Calgary & Edmonton, AB

[PghBob]

We are planning a trip this summer to the Canadian Rockies, especially Banff and Jasper NPs. We will be traveling in a 27 foot Class C. I am requesting info. on the following:

Are there any obstructions along the way to pick up family members arriving at Calgary Airport? By obstructions I mean low overpasses that might take off the roof of the RV.

While most of time we expect to be in the NPs, we would like to see the cities as well. Expect to be in Calgary pre-stampede in mid-June. What are the must-sees and any recommended camp grounds?

Likewise, expect to visit Edmonton after leaving Jasper. Must-sees and camp ground recommendations for the Capital City?

Thanks for the help.

Bob

[PghBob]

bigdaddy37 wrote:

PghBob wrote:
Txcampingfamily: Thanks again for the info. We are driving a Class C but without a toad. There are a couple of things I want to do in town, and I was hoping the lightrail was near the CG you stayed at. We will work it out somehow. Bob

The CG is actually in Cochrane. It's a bedroom community just west of Calgary. From the campground, you drive about 10 minutes to the western edge of the City. There you will find an LRT station (Crowfoot station) There is ample parking for a class C and you can hop on the train and get around the city relatively efficiently. (http://www.calgarytransit.com/route_maps/route.html)

In Banff, once at Tunnel Mountain you can walk everywhere you want to go in town. I don't recommend walking to Sulfer Mountain and the hotsprings but it can be done. There is public transit there too. No need to drive in town if you don't want to. (http://roamtransit.com/services/banff)

Enjoy your visit

Thank you very much for the response. Even pre-RV our family would opt for public transit whenever it was possible. This info helps our family a great deal. Thanks again for the info. Bob

[bigdaddy37]

PghBob wrote:
Txcampingfamily: Thanks again for the info. We are driving a Class C but without a toad. There are a couple of things I want to do in town, and I was hoping the lightrail was near the CG you stayed at. We will work it out somehow. Bob

The CG is actually in Cochrane. It's a bedroom community just west of Calgary. From the campground, you drive about 10 minutes to the western edge of the City. There you will find an LRT station (Crowfoot station) There is ample parking for a class C and you can hop on the train and get around the city relatively efficiently. (http://www.calgarytransit.com/route_maps/route.html)

In Banff, once at Tunnel Mountain you can walk everywhere you want to go in town. I don't recommend walking to Sulfer Mountain and the hotsprings but it can be done. There is public transit there too. No need to drive in town if you don't want to. (http://roamtransit.com/services/banff)

Enjoy your visit

[TXcampingfamily]

I didn't notice the public transportation in Calgary or Banff, but then I wasn't really looking for them. Depending on the size of your class C you might want to rent a car. Banff, Lake Louise, etc. is pretty crowded and busy. I wouldn't feel comfortable driving in some of those areas with a good size rig. Maybe someone who has taken their RV in these areas can give you more information.

[PghBob]

Txcampingfamily: Thanks again for the info. We are driving a Class C but without a toad. There are a couple of things I want to do in town, and I was hoping the lightrail was near the CG you stayed at. We will work it out somehow. Bob

[TXcampingfamily]

PghBob wrote:
TXcampingfamily - Sounds like you did last year what we are planning to do this year. How did you commute from Bow Rivers into Calgary? Did you take your RV into town? If so, where did you park?

We drive a class A and pull behind a Jeep Wrangler, so we used the Jeep to go from the CG to Calgary. Parking wasn't really an issue with the Jeep. We stayed about 5 days at Glacier National Park and from there crossed the border into Canada. We only spent a couple of days touring Calgary before going to Banff. Our schedule was tight due to our work/school schedule. We spend a lot of time just getting to Glacier from south Texas! If we had more time I would have wanted to tour other parks in Canada (Jasper, etc.). Banff was pretty, but it was a little too touristy for our taste. I think we would have like some of the other Canadian parks better. Oh well, I guess we will just add them to our stops once we retire! 🙂

[PghBob]

DKeppner - Thanks for the info. on Waterton. We've been there probably 10 years ago and agree that it is Drop-Dead Gorgeous. I think we will reconsider our current plans and see if we can add it.

TXcampingfamily - Sounds like you did last year what we are planning to do this year. How did you commute from Bow Rivers into Calgary? Did you take your RV into town? If so, where did you park?
Upon reading and planning this trip, we are finding many places that charge for showers. We have paid for showers in private CGs in the US as well.

Thanks all for the great info. Really appreciate the help.

Bob

[TXcampingfamily]

We stopped in Calgary for a few days on our way to Tunnel Mountain in Banff last July. We stayed at Bow Rivers Edge in Cochrane and commuted into Calgary. The campground was very tight and more like a well manicured parkinglot, but it worked for us since we only used it to sleep while we toured Calgary each day. On a side note here are a few items that we didn't find out until we were in Canada:

1. Credit Cards- I called my card companies before the trip to see what extra charges they might add. I only carry a Visa and Discover Card. Discover is our favorite and wasn't going to add charges. Found out that not a single place would take Discover. Most folks had never even heard of it. I was bummed to have to use my Visa, but it turned out OK.

2. Showers- I was surprised at some of the commercial campgrounds (Bow Rivers Edge was one) they charged for the showers. There were 5 of us so sometime we like to use the campground showers.

3. Laundry in Banff- There are no laundry facilities in the campgrounds in Banff. You will have to use one in town. Don't remember the cost since we ended up handwashing the needed items so that we didn't have to sit in the laundromat.

4. Mosquito spray- Bring as much as you can buy!!! I have never seen mosquitoes that big! Keep in mind we went last summer after all the big flooding, so maybe that's not the norm.

All these things were minor items, but maybe the knowledge will help you on your trip. 🙂

[DKeppner]

Even though its a bit south of Calgary, a must stop is Waterton National Park. Its the Canadian side of the U.S.'s Glacier National Park and almost a different world. The buffalo range closer to Mountain View offers a nice stop and then you have Cardston and Lethbrige. We try to get there every other year for at least a week and coming from the south have no worries on clearance.

Beware the vault toilets at the rest stops though.

[PghBob]

Thanks all for the info.

We have already booked Tunnel Mt. in Banff and a CG in Jasper. We are very much looking forward to visiting our northern neighbors. We are now giving thought to reducing our time in the cities and expanding our visits elsewhere in AB.

Thanks again. Bob

[danager]

When camping near Edmonton, I prefer Wabamun Lake Provincial Park. Quiet family camping, power and water available on one loop. Small store with friendly staff. I always book the outside of the loop. You get a larger spot, more space and trees between the neighbours.

While in Edmonton, there will always be some festival to check out. I would also add Telus World of Science to the list.

[Murphsmom]

The zoo in Calgary is definitely a place to visit. They had the coolest hippo exhibit I had ever seen. Last spring's floods were so bad that they were concerned that the animals might have to be housed elsewhere, but I haven't heard anything about spring flooding so far this year.

Another yes goes to the Dinosaur Museum. The Hoodoos nearby are interesting photo subjects.

[Mr_Biggles]

Drumheller Dinosaur museum is very interesting. It's about 2 hours drive east of Calgary, in the Alberta Badlands. Interesting scenery too, and good RV campsites. I've also camped at the Bow Valley Provincial Park , and Tunnel Mountain in Banff. Both are government run and busy. So book early if you can . Mount Kidd RV park is popular, but again you must book early . The Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper is a beautiful drive an a must visit. Lots of wildlife and amazing scenery. There's lots of campsites, but again very busy . Most of the Provincial and National Parks campsites do have sites that are on a first-come , first-served basis, but you need to arrive early. June is a good time to visit. Not as busy as July and August. Bring a few warm clothes . The mountains can get chilly at night. I have seen snow in Calgary in June too !

[Mr_Biggles]

Hi Bob, there are no low overhangs at the Calgary airport . They are building a new terminal, so there could be a few delays driving through. It's not a super busy airport. You will not have a problem. As for Calgary , Heritage Park is interesting. The zoo is good , but was substantially damaged after last June's big flood. The main draw is the Rockies.

[Turbo_Diesel_Du]

I will NEVER stay at The Embers campground in west Edmonton ever again. Hate rudeness and they are definitely rude there. JMHO