More questions about the Canadian Rockies

[S-n-L]

Hello everyone and thank you in advance for your help,

Here are some questions:

1. We would like to arrive in Jasper NP on Tuesday September 3rd, just after the US Labor Day holiday and leave September 21st. Would the parks be less crowded at this time compared to earlier in the summer?

2. We are planning to come from the Vancouver area driving on route 1 to route 5 north then route 16 east in to Jasper NP. We then will head south along route 93 to Banff. Are there any issues taking our 45 ft motorhome with toad on any of these roads? We are 65 feet in total length.

3. Most importantly could you make recommendations for rv parks or places to stay with our 45-foot coach. I am aware that Whistlers campground in Jasper NP is closed for the 2019 season.

4. We are a bit confused about the rv parks/campgrounds in the area. Which parks are full hook ups, electric/ water only or dry camping. In the dry camping areas can you use a generator and is a dump and water fill close?

Thank you,
Stuart & Leslie

[ppine]

The season is short up North. September will be much different than the summer. It will be quieter for sure. But you have to be ready for snow at any time. I almost froze to death in Alaska on Aug 31.

[southernsky]

We went to Banff and Jasper last June. You're have to be one of the first on line to make reservations if staying at Tunnel Mountain CG on a specific day. We stayed at the KOA in Hinton, just outside of Jasper. 93 is called the Icefield PWY, you should have no problems, we did it with a 40' 5th wheel

[BFL13]

IMO you are good to go in September, but not so good in October.

5 north of Kamloops is boring. 97 has Barkerville to check out- NOT boring!

Yes, do the Icefields route. Not as much snow in the hills as in May, but still pretty.

[pianotuna]

If you are self contained I love the Pocahontas Campground. It is quite near the Miette Hot Springs.

[Boon_Docker]

I think your best bet for Jasper would be KOA just 18km from the east Jasper Park Gate.

[BarabooBob]

4 years ago we drove highway 5 along your proposed route. That road is has a steep grade that goes on for miles. Many of the semi's were in first gear crawling along at 5 to 10 mph. We had a Toyota MH with a 4 cylinder engine. I kept the rpm's up and maintained 25 to 30 mph in first gear. I could not get into second gear because my rpm's would drop too low and my speed started to drop. As a result, I drove in first gear and was happy to actually be passing someone,something that didn't happen often.
This is a write-up about the road from this site: https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/canada/4008-coquihalla-highway.html

Coquihalla Highway is an extreme freeway located in southern British Columbia, Canada. It’s part of the Highway 5 and is around 200km long. It’s one of the worst roads in all of North America in winters. There were 32 fatal crashes between 2004 and 2013 (according to ICBC). In spring, summer or fall, it's a breeze, but in winter there are at least 400-500 accidents and plenty of fatalities.
Trucks have been known to avoid the route due to the long, steep climb up to the summit and the long, steep descent, but most motorists don't have any hesitation about driving the route in spring-summer-fall conditions. Winter driving is indeed dangerous, but that is more a reflection of the high elevation and mountainous terrain rather than the road itself. To quote Highway from Hell's Jamie Davis, “I can’t criticize the Coquihalla. The main factor is you’re driving over a mountain. It’s not a flat road, it’s a mountainous highway... It requires skill to drive.” At high elevations it can sometimes get to be -30 deg. C in cold winter weather. The highway is pretty good, some sections have frost heaves and uneven pavement but it's 2 lanes each way so slower traffic like trucks are not an issue.

This asphalted road is the main highway link between Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley and Vancouver B.C. Make sure you get your vehicle and yourself well-prepared before driving this road. It is very steep at both ends and although it is a modern highway, most truckers avoid traveling on it due to the extra gasoline expense that the steep inclines create. The road climbs up the Coquihalla pass, a mountain pass at an elevation of 1,244 m (4,081 ft) above the sea level.

[Lwiddis]

The answers to your questions in numbers three and four require extensive internet research. What have you checked? Don’t want to duplicate your efforts.

[MDKMDK]

I usually recommend websites like these to check on traffic and construction, or other problems along the roads. They are as close to "real time" as you can get, unless you're actually on the roadway, stuck in traffic.

http://www.drivebc.ca/#welcome

https://511.alberta.ca/

I'm not familiar with the camping situation out there, but someone may chime in on that question.