Campground/Park-for-the-night

[rmguffey]

My wife and I recently bought a 5th Wheel. We hope to take off for Alaska in a week or two. A few questions for when we hit the Canadian border on how to select and secure a campground or parking spot for the night in Canada. We will be in Canada first week or so of August and probably mid September. Will be traveling thru Alberta and BC

1. Is it necessary to call ahead to reserve a site?

2. I'm expecting approx $35/night fees. About right?

3. Is there plenty of gas stations? Should I carry a 5 gallon can?

4. Recommendations for stops - private campgrounds, parks, rest areas, WalMarts?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks

Roger

[2gypsies1]

True, if traveling in Canada/Yukon have the proper currency.

[tonymull]

c.traveler2 wrote:
I would suggest you get some Canadian currency, we ran into a couple of places that wouldn't do the exchange rate and wanted cash only. We're currently in Fairbanks,AK

Know of any places that will take Canadian here in the US?? Yet Americans expect everyone to do that for them. We're so rude.

[jnharley]

On one stop at a govt campground in the Yukon, we found ourselves short a couple of Canadian dollars for the self pay fee. We made up the difference with US currency. We have not been contacted about it so we assume it was not an issue. Many places take US currency but you cannot assume that they will.

[4X4Dodger]

Stop the madness and just buy a MILEPOST. Everything is covered in excrutiatingly good detail. It's all you really need and much much more.

And it worth it for the photos. And completely updated every year.

[sue_t]

mid-September - be prepared for snow flurries. If it snows, it likely won't stick around long but if you're not comfy towing in snow/slush you can choose to wait it out until it melts away.

One year, the second week of September, we endured an ice storm while driving through Fort Nelson. The highway had a layer of ice on it and all the vehicles had ice hanging from them. A few miles south of Fort Nelson, all was clear again.

This also means you need to be set up for camping in below freezing temperatures as it does get cool at night, especially when the skies are clear. Many campgrounds close after Labour Day, a limited few stay open year-round. Best to be prepared to camp in the cold without hookups, just in case.

[fanrgs]

See the "stickies" at the top of this "RVing in Canada and Alaska" forum for fuel stops and camping suggestions.

And, if you are planning to use your cellphone in Canada, it can be very costly unless you pay extra for a "Canada plan." Just remember, you won't have cell coverage on a lot of the highways you will be traveling, so calling ahead for reservations is not possible from many areas.

We didn't dry camp at Walmart in Alaska, but we did in the US on the way up and in Hinton, Alberta, on the Yellowhead Highway just outside Jasper National Park. But dozens of campers were parked at the Walmart in Whitehorse, some even sitting out in their lawn chairs under their awnings!

And, as the others have said, you can pull off the road anywhere that it is not posted. One free campground we used was just over the Alaska border from the Yukon in Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. We had the closest site to the lake, with lots of trees but no potable water and no dump. So, if you stay there, be sure to bring plenty of water and plan to dump in Tok. We dumped free (with fill-up) at a gas station in Tok and also got a free high-pressure truck & RV wash at the same station at the same time. The wash was really needed after traveling through several long highway construction zones between Destruction Bay and the Alaska border.

Have a great trip!

[c_traveler2]

I would suggest you get some Canadian currency, we ran into a couple of places that wouldn't do the exchange rate and wanted cash only. We're currently in Fairbanks,AK

[enblethen]

We got our cash out of ATMs. Our bank has a partnership with a Canadian bank. Last stop before crossing back into the lower 48 was a gas station. We counted up our Canadian money and had the attendant set the pump to that amount.
Much easier then trying to locate a bank that will convert money.
The Cassiar even though it has greatly improved, needs a lot of work. Yukon portion was chip sealed using fairly large material and was rough. Construction around Deese Lake nasty. Very narrow and rough.

[2gypsies1]

We used the nice Provincial Parks, Yukon parks and beautiful boondocking spots. We didn't make reservations but we like to pull in early in the day. Convert some cash when you enter Canada because many of these only have a dropbox for payment.

The only reservation you really need to make is for Denali's Teklanika campground (highly recommended) which is the farthest one you can drive your RV. We stayed 5 nights and only made the reservation a couple weeks prior to arrival when we could better judge when we'd get in the area.

As it turned out, we got nearby a little earlier so on a whim we boondocked outside the park the previous night at a lovely spot just outside Talkeetna. Then early morning we drove into Denali and easily secured a spot in the front campground - Riley Creek for another 5 nights with our 40' motorhome.

Spending 10 nights in the park we saw every one of the major animals of the park; some more than once. We also say 'THE' mountain 7 of 10 days. Awesome!

There are plenty of fuel stations however you really need to drive on the top half of your tank just in case the next one is closed. Since you're leaving late in the season, some do close down when fuel is empty.

I would also suggest purchasing Mike & Terri Church's book 'Alaskan Camping' which includes Canada and the Yukon. It gives RV parks, public parks and boondocking spots. Don't rely on 'The Milepost' for finding these kinds of spots. The Milepost is a good read for history and maps.

Plan to drive up on the Alaskan Highway and return on the Cassier Highway. Stop at Hyder and you'll be at a good time to see the bears fishing.

Hope the fire issue slows down for you! Have a great trip!

[jnharley]

You can stay at a pull off as long as it is not prohibited. We did that last year and had absolutely no issues. The first time no one even pulled in the entire time we were there. We looked for pull offs that had some vegetation between the road and pull off. And we were parked right beside a lake. We did not make reservations but we knew where we wanted to stop each night. We did make reservations for Denali. The Milepost was good to have and also the Church's campground guide. We used it more for the coordinates since many of these campgrounds do not have traditional addresses to input into the GPS. If you can, look for dry camping spots because they are the best ones. Commercial parks have you crammed together slide to slide.

[Sea_Dog]

Many of the small towns in western Canada
have low cost or free Rv parking.

[enblethen]

We just came back from a jaunt north. Many rigs are headed north. It would not be necessary to make reservations, however I would start looking for campsite early. Suggest by about 3 PM. We used many provincial parks for less then $20 Canadian per night. We used private campgrounds at the major stops such as Dawson Creek and Whitehorse. Do expect much for internet!
As soon as you get into Alberta and then again in British Columbia, pick up their respective Provincial Campground brochures. They show many campgrounds, how many sites and services(if any)
Laird Hot Springs is a must stop!
Canadian Customs do like fresh fruits and vegetables. They do not like chicken products including eggs. get them in Canada!
Gas is readily available. Run on the upper end when you get farther north. Some are 100 miles plus between stations.
If you do not have a Milepost Magazine suggest you get one. Even though it is full of ads it is quite complete for fuel stops.

[MarkTwain]

Go to www.goodsamcamping.com

[rag-ftw]

Roger, welcome to the forum.
I think if you read the old posts on this forum your questions will be answered plus many more that you have not thought of yet. Lots of good info here.