Waterton & Lake Louise early May.????

[TenOC]

We are thinking about making a late Spring trip to the Canadian Rockies. We are currently thinking about arriving at Waterton Lakes Townsite campground around May 1st and then Lake Louise Hard-sided around May 5th to May 10th this is outside the time frame in which the parks take reservations.

My questions what’s the possibility of obtaining a first come first serve campsite this time a year?

Is this too early to visit? We like to see the snow on the mountains. I assume that the roads and parking lots will be clear of snow.

[ppine]

Be ready for some cold weather. I have been in cold weather in Alberta in July and August. Big snow year a lot of places.

[StirCrazy]

canadafan wrote:
Yes I know, but Profdant post talked about driving north from Waterton to Lake Louise and visiting Peter Lougheed. The OP wants to do this in MAY
The only way to do this at this time is to take Hwy 22 from Lundbreck all the way via Bragg Ck to Junc.161 on Hwy 1 then east to Seebe and then south on Hwy 40 to Peter Lougheed.
Hwy 40 south of Peter Lougheed is closed till 14 June, when you are likely to see quite a bit of snow over Highwood Pass.
BTW. At PL campgrounds don't open till 11 May. But Mt Kidd RV Park (25 km north of PL) is open year round.
Regarding the weather, you have to take your chances I am afraid, we have seen Bow Lake iced over in early June and snow at Saskatchewan River Crossing on the Icefield Parkway on mid-summer day, 21 June.

um the OP never made any mention of Peter Lougheed, wanted to camp in may at waterton then head to lake louise then jasper.. you have me confused now... I see now some one checged the topic of the post...

[canadafan]

Yes I know, but Profdant post talked about driving north from Waterton to Lake Louise and visiting Peter Lougheed. The OP wants to do this in MAY
The only way to do this at this time is to take Hwy 22 from Lundbreck all the way via Bragg Ck to Junc.161 on Hwy 1 then east to Seebe and then south on Hwy 40 to Peter Lougheed.
Hwy 40 south of Peter Lougheed is closed till 14 June, when you are likely to see quite a bit of snow over Highwood Pass.
BTW. At PL campgrounds don't open till 11 May. But Mt Kidd RV Park (25 km north of PL) is open year round.
Regarding the weather, you have to take your chances I am afraid, we have seen Bow Lake iced over in early June and snow at Saskatchewan River Crossing on the Icefield Parkway on mid-summer day, 21 June.

[StirCrazy]

canadafan wrote:
Yes Peter Lougheed, is great, but it is very difficult to get to if you are travelling from Waterton early in the year since the direct route( Highway 40 ) is closed from Highwood Junction to Peter Lougheed until 14 June. So you would have to drive south from Highway 1.
You will now also have to buy a Kananaskis Park pass to get to Peter Lougheed Park.

you only need to buy the pass if you are going to stop and camp or picnic, or sightsee. if you are turning onto the road and driving strait through to waterton you don't need a pass, and all the towns look like they have been excluded from the areas.

besides you going to be turning sought at pincer creek (highway 3 not 1) onto highway 6 which is outside the park boundries so not a worrie anyways.

[canadafan]

Yes Peter Lougheed, is great, but it is very difficult to get to if you are travelling from Waterton early in the year since the direct route( Highway 40 ) is closed from Highwood Junction to Peter Lougheed until 14 June. So you would have to drive south from Highway 1.
You will now also have to buy a Kananaskis Park pass to get to Peter Lougheed Park.

[profdant139]

Ten o see, if possible, stop for a few days in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park on your way from Waterton to Lake Louise. Spectacular.

[StirCrazy]

SideHillSoup wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

SideHillSoup wrote:
Just to add another thing about your post:
May 1st is not late spring in the mountains. Yes there are campgrounds open, however things really start to “open up” so to speak is Victoria Day long weekend, which is the 3rd Monday of May. That’s the unofficial opening day of Camping for the season.
I can’t count the number of times over the years that we have had snow on that weekend. Like I said in my earlier post, we had snow on the mountains the last Thursday before the 1st of July.
We are retired so we start camping as soon as Campgrounds from around here open for the season and we go out every week and come home every weekend to restock the camper.
Last year year every week were were out camping was cold, windy with rain and snow, we packed it in a couple of times as I was loosing to many crib game to my wife.
Not saying you won’t have a great time the 1st week of May, but in my experience the odds are against you.
As for your awning, there isn’t anywhere where I leave my awning out especially along lakes rivers or in a steep valley. Winds can come out of now where and your awning just won’t flop over the roof, I have seen gusts of winds so strong it ripped the awning right off the side of trailers, at least now a days, the US Airforce and NORAD will help you bring it back down to earth for you. :W

we must just have opposit luck, I have been camping in Banff and jasper for 40 years as soon a campground start to open. ya I have woke up to the odd skif of snow or had a bit of rain but its generaly been good.

your pics of the highway not one of them would stop me from going out with the camper , but the 1st one might make me chek the forcast a little better before taking the 5th wheel out, but I would probably still go. The next ones are just wet roads.

I’m not even in the Rockies and we get snow while camping in the spring, you must have the best luck with early spring camping. I will admit this last spring ( winter) lingered until the last week of June, and then it was summer right up until the 3rd week of October. We were working on our snowmobile cabin at 5,000 ft and it was so hot we were shedding cloths to keep cool. 18 days later there was 12 inches of snow there.
I recall in the early 80’s driving through downtown Greenwood on August long weekend, in a snow storm, by the time I got to Grandforks is was sunny and people were water skiing at Christina Lake.

ya I think it was towards the first week of october when we were at Mosquito creek last year.. most places had closed already. was absolutly beautiful last year t-shirt weather.

Steve

[enblethen]

Campgrounds information with anticipated opening dates.

[SideHillSoup]

StirCrazy wrote:

SideHillSoup wrote:
Just to add another thing about your post:
May 1st is not late spring in the mountains. Yes there are campgrounds open, however things really start to “open up” so to speak is Victoria Day long weekend, which is the 3rd Monday of May. That’s the unofficial opening day of Camping for the season.
I can’t count the number of times over the years that we have had snow on that weekend. Like I said in my earlier post, we had snow on the mountains the last Thursday before the 1st of July.
We are retired so we start camping as soon as Campgrounds from around here open for the season and we go out every week and come home every weekend to restock the camper.
Last year year every week were were out camping was cold, windy with rain and snow, we packed it in a couple of times as I was loosing to many crib game to my wife.
Not saying you won’t have a great time the 1st week of May, but in my experience the odds are against you.
As for your awning, there isn’t anywhere where I leave my awning out especially along lakes rivers or in a steep valley. Winds can come out of now where and your awning just won’t flop over the roof, I have seen gusts of winds so strong it ripped the awning right off the side of trailers, at least now a days, the US Airforce and NORAD will help you bring it back down to earth for you. :W

we must just have opposit luck, I have been camping in Banff and jasper for 40 years as soon a campground start to open. ya I have woke up to the odd skif of snow or had a bit of rain but its generaly been good.

your pics of the highway not one of them would stop me from going out with the camper , but the 1st one might make me chek the forcast a little better before taking the 5th wheel out, but I would probably still go. The next ones are just wet roads.

I’m not even in the Rockies and we get snow while camping in the spring, you must have the best luck with early spring camping. I will admit this last spring ( winter) lingered until the last week of June, and then it was summer right up until the 3rd week of October. We were working on our snowmobile cabin at 5,000 ft and it was so hot we were shedding cloths to keep cool. 18 days later there was 12 inches of snow there.
I recall in the early 80’s driving through downtown Greenwood on August long weekend, in a snow storm, by the time I got to Grandforks is was sunny and people were water skiing at Christina Lake.

[StirCrazy]

SideHillSoup wrote:
Just to add another thing about your post:
May 1st is not late spring in the mountains. Yes there are campgrounds open, however things really start to “open up” so to speak is Victoria Day long weekend, which is the 3rd Monday of May. That’s the unofficial opening day of Camping for the season.
I can’t count the number of times over the years that we have had snow on that weekend. Like I said in my earlier post, we had snow on the mountains the last Thursday before the 1st of July.
We are retired so we start camping as soon as Campgrounds from around here open for the season and we go out every week and come home every weekend to restock the camper.
Last year year every week were were out camping was cold, windy with rain and snow, we packed it in a couple of times as I was loosing to many crib game to my wife.
Not saying you won’t have a great time the 1st week of May, but in my experience the odds are against you.
As for your awning, there isn’t anywhere where I leave my awning out especially along lakes rivers or in a steep valley. Winds can come out of now where and your awning just won’t flop over the roof, I have seen gusts of winds so strong it ripped the awning right off the side of trailers, at least now a days, the US Airforce and NORAD will help you bring it back down to earth for you. :W

we must just have opposit luck, I have been camping in Banff and jasper for 40 years as soon a campground start to open. ya I have woke up to the odd skif of snow or had a bit of rain but its generaly been good.

your pics of the highway not one of them would stop me from going out with the camper , but the 1st one might make me chek the forcast a little better before taking the 5th wheel out, but I would probably still go. The next ones are just wet roads.

[SideHillSoup]

Just to add another thing about your post:
May 1st is not late spring in the mountains. Yes there are campgrounds open, however things really start to “open up” so to speak is Victoria Day long weekend, which is the 3rd Monday of May. That’s the unofficial opening day of Camping for the season.
I can’t count the number of times over the years that we have had snow on that weekend. Like I said in my earlier post, we had snow on the mountains the last Thursday before the 1st of July.
We are retired so we start camping as soon as Campgrounds from around here open for the season and we go out every week and come home every weekend to restock the camper.
Last year year every week were were out camping was cold, windy with rain and snow, we packed it in a couple of times as I was loosing to many crib game to my wife.
Not saying you won’t have a great time the 1st week of May, but in my experience the odds are against you.
As for your awning, there isn’t anywhere where I leave my awning out especially along lakes rivers or in a steep valley. Winds can come out of now where and your awning just won’t flop over the roof, I have seen gusts of winds so strong it ripped the awning right off the side of trailers, at least now a days, the US Airforce and NORAD will help you bring it back down to earth for you. :W

[Veebyes]

We were there in 2011. Must have been something like the second week of May.

The hotel was still closed. The town was more or less a ghost town. Could have shot a canon down Main St & not hit anything. The CG was open, sort of. The gate was open. Nobody around. Snow was still piled up in places. I think the power was on. Plenty sites usable. Camped free. No way to pay.

Wonderful having the place more or less all to ourselves.

[Pipeman]

Another thing you have to be aware of in Waterton is don't put your awning out. The wind can come up out of nowhere and your awning will flop over your trailer. I've seen it happen to a guy who wouldn't take the advice. Waterton is our most favourite National Park. We usually arrived around June 29th tho'. When Waterton Springs Campground was open( just north of Waterton Townsite) they had to tow a rig out to the highway because of the snow in June.

[ssthrd]

SideHillSoup wrote:

ssthrd wrote:
@ Soup:W

Lol. Not sure that anyone outside of Canada knows what a toque is! But I've been wrong before.....:)

Lucky I never wrote down beleclava :W

haha! My morning smile-Thanks!