Advice traveling Albert and BC

[luvmydogs]

We are traveling to Banff and Jasper area and probably going up to Prince Rupert. My problem is this. We have not made any reservations as we're not all together sure what days we'll be where. What I'm already finding though is all the places in Banff at least seem to be all booked. With a 26 ft Travel trailer, I guess I"m somewhat limited anyway especially with one of the biggest parks closed for the year in Banff. So my question is this. If I dont have reservations can I still find places to stay thru Alberta and Bc? Are there Walmarts in Canada? That would be an emergency back up but I"m really tense about not getting somewhere to stop.

[Seamutt]

In Prince George you will have no problem getting into any of the RV parks. But if wanting to boondock the Casino parking lot, corner of HWY 16 & 97 is easier parking than Walmart.

[Paoli]

Walmart in Hinton.
Free Wifi.

[TOMMY47]

Canmore has a casino which. reportedly, welcomes RVs. Casinocamper.com will have the info. I plan to overnight there before going to BANFF.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

If you are travelling the Banff to Jasper Corridor, we've overnighted at Brewsters (icefields), and there are other pull ins along that stretch. Hard to find actual boondocking "in" Jasper itself nowadays. Think IIRC Gonewiththewynns.com found a great little place to dry camp overnight on their way up to Alaska from Banff to Jasper etc.

When we used to Ski most weekends, we'd also overnight in our MH & 5er prior at Sunshine Village (between Banff & Lake Louise and very beautiful area) They'd let us stay in the Staff area parking due to our size. Also Golden & Revelstoke we've boondocked at off the TransCanada.

We never book anything unless it's an absolute necessity and we know we want to spend more than two days/nights in the area, such as San Fran, L.A. Keys Fla and NYC. Mainly we wing it and we've never not found somewhere safe and comfortable to stay overnight.

Of course we appreciate everyone has different comfort levels, and our tolerance for flying by the seat of our pants, has grown for sheer panic when we started boon docking 17 years ago, to now knowing, there'll always be something, somewhere. Police can't force you on when you are tired to cause an accident, but they in turn might guide you to a safer place to overnight when asked.

FTW.

[Johnny_G1]

Wally worlds both in Hinton and Price George where camper are welcome.

[Islandman]

Check Canmore, AB just outside Banff NP, there's a nice RV park on the approach road to the city, don't know if it has full hookups or not.

[romore]

The parks offer overflow areas, usually a gravel pit with no hookups off the highway, for use when the camp sites are full. You will still require a permit available at the park entrance.
Wal-Marts are iffy. Many cities and municipalities prohibit overnight parking in store lots and other than Prince George, I doubt if there is a wallyworld between Hinton and Prince Rupert. We have never made reservations, we never know where we will end up, and have been turned away once. We did find another nearby that we liked better. This caused my wife some distress at first but she sort of got used to the idea.

[johnwalkerpa1]

My experience in that area is that you can usually (but not always, i.e. holiday weekends, etc.) find a spot without reservations if you don't need hookups. If you do need hookups, its much harder.

[CanadianCampers]

If your planning on stopping in Jasper but can't find a place to stay, you could try camping in the nearby town of Hinton. They have a large rig friendly KOA on the East side of town, right off the highway.

[Johnny_G1]

Wallmarts in all cities in Canada and also lots of places to boondock on the way to Prince Rupert