Is Sept too late for visiting Canadian Rockies?

Banff in September is beautiful. Can get a little chilly at night, and a dusting of snow is a possibility. We normally camp there until mid October.

I know it is a little late responding on this thread, as everyone posted is spot on....

I will add my perspective on it :

First of all, I only have granted three weeks off for vacation time, which is during the month of September as my line of work requires that no one gets vacation time during the summer months, and that generally includes September.

With only three weeks off a year to contend with, and weighing any options of locations within my reach of other places by road I have never been to (in this case only Canada applies here), I was doing research on this region in 2011 and other RV.Net members stated September is a great time to visit the area for the handful of reasons and made this trip for three consecutive years (2011 2012 2013) along different routes and sidetrips and definitely planned for a fourth time trip which has not happened the past two years now (although I was enroute and on the way there both times).

If it was my choice, I rather take June or July off for vacation bar none.

However, by the time I reach the Parks Canada Mountain region of this general area....I only have 4 to 6 days to enjoy it before having to turn around and head back home in time to return to work.

The crowds in Banff and Jasper during September are about medium at best as it is the winding down of the tourist season and a far cry of the gigantic crowds of June thru August....September in this area is a steady crowd, but not bothersome nor does it seem too overcrowded in any way.

In 2013 I arrived in Jasper during (Labor) Labour Day weekend early September and got a taste of how crowded the Canadian Rockies Parks are during peak season....I will never make that mistake again.

Parks Canada does close down a few campgrounds during September and leave just a handful of them available, so it's like a little more distant driving depending where you are at in between which is not that big of deal.

What's nice is you do not generally need reservations for campground sites during September with the exception of Whistlers at Jasper..... and that's only IF you are looking for power hookups.

I stayed at these campsites at Banff Nat'l Park with no problem of any reservations during September :

Tunnel Mountain I
Tunnel Mountain II
Two Jack Lake
Lake Louise ......spacious (even easy for large vehicles) one way pull thru in-out sites with plenty of power hookups, but beware of the fast noisy trains nearby)...a set of earplugs does the trick for me but may not work for others.

I stayed at these campsites at Jasper Nat'l Park with no problem of any reservations during September :

Whistlers (no electric hookups) -Plenty of elk around during September (can be aggressive) as they are loud with constant mating calls almost as loud the trains in Lake Louise campground so keep that in mind and know your surroundings when venturing in the campground area especially at night.

Icefield Centre (parking lot -no fee)

Weather wise it can be hit and miss but that does not happen too often during the three Septembers that I visited, and the most harsh weather areas when coldfronts or windyfronts were present were along the higher elevations on the Icefields Parkway, and that either happened for one day or didn't happen at all....you will want winter and or raingear for these moments.

I will say about 70 percent of the time during the first three weeks of September in the Canadian Rockies area is actually quite pleasant and seems like July weather in the Alaska Interior so it is a treat for me, I rarely turned on the camper furnace as it wasn't hardly cold at night for me, comparing to the overnight freezing temps I have to deal with upon leaving Alaska and the Yukon and returning back having to rely on the furnace to keep somewhat from getting cold inside the camper.

I have been on the upper terminal of the Lake Louise skilift resort, on top of Sulphur Mountain at the Banff Gondola, and on top of the upper terminal of the Jasper Tramway terminal (which timed perfect with the first snow there after the weatherfront moved on) and was clear as a bell with great views as I timed it right of when to go to those type places, but did bring gloves and warm gear on the windier and cooler days in those higher regions.....The one day on top of Sulphur Mountain was clear, no wind and plenty warm on September 17 as you did not need any coat or gloves, that's how nice that day was !

Each year I was visiting the different places around all four Rocky Mountain National Parks (other than the designated campgrounds which are the only areas permitted for overnight parking) that I had not previously visited as I mentioned I only have 4 to 6 days to spend there by the time I arrive in my old camper rig and never rush a camping trip or try to remain on a schedule because crappy weather days or potential road closures and construction areas can create plan B or plan C rerouting situations or cancellations.

I would like to thank all the members from 6 years ago for posting how great September is to visit this area which gave me the idea and the incentive to visit somewhere new with the limited timeframe and the great distance I have to travel within reach, and kept me coming back again and again.

So the answer I will disclose to the topic would be : No, it is not too late for visiting the Canadian Rockies in September upon my perspective and other posted comments.

We absolutely love RVing in the Rockies and Foothills in September after everyone back into work and school routines for the most part. We are often heard saying "if you get bored of the weather, wait 10 mins" = no smoke without fire on that one. Seriously we've been swimming and jet skiing on lakes in mid October in the arctic north, and then at same time other years, skating down the high streets in Calgary. We've even been hit by snow (didn't stick but it did snow flakes) in August driving up 17th Avenue in Calgary also, to say nothing of baseball size hail storms in June/July other years.

Layers are always best, and prepare for many temps. For what we find the best accuracy check Farmer's Almanac

September in the Canadian Rockies? Probably the best trip we have ever taken:

First of several blog posts -- Sept in Canadian Rockies

This was taken on Wilcox Pass, overlooking the Icefield:

September is our favorite time to camp in Banff but it can get cold, particularly at the end of the month. You shouldn't have to worry about freezing too much, but you might encounter some snow. It usually doesn't stick around though.

There are a lot fewer people so the attractions will be less crowded. Also, some of the best hiking is in the fall. Google Larch Valley hiking and see what I mean.

We've camped in Banff into October some years, but we usually just plan to go up when we see the weather. Tunnel Mountain Campground (Banff)closes October 2 this year and Whistler's (Jasper) closes October 10.

If there is snow, you will not want to travel on the highway from Banff to Jasper until it is cleared. The good thing is that it is rare to get that much snow in September.

I'd highly recommend going especially if you can go early in the month when the weather is more reliable.

We went the last part of September in '12 and loved it. The last part of the month some places start shutting down.

I would suggest that it's the best time, kids are back in school so lots of people have given up camping for the season. More selection for camp sites, fall colours are beautiful. You may run into some snow but it's pretty unusual during September.

Spent 3 weeks last Sept in the CA Rockies. Had almost all of the weather this world could supply during that time!!! Started out in the 60's, 2" of snow near Banff, sun and warmth going up to Jasper on the Icefields Parkway, great all around weather at Jasper, and heavy rain heading to the south the last week. Weather got real nice again when we crossed back into WA!!!

Sept is a great time to go, colors are super, as shown, weather is never solid. But that wouldn't keep us from doing it again. Only big negative was the crowds. Didn't think it would be as busy as it was. Constant flow of rental MH's, and other RV's!! No reservation sites were almost non-existent. Don't know if it was the superb fall colors that were on display, but so busy after the Labor Day weekend was unexpected. Possibly due to so many of the smaller Nat Park campgrounds being closed.

Go for it, but plan ahead, and make any reservations you think you need well ahead of time!!

Sept 2015, driving the Alaska Highway through the Rockies...we first had to go south towards Dawson Creek, then north to get back home
http://yukonsights.ca/20150908_Liard-MunchoLk.html

But you likely mean the Rockies around Banff & Jasper, Alberta ?

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, I have 24,000+ words about our September 18-19, 2015 stay in Jasper on my blog, and you can follow the trip in both directions from that page if you choose. The summary - it's an excellent time to go if for no other reason than to avoid the crowds.