Q&A: Where can you RV camp year-round in Banff?

Camp Year-Round in Banff, Alberta

Question:
We are looking to come to Banff for our daughter’s wedding October 29th and would like to know if there is any Banff RV camping available in the park at that time of year.

Vicki C.

Answer:
Yes! There are a couple of campsites that are open year-round in Banff National Park. The campgrounds are: Tunnel Mountain II (5 km from downtown Banff), Lake Louise Trailer (1 km from the Lake Louise village) and Mosquito Creek (24 km north of Lake Louise).

Read below for descriptions of each.

TUNNEL MOUNTAIN VILLAGE II CAMPGROUND
This campground is open all year. Every campsite has great views of Mt. Rundle, Cascade Mountain and Tunnel Mountain.

There are 188 total sites, all with electrical hookups (15 and 30 amps only). The fee for a site here is $32.30 per night (subject to change). Visitors can stay a maximum of 14 days.

The sites can accommodate RVs up to 50 feet in length. There is a limit to one RV/motor home per site. The campground is paved and has wide-open sites. The sites have limited trees, so privacy is limited when the campground is busy. Tent sites are also available, but are walk-in only.

Make a reservation for a Tunnel Mountain Village II site by calling 1-877-RESERVE or by visiting Parks Canada’s Reservations. Reservable campsites are issued upon arrival to the kiosk with proof of a reservation using a confirmation number.

If reservations are full or not available you may still be able to secure a spot simply by showing up. (Some of the sites are only first-come, first-served.)

Additional Facilities/Services:
-centrally located shower building (7 shower stalls for men, 7 for women)
-flush toilets
-hot/cold running water
-washrooms cleaned daily
-disabled access campsites available (upon request)
-picnic table at each site
-cook stoves in kitchen shelters
-open campfires permitted in designated fire pits
-interpretive programs

What Tunnel Mountain Village II Doesn’t Have
-laundry facilities
-playgrounds
-Internet connections
-lakes/rivers near the campground
-fire pits

LAKE LOUISE TRAILER CAMPGROUND
Lake Louise Campground’s Trailer sites are also open year-round. In the summer there are 189 drive-through sites and in winter there are 30. The campground is located 1 km outside the village of Lake Louise and 58 km west of Banff.

The campground is a forested paradise next to the Bow River. Lake Louise is 4 km from the grounds. Hiking and bicycle trails criss-cross the area.

Make a reservation for a Lake Louise Trailer site by calling 1-877-RESERVE / 1-866-787-6221 or by visiting Parks Canada’s Reservations. The fee to say at this campground is $32.30 per site, per night. Additional fee is charged for use of the fire pits ($8.80). (Fees are subject to change.)

Please note: in early spring (April/May) and late fall (October/November), tents and soft-sided trailers are not permitted in the Lake Louise Campground to help protect both people and bears. Read here about the electric fences in the area and more about protecting yourself from bears at this site.

Additional Facilities/Services:
-electric hook-ups
-flush toilets
-piped hot/cold water
-showers
-recycling bins
-sanitation station
-interpretative programs

MOSQUITO CREEK CAMPGROUND
Mount Hector’s rugged cliffs are a beautiful sight from this campground 24 km north of Lake Louise on the scenic Icefields Parkway.

The Mosquito Creek Campground is a more rustic site, but is nonetheless open year-round. There are 32 unserviced sites available. Mosquito Creek’s sites are all first-come, first served. Disabled access sites available.

The fee to stay at Mosquito Creek is $17.60 per site, per night. There is an additional fee of $8.80 for use of their fire pits. (Fees subject to change).

Additional Facilities/Services:
-well water (hand pump)
-dry bathrooms
-kitchen shelter with wood cook stove
-fire rings and firewood.

For more information about camping in Banff National Park:
Banff National Park
Box 900
Banff, AB
Canada, T1L 1K2
Phone: (403) 762-1550