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epic trip - Canadian rockies

FishHaggis
Explorer
Explorer
Hi there,

We are planning an epic voyage from Yellowknife, NWT to Abottsford, BC and back and want to pick your brains about any interesting spot we should try for.

A week in Abottsford backyard camping next to our friends pool, but other than that we have the month of July to play and drive. The kids and DW and I love swimming so we are thinking hot springs, lakes and water parks. The plan is Yellowknife to Sixtieth Parallel Territorial Park to Peace River Walmart to Banff to Lake Louise to Revelstoke to Kaslo to Kimberly to Radium Hot Springs to Salmon Arm Walmart to Abottsford. Stay there a week and then its back to Salmon Arm, Jarvis Lake Provincial Park (water park nearby), peace River, Sixtieth Parallel Territorial Park, Hay River or Lady Evelynne Falls Territorial Park, and then back to sunny Yellowknife. Any weird and wonderful spots you can think of that we should look out for, stop by or camp at?
2013 StarCraft Autumn Ridge 289BHS
2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Power Wagon, quad cab
23 REPLIES 23

FishHaggis
Explorer
Explorer
Twin Falls as well as Fort Prov. Both great spots.
2013 StarCraft Autumn Ridge 289BHS
2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Power Wagon, quad cab

TundraTire
Explorer
Explorer
Back then we had considered the Liard highway, but it was in bad shape and rained the day before. It would have been an "interesting" drive at that time. As it was, the Top of The World Highway, particularly around Chicken, was in pretty poor shape that year.

You mentioned that you camped at the North of 60 campground this year, have you ever been to the Twin Falls campground or Kakisa? Those were two of our favourites.

FishHaggis
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks Tundratire. Will look at your route. The Liard is a better road now so I am thinking of going that route into the province.
2013 StarCraft Autumn Ridge 289BHS
2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Power Wagon, quad cab

TundraTire
Explorer
Explorer
Glad to hear you had a successful trip!

If you do plan a Whitehorse trip, I can tell you it's a great trip. Back in '04 when I was living in Yellowknife, we took a tent trip that way. Our routing was roughly Yellowknife-grande prairie-Fort st john-whitehorse-skagway-Juneau-Haines junction-tok-anchorage-Denali-Fairbanks, plus a whole bunch of stops in between. It was a lot of fun, and now with kids and a trailer, I'd love to do it again.

FishHaggis
Explorer
Explorer
What an epic trip. 7036 kilometres. Some crazy switchbacks, steep gradients, great campsites, bear, bison, deer, elk, sheep, goat. Great family stories and adventures. Lots of hot springs. Even a tramway! Met great people along the way. The bear shaped licence plate helped I think in meeting folks. Great truck trailer combo as no issues at all. Maybe Whitehorse next year.

Thanks for the advice. This forum helped make this a great trip.
2013 StarCraft Autumn Ridge 289BHS
2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Power Wagon, quad cab

FishHaggis
Explorer
Explorer
I have a plan now and many thanks to all for your advice. Yellowknife to NWT border to Peace River to Grande Cache to Jasper NP to Radium Hot Springs to Kimberley PP to Gladstone PP to Myra-Bellvue PP to Abottsford. And then its Abottsford to Salmon Arm to Revelstoke to Lake Louise to Jasper to Peace River to the NWT border to Yellowknife. Days resting in between and a week in Abottsford and that should be enough driving for a bit.
2013 StarCraft Autumn Ridge 289BHS
2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Power Wagon, quad cab

FishHaggis
Explorer
Explorer
I was hoping to come through the Liard highway and into northern BC, but there seems to be no camping at all in northern BC for a TT. Its all backwoods..... I was thinking of leaving Blackstone Territorial Park and heading south to BC and camp somewhere near that border, and then keep going south to Part 2 of the trip, which is the Jasper/Banff bit and then on to Abbottsford. On the way back I will come up by Calgary and Edmonton way. Anyone out there know of any campsites on highway 77 in BC near the NWT border?
2013 StarCraft Autumn Ridge 289BHS
2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Power Wagon, quad cab

Uncle_Rj
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for the update Murray. Good point about the dogs. Forgot to mention that Peachland is pretty restrictive on that. Dogs aren't allowed on the rocky beach in front of the resort and need to go to either of the dogs beaches.

Depends on which site you get too as to how crowded they are.

explorenorth
Explorer
Explorer
Uncle Rj wrote:

Peachland - Todd's (right on Lake Okanagan)


It's across the road from the lake, and from my blog: "With generally good reviews on TripAdvisor and not having seen anything to the contrary, we showed up to get a site for 4 nights, and were surprised to find a very tight, very old campground. We were even more surprised when they said that we couldn’t stay there because we have 2 huskies! Huskies are among about 10 “strong jawed breeds” that aren’t allowed at the campground – the fellow on duty didn’t know why the rule is there, and apologized profusely. As it turned out, I’m glad they did turn us away, because we got a much more suitable campground in West Kelowna for the same price ($38)." The one in West Kelowna was West Bay Beach Resort but it's been sold and I haven't checked to see if it's going to be open this season.
Murray

Whitehorse, Yukon
http://ExploreNorth.com/
and blogging at http://ExploreNorthBlog.com/
I live to travel, and travel to really live

Uncle_Rj
Explorer
Explorer
I'll give you some suggestions for some campgrounds along your potential route:

Jasper - Whistler's and Wapiti. Both in Jasper National Park. Can be booked now.

Banff - Tunnel Mountain. I heard this was already full. Can be booked now.

Lake Louise - Close to train tracks. Can be booked now.

Radium/Fairmont - Redsteak in Kootenay National Park (Radium). Canyon RV Park in Radium. Fairmont Hot Springs Resort (walk to hot springs). Spruce Grove RV Park.

Kimberly - Riverside Campground. Wasa Lake (BC Provincial Campground) 90 day advance booking.

Cranbrook - Moyie Lake Provincial Park

Vernon - Dutch's (careful because some love it and some hate it)

Peachland - Todd's (right on Lake Okanagan)


Any campgrounds in the National Parks can (and should) be booked now. BC Provincial Parks have 90 day advanced booking. Private campgrounds are at the discretion of the campground. I've tried to give you some that either have a pool or are close to water.

FishHaggis
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks all. Will firm up the trip and start booking.
2013 StarCraft Autumn Ridge 289BHS
2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Power Wagon, quad cab

answerswillvary
Explorer
Explorer
Moved from Roads and Routes to RVing in Canada
2009 Tiffin Allegro Bus 43QBP

cruiserjs
Explorer
Explorer
Just to be picky - the'mainline' RR in Revelstoke is CPR not CN!!
Colorado Cruiser
Cruiser CF29CK 5th wheel; 2009 GMC Sierra 2500HD, 2wd, short bed
wonderful lifetime traveling companion/spouse

paulj
Explorer II
Explorer II
The order here doesn't make sense -

Banff to Lake Louise to Revelstoke to Kaslo to Kimberly to Radium Hot
Springs to Salmon Arm Walmart to Abottsford

Banff to Lake Louise to Revelstoke - ok, that's through the Rockies national parks - Banff, Yoho, Glacier and Revelstoke, on Hwy 1.

That's scenic, with nice sights along the way, and options for hikes, long and short. Check the park's newspaper that you get at the gate, or can download before hand.

Kaslo is south of Revelstoke, following a small ferry ride, and some light mountain driving. BC31 past Trout Lake is part gravel, or go south past Nakusp (hot springs) and New Denver. There's old history in the area, including a mining town at Sandon. Note the names that sound like Colorado.

But from Kaslo to Kimberly is a problem. you can take the Balfor ferry across the lake, and loop around the mountains to the south via Creston and Cranbrook. There is a short-cut at Gray Creek, but that's up and over the mountains on a rough gravel road, ok in an SUV or maybe a pickup camper, but I wouldn't advise a trailer. They sell before/after tshirts at the Gray Creek general store.

Kimberly to Radium is nice, with several hot spring resorts. But to go on to Salmon Arm requires going north to Hwy1 (Golden) and Revelstoke. I.e. a loop.

Ten years ago I make a loop through the area in an SUV and tent camping: enter BC at Osoyoos, east on 3 to Castlegar. North through Nelson, Nakusp, to Revelstoke. East through Golden, Yoho, to LakeLouise. South through Kootenay NP, Radium, to Kimberly. Over Gray Creek and a loop through Kaslo, Trout Lake, Nakusp. 6 to Vernon, 33 back to Hwy3, and across the border.

You can construct a number of loops in the area. Because of the lakes and mountains, there are a half dozen NS routes, and few EW connectors.

Other routes to consider:

BC/AB 93 Jasper to Lake Louise to Kootenary to Radium to the border. Ice Fields parkway is the most scenic part of Jasper/Banff.

AB/BC 3 - Crowsnest - up/down EW route across the south. Manning in the west is a great prov. park.

BC/AB16 through Jasper; BC5 south past Wells Gray (another great PPark), Kamloops, Hope. The last leg is freeway. 5A is a lesser known highway connecting Kamloops with Hwy3.

97 is roughly NS from Prince George (actually Dawson in the Peace River area) to Kamloops and the Okanogan.

6 and 97c are EW connectors.

Hwy 1 connects Kamloops and Hope via the Frasier Canyon - the original route.

Hwy 99 also connects Kamloops to the Vancouver area, via Whistler. This is scenic mountain driving. Back in my adventuresome youth I cross BC from Jasper to Vancouver via Hwy5 and 99 - when 99 was still part gravel forest road (in one day!)