Notable Campgrounds
- Best for lake views: Two Jack Lakeside Campground features dozens of lakesides tent camping sites and RV spots.
- Best for having fun in town: Tunnel Mountain Village Campground is just eight kilometres (five miles) from downtown Banff and offers well-equipped campsites with flush toilets and RV hookups.
- Best for canyon exploring: Johnston Canyon campground offers prime access to the Johnston Canyon Trailhead, the gateway to one of Banff’s most popular and easily accessible day hikes.
Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation
- Make your plans early to reserve a campsite in Banff National Park. Set a calendar reminder for the day and time reservations open on Parks Canada’s online booking system—normally in early January—since many of the park’s reservable campgrounds fill immediately. These campgrounds are in the Tunnel Mountain, Two Jack Main, Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise, and Rampart Creek areas.
- If you do arrive without a reservation, claim your campsite first thing in the morning at one of the first-come, first-served campgrounds: Castle Mountain, Protection Mountain, Mosquito Creek, Silverhorn Creek, or Waterfowl Lakes.
- Be sure to check seasonal opening and closing dates, which vary by camping area.
When to Go
Banff is busiest in July and August, the mild summer months. Consider visiting on weekdays in September or October, when crowds begin to thin and the larch trees turn gold, or in the less packed (but sometimes rainier) spring, when wildflowers peek through the lingering snow. Most campgrounds are open from late June to early October, but Tunnel Mountain Village II and the Lake Louise campground for trailers stay open year-round for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing, and other cold-weather adventures.
Know Before You Go
Banff National Park
Glaciers, hot springs, and aqua lakes make this Rocky Mountain national park Canada’s most popular.
Try to picture an iconic Canadian national park and you’ll likely imagine Banff. In Alberta’s Canadian Rockies, Banff has 13 campgrounds and more than 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) of hiking paths that wind around glacier-topped peaks, rocky canyons, and turquoise lakes, including the unmistakable Lake Louise. This is Canada’s busiest national park, meaning that the town of Banff, within the park, often heaves with people. Campers can beat the crowds with dispersed backcountry camping or stays at some of Banff’s more than four dozen designated backcountry sites in all different sections of the park. Don’t miss the glacier-lined Icefields Parkway, the scenic drive that connects Banff with Jasper National Park.
Try to picture an iconic Canadian national park and you’ll likely imagine Banff. In Alberta’s Canadian Rockies, Banff has 13 campgrounds and more than 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) of hiking paths that wind around glacier-topped peaks, rocky canyons, and turquoise lakes, including the unmistakable Lake Louise. This is Canada’s busiest national park, meaning that the town of Banff, within the park, often heaves with people. Campers can beat the crowds with dispersed backcountry camping or stays at some of Banff’s more than four dozen designated backcountry sites in all different sections of the park. Don’t miss the glacier-lined Icefields Parkway, the scenic drive that connects Banff with Jasper National Park.
Notable Campgrounds
Notable Campgrounds
Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation
When to Go
Banff is busiest in July and August, the mild summer months. Consider visiting on weekdays in September or October, when crowds begin to thin and the larch trees turn gold, or in the less packed (but sometimes rainier) spring, when wildflowers peek through the lingering snow. Most campgrounds are open from late June to early October, but Tunnel Mountain Village II and the Lake Louise campground for trailers stay open year-round for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing, and other cold-weather adventures.
Know Before You Go
Some campsites have fire pits, but fire permits must be purchased at the campground per night.