Seattle to Banff Campsites, advice?

Here are a few campgrounds either in towns or close to amenities that you may want to look at on your route:

1) Kimberly Riverside - just outside Kimberly, a Bavarian town in the southern BC Rockies. Good bike paths around the campground.
2) Fairmont Hot Springs RV Resort - north on 93 from Kimberly. You can walk next-door to the Fairmont hot springs pool.
3) Redstreak Campground - outside of Radium. National Park, but admission is free this year. Camping still has a fee associated with it. You can hike to town or the Radium Hot Springs from the campground.
4) Canyon RV Resort - Never actually stayed at this one but have heard good things from friends. Close to the town and shops of Radium.

Once you hit Banff National Park you have the following options:
1) Lake Louise Campground - it is VERY close to noisy train tracks but also is walking distance to the town of Lake Louise.
2) Johnston Canyon - on hwy 1A to Banff. Very close to the nice (and very popular) hike to the falls in Johnston Canyon. If you are more adventurous and want a bit longer hike, continue to the ink pots.
3) Banff Tunnel Mountain - three different campgrounds, all connected. If you don't mind the lack of hook-ups, Village 1 is nestled in the trees and you can have fires in it. Village 2 is wide open, park on the side of the road camping. Only a few sites have fire rings. The Trailer Court is actually nicer than Village 2 and a bit more private. There is bus service to town and you can also bike.
4) Two Jack Main and Lakeside - nice campgrounds close to Banff.

Banff is nice to see and the crowds drop off a lot after Labor Day, especially mid-week. Also, some of the campgrounds stop taking reservations after Labor Day.

You may want to look at driving up to the Columbia Ice Fields and camp in the parking lot overnight. It is a beautiful drive and the scenery is outstanding.

As far as hiking goes, there are a lot of trails I could recommend, depending upon your desired exertion level. Take a look at the Larch Valley/Sentinel Pass hike. You might be a bit early to see the fall colors, but it is a nice hike. You will need to go as a group of 4 or more because it is in grizzly bear country.

There is a lot to see and do along this route. Just post if you have any further questions.

garyhaupt wrote:
Now then...look up Molson, Wa. You get there from Oroville...

I would go even farther north than Gary suggests. North of Oroville, the Okanagan Valley is one of our favorite places in western Canada. Orchards and vineyards covering the rocky hillsides above big, beautiful glacial lakes, lots of wineries, great fruit (depending on the season), swim beaches in public parks, all kinds of boating. If you like any of those sights or activities, I would highly recommend it either coming or going on your trip.

However, it's tough to go wrong in traveling in southern BC--it's all gorgeous! (With the possible exception of Trail.)

Were I you..I'd go a wee bit further north and take the North Cascades from Sedro Wooley. That is a drive you will not forget. Take a full day to drive across the Cascades from I-5. There are some boondocking spots in the Twisp area, and lots of 'normal' camping in the Cascades National Park.

Now then...look up Molson, Wa. You get there from Oroville...and there are two small lakes up there, one of which has a great landing for boondocking, plus you get to hang out in Molson and their fabulous and free open museum.

Also the city of Republic, Wa has a city park that includes power...and all free for RV's. A great craft beer place, too.

BC has oodles of Rest Areas for overnighting and if you just poke about a bit...you'll find great camping in many locations. Google Earth is your best pal in the planing.


Gary Haupt

That is a very scenic trip. One of our favorite camp grounds is at Beebe bridge north of Wenatchee. Christina Lake is a beautiful place to stop although that will be a full day from Seattle, Osoyoos might be a better bet with some great campgrounds right on the lake.

Sounds like a great trip! I hope you have your campsite reservations for around Banff and Jasper as it is filling up fast due to the free park passes this year because of the anniversary.