as much as we enjoy yours.:)

EEWally wrote:
I heard that the campground in Lake Louise is close to a railroad crossing and the trains are required to blast their horns when crossing the road.

We were in the Lake Louise campground last August and used earplugs each night. Yes, the trains are loud because they are no more than 100-200 ft. from the campsites, But it is no worse than campgrounds/RV parks in Kamloops, BC, Milk River, AB, Shelby, MT, Talkeetna, AK, or a lot of other Western towns built along railroad tracks.

If the OP is just going to drive his MH on the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) across SK, AB, and BC, I would highly recommend getting reservations now for the Tunnel Mountain campground at Banff. When you leave Banff, take the old highway instead of the newer "interstate" freeway. After 36 miles, you will drive right into Lake Louise on the old road but, unlike the freeway, you can stop at several interesting overlooks along the way.

Don't miss the drive up to the Lake Louise Hotel for one of the most famous views in all of Canada. Even hard-to-impress teenage girls will love the scenery, as well as all the couples having their wedding photos taken along the lakefront. If you have time to unhook your toad in the visitor's parking lot at the hotel, drive up to Moraine Lake while you are there, even if you don't stay the night in Lake Louise.

When you get back on Hwy 1, drive just over the border into BC and stop at the Spiral Tunnels Overlook in Yoho National Park. You will enjoy this historic engineering marvel, even if your girls don't. Then drive down into the valley and, if you can find a vacant campground site in that area, spend the night. Unhook your toad for a trip to Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls. DO NOT try to take the MH to the falls--you won't make it and, even if you did, you would not find a parking space large enough for the MH. The paved trail to the bottom of the falls, one of the highest waterfalls in Canada, takes only a half hour or so, but is well worth the time for you and your girls. Then horses and/or canoes can be rented at Emerald Lake, if your daughters have any interest in either of those modes of relaxation.

Then get back on Hwy 1 and head toward Kamloops. But DO NOT stay at the Kamloops RV Park! Our stay there was the worst of any private RV park on our entire RV trip from Colorado to Alaska in 2013.

Last, but not least, enjoy SK, AB, BC and all the sites along the highway!

I just saw your post on the amount of time you are going to spend between Winterpeg and Vancouver, wow, that's not very much time as it will most likly take you 4 days just to drive that distance in a motor home.
Soup

This site is always helpful for RV camping : http://www.rvparkreviews.com/

Poke around here for some trip ideas :

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Travel-g659487-c123791/Canadian-Rockies:Alberta:Trip.Reports.From.Ta.Members.html

x2 on the trains in Lake Louise -- really loud. But there are lots of other great campgrounds. What a pity that the OP can't spend more time in Banff and Jasper. We spent almost a whole month there in Sept. of 2012, and I can't wait to go back.

The Canadian National Parks (Banff, Jasper, etc) have great full-hookup campgrounds but they get booked early in the season so you may have difficulty getting sites without significant advance planning. Even if you don't stay in the parks it may be worthwhile to purchase a national parks pass since the fees do add up quickly. in 2013 a pass for a family of four was ~$150.

I heard that the campground in Lake Louise is close to a railroad crossing and the trains are required to blast their horns when crossing the road. My cousin and wife got no sleep, complained the next morning and they got their money back. Anyone else have that experience?