The best camping near Lethbridge

One of the great national parks of the Canadian west, here the prairies rise to the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies. Directly connected with Montana’s Glacier National Park, you can actually take a boat cruise down there on Waterton Lake, the border marked by a wide blaze cut through the forest. Spot black bears, bighorn sheep, and elk, hike along 200 kilometres of trails, scramble to the top of Mount Blakiston, the park’s highest peak, and if you stay the night, this dark sky preserve has some of the best stargazing in the world.

Lethbridge experiences fewer seasonal extremes than other Alberta cities. One of the driest cities in North America, there’s less snow, and warm Chinook winds blow down from the Rockies, warming the city in the heart of winter (even in January, the average high is above zero). Sitting at an altitude of more than 900 metres, summers can be relatively cool, with night time temperatures dipping into the teens—meaning you should probably pack a jacket with your gear. Summer is the busiest time to visit, especially during Whoop-Up Days, the annual August rodeo.

• A place geared to outdoorsy pursuits, both downtown Lethbridge and its main mall have great stores to buy camping gear. 
• While the city has a well-run transit system, you’ll need a car to navigate outside of town. 
• Lethbridge has its own, small airport, but most international arrivals come through Calgary’s international airport, about 150 kilometres north.
• Most grocery and hardware stores are clustered in the southern end of the city, near the University of Lethbridge and College Centre Mall.