Banff/Jasper July 2019

[HHfundays]

We are going to be traveling to the Banff and Jasper area in July. Our dog will be traveling with u. We enjoy moderate hikes, nature, and anything that allows us to bring our dog along, although she can stay in the rv for some of the time. We will be will have 10 days to visit both parks. Any advice on campgrounds and highlights to do would be greatly appreciated. Books and videos are wonderful, but nothing compares to the advice of other seasoned RVers!

[PghBob]

Not sure what campgrounds will be open in April. Check ahead.
Whistlers, as noted, will be closed this summer.
Remember July 1 is Canada Day, and many of our good neighbors will be looking for campgrounds at that time. This is especially true of Banff which is so close to Calgary.
You should be making your reservations by now.

[jensenst]

Reservation stated on Jan 9th online. The dates went last year were basically all taken within a few hours. It may not be a problem for your time frame. We were there in mid July. Banff and Jasper were the highlight of our 12500 mile trip to Alaska. In Banff there is an off lease city dog park, The Calgary Stampede is in July.

[hedge]

I'm surprised noone has mentioned it yet but whistlers campground in Jasper is closed this year so it will be harder to get a spot. The reservations open in the next few days, I'd look into booking as soon as possible.

[trigley]

profdant139 wrote:
How big is your rig, and do you need hookups? If you have a small rig, and can do without hookups, Wilcox Campground is well located -- lots of hiking to do!!

And if you are too big for Wilcox but want to spend some time between Lake Louise and Jasper consider the
David Thompson Resort on Highway 11 (good road).

[trigley]

If you haven't already done so review theBanff, Lake Louise, Jasper from Nov \Dec.
The O|P of that thread was planning 5-6 nights in the parks but the itinerary discussed was heavy for that time frame. Your 10 days is more realistic particularly if you want to spend any time in the towns. You could also add a trip on 93 to Radium or 16 to Mt Robson.

[crosscheck]

cruiserjs wrote:
Dogs MUST be on a leash in the National Park. And NOT allowed on trails. Leave it home?

There are restrictions re dogs on some trails in the Canadian NP system but mostly they are allowed on the trails. Research where in the NP you are going to get up to date hiking info on which trails allow dogs.Contrary to what was quoted above by the former NP warden,most NP trails in Canada
allow dogs if they are on a leash.

Dave

[paulj]

Canadian National Parks are more permissive regarding dogs than USA ones.

[FLY_4_FUN]

In Jasper there are a few trails that allow dogs so check in at the tourist info center in town to find out the rules. There are no shortage of great hikes so again get the trail maps and enjoy. The largest campground Whistlers is closed this summer so there will be a TON of folks booking the other sites so you better be online on the opening day and make your reservations.

Daryll

[cruiserjs]

Dogs MUST be on a leash in the National Park. And NOT allowed on trails. Leave it home?

[Orion]

"We are interested also but we are thinking of being in Banff/Jasper in April to mid-May, then head for Alaska. "

That's a bit early for Banff as you wont get to see that stunning aquamarine colour in many of the lakes. 'Ice -off' on Lake Louise doesnt normally happen til first week of June. Still beautiful there though.

[profdant139]

How big is your rig, and do you need hookups? If you have a small rig, and can do without hookups, Wilcox Campground is well located -- lots of hiking to do!!

[lakeside013104]

swphotobug wrote:
We are interested also but we are thinking of being in Banff/Jasper in April to mid-May, then head for Alaska.

We were at Lake Louise in mid May. Snow banks every where and ice covered the lake. Be prepared for cooler weather.

Still a very beautiful area to visit and enjoy. Many things to do as you will find out when spending some time there.

Take your time and enjoy the sights. Truly amazing.

Lakeside

[BobsYourUncle]

If you choose Banff, Tunnel Mountain is IMO the best! We are in Calgary so a short drive for us to go there. We love it.

[RICK-ards_Red]

It is a beautiful area with lots to see and do. I strongly recommend you pick a central camp ground, there are many and use it as a base and travel to the various areas. There is a lot of people around at that time of year.
ALSO make a reservation for any camp sites or you could be out of luck. We had reservations in late June but as we came back thru in mid July we were lucky to get a spot in overflow.