Discovering the BEST Lake Louise Campground (or Close by)

Compiled by the Highway Journey Alberta workforce

Final up to date on Could 3, 2024

Tenting in Lake Louise might be one of many nicest spots on the planet to both arrange the trailer or pitch a tent. Though only a few campgrounds are literally “in” Lake Louise, there are some close by and plenty of inside Banff Nationwide Park. Relying on the place you wish to spend your time within the nationwide park could dictate the place you arrange camp. That being stated, if you wish to discover a spot at Lake Louise Campground in the summertime or any close by campground in Banff Nationwide Park, you’ll need to guide early. Reservations open up in January and guide up quick. If you happen to’re fortunate sufficient to get one, savour tenting in one of the vital stunning spots on the planet.

The Greatest Lake Louise Campgrounds

Lake Louise Campground – Laborious-Sided/Trailer

Campground highlights:

• Open year-round – Reservations Required for stays from June to September
• Dimension: 189 websites
• Facilities: Washroom and bathe amenities together with flush bogs, potable water, firepits, electrical energy, cooking shelter, wheelchair accessible, sani-dump

Divided from the Lake Louise tent campground (typically known as the “soft-sided campground) by the Bow River, the Lake Louise Trailer Campground is a implausible spot for these trying to discover Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. With entry to quite a few mountaineering trails and close by sights, the forested campground is just a brief drive from the Icefields Parkway and the Bow Valley Parkway, making it an excellent base to discover Banff Nationwide Park.

The campsites are shared double-length websites finest suited to models as much as 15 metres (50 toes) and are serviced with 15-30-50 amps. For teams that wish to camp collectively, please word that there are fireplace and no-fire websites out there.

One other advantage of staying on the Lake Louise Laborious-Sided Campground is that there’s a Parks Canada shuttle cease. You’ll be able to depart your automobile on the campground and use the Park and Journey Connector Service to go into Lake Louise Village (though the village is just a couple of 15-minute stroll away).

As with each Lake Louise campground, we advocate reserving as far upfront as doable, particularly for the busy summer time months.

Lake Louise Campground – Smooth-Sided/Tent

Campground highlights:

• Open from June to September – Reservations required
• Dimension: 206 websites
• Facilities: Washroom and bathe amenities together with flush bogs, potable water, fireplace pits, cooking shelter, wheelchair accessible, sani-dump

One other implausible base to discover the Lake Louise space is the Lake Louise Tent Campground. Good for these wanting quick access to a number of the finest hikes in Banff Nationwide Park, the campground additionally presents free entry to the Park and Journey Connector service, linking it with Lake Louise Village so to simply go to its sights. This “soft-sided” part is enclosed by an electrical fence and permits tents, soft-sided trailers, and tenting gear with soft-sided pop-outs.

Campsites are unserviced and finest suited to tents, tent trailers, or small motorhomes and trailers as much as 7 metres (24 toes). For teams desirous to camp collectively, please word that there are fireplace and no-fire loops when deciding on a web site.

The Lake Louise Campground books up rapidly, so mark your calendar and attempt to guide as far upfront as doable.

Campgrounds Close to Lake Louise

If you happen to don’t thoughts a little bit of a drive, listed below are a couple of extra campgrounds close to Lake Louise. Ensure that to additionally take a look at our information to tenting in Banff Nationwide Park.

Safety Mountain Campground

Distance to Lake Louise: 15 km / quarter-hour

Campground highlights:

• Open June to September 6 – First come, first served foundation
• Dimension: 72 websites
• Facilities: Washroom amenities together with flush bogs, potable water, fireplace pits, cooking shelter, wheelchair accessible

Safety Mountain Campground is a couple of 15-minute drive south of Lake Louise on the Bow Valley Parkway. It presents superb views of each the Safety and Fortress Mountains and can be identified for its unimaginable stargazing within the night. Campsites are unserviced and finest suited to tents, motorhomes, or trailers as much as 10 metres (35 toes), and RV campers could use the sani-dump positioned on the Lake Louise Campground. Observe that cell service is proscribed right here, and, because it’s a reasonably new campground, there aren’t as many timber round as a number of the different Lake Louise campgrounds.

One other bonus to staying at Safety Mountain Campground is that there’s a Roam Transit Cease, which helps you get round Banff Nationwide Park with the convenience of public transportation.

Mosquito Creek Campground

Distance to Lake Louise: 27 km / 22 minutes

Open June to October – First come, first served foundation

Campground highlights:

• Dimension: 32 websites
• Facilities: Outhouse amenities, potable water, fireplace pits, cooking shelter

Solely twenty minutes from Lake Louise, Mosquito Creek Campground presents stunning views and a way more secluded tenting expertise than in the event you have been to remain in one of many fundamental Lake Louise campgrounds. Campsites are unserviced and finest suited to tents, motorhomes, or trailers as much as 10 metres (35 toes). RV campers could use the sani-dump positioned on the Lake Louise campground.

With beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains and plenty of mountaineering trails close by, Mosquito Creek Campground is nice for these searching for extra genuine and rustic tenting (there isn’t a cellular phone service, for instance). And don’t fear… mosquitos are not any worse right here than in some other spot in Banff Nationwide Park!

Johnston Canyon Campground

Distance to Lake Louise: 33 km / 24 minutes

Campground highlights:

• Open July – September – Reservations required
• Dimension: 132 websites
• Facilities: Washroom and bathe amenities together with flush bogs, potable water, fireplace pits, cooking shelter, wheelchair accessible, sani-dump, interpretive packages

Johnston Canyon Campground is roughly a thirty-minute drive south of Lake Louise and is an efficient possibility for individuals who desire a extra rustic tenting expertise. It’s about equidistant from each Banff and Lake Louise, making it a implausible base to discover each areas (particularly if you wish to spend a while on the Johnston Canyon Path, among the finest hikes in Banff). Websites can be found for tents and small RVs as much as 8.2 metres (27 toes), and there’s a public transit cease that can take you to Banff Townsite in summer time.

Silverhorn Creek Campground

Distance to Lake Louise: 54 km / 43 minutes

Campground highlights:

• Open from June to September – First come, first served foundation
• Dimension: 45 websites
• Facilities: Outhouse amenities, firepits, picnic shelter, meals storage locker

Discovered alongside the Icefields Parkway roughly 40 minutes north of Lake Louise, Silverhorn Creek Campground is finest suited to tents, motorhomes, or trailers as much as 20 metres (70 toes). This RV-friendly campground is unserviced and doesn’t have any cellular phone service, however it’s simply minutes from Waterfowl Lakes, Bow Lake, and the Peyto Lake viewpoint. RV campers can fill with potable water and use the sani-dump station positioned on the Waterfowl Lakes campground.

Waterfowl Lakes Campground

Distance to Lake Louise: 60 km / 46 minutes

Campground highlights:

• Open from June to September – First come, first served foundation
• Dimension: 110 websites
• Facilities: Washroom amenities with flush bogs, potable water, fireplace pits, cooking shelter, wheelchair accessible, interpretive packages

Positioned roughly 45 minutes north of Lake Louise, the Waterfowl Lakes Campground sits between Higher and Decrease Waterfowl Lakes on the Mistaya River, placing you within the good place to spend a while on the water. Spend your days paddling, canoeing, or kayaking on the glacier-fed lakes, or take the brief drive to Saskatchewan Crossing, Bow Lake, and the Peyto Lake viewpoint. There isn’t any cellular phone service right here, making it a really perfect spot to totally unwind and join with nature.

The campsites are unserviced and finest suited to tents, motorhomes, and trailers as much as 9 metres (31 toes) in size. Ensure that to ask concerning the free Saturday night interpretive packages hosted by Parks Canada on the campground theatre.

Tunnel Mountain Village 1 Campground

Distance to Lake Louise: 63 km / 41 minutes

Campground highlights:

• Open from Could to October – Reservations required
• Dimension: 618 websites
• Facilities: Washroom and bathe amenities together with flush bogs, potable water, fireplace pits, wheelchair accessible, sani-dump, interpretive packages

Discovered only some kilometres from the Banff townsite, this is among the largest campgrounds within the nationwide park. A forty five-minute drive from Lake Louise, Tunnel Mountain Village 1 Campground presents a extra conventional tenting expertise with firepits for cooking; a most of two autos, two tents and 6 individuals are permitted on every web site. Fortunately, there are stunning mountain views in addition to unimaginable entry to close by mountaineering trails.

Tunnel Mountain Village 2 Campground

Distance to Lake Louise: 65 km / 43 minutes

Campground highlights:

• Open year-round (oTENTik Tenting – Could to October) – Reservations Required
• Dimension: 209 websites
• Facilities: Washroom and bathe amenities together with flush bogs, potable water, fireplace pits, wheelchair accessible, electrical energy, cooking shelter, sani-dump

One of many closest campgrounds to Banff Townsite (solely 2.5 kilometres), Tunnel Mountain Village 2 Campground is nice for individuals wanting energy with out full hook-ups or those that want area for bigger models, as there are a couple of websites that accommodate RVs which might be 12+ metres (40+ toes). One of many few spots that provides tenting year-round close to Lake Louise, Tunnel Mountain Village 2 Campground has three-season tenting in 21 oTENTiks and year-round tenting for tents and RVs.

Tunnel Mountain Trailer Courtroom

Distance to Lake Louise: 65 km / 45 minutes

Campground highlights:

• Open Could to October – Reservations required
• Dimension: 321 websites
• Facilities: Washroom and bathe amenities together with flush bogs, potable water, wheelchair accessible, full RV hookups, sani-dump

For trailers and bigger models, the Tunnel Mountain Trailer Courtroom has some websites that may accommodate RVs which might be 15+ metres (50+ toes) in size. Solely 2.5 kilometres from Banff Townsite, the campground presents implausible entry to close by sights in addition to mountaineering and biking trails.

Two Jack Fundamental Campground

Distance to Lake Louise: 65 km / 44 minutes

Campground highlights:

• Open June to September – Reservations Required
• Dimension: 313 websites + 30 outfitted websites
• Facilities: Washroom amenities with flush bogs, potable water, fireplace pits, cooking shelter, sani-dump

Positioned simply minutes from Lake Minnewanka and close by sights, Two Jack Fundamental Campground is roughly 45 minutes from Lake Louise. This rustic, no-service campground has websites out there for tents or RVs as much as 7.3 metres (24 toes), in addition to a couple of outfitted campsites. These outfitted campsites are good for these travelling with none tenting gear, as they supply tents, sleeping pads, stoves with propane, and some different facilities. The campground itself can be gorgeous, with loads of timber and mountain views.

Two Jack Lakeside Campground

Distance to Lake Louise: 65 km / 44 minutes

Campground highlights:

• Open Could to October – Reservations required
• Dimension: 64 websites + 10 oTENTiks
• Facilities: Washroom and bathe amenities with flush bogs, potable water, fireplace pits, cooking shelter

Maybe the closest factor you’ll discover to backcountry tenting in Banff Nationwide Park with out really backcountry tenting, the Two Jack Lakeside Campground is among the park’s hottest campgrounds resulting from its goergous setting on the lake. Accommodating tents or small RVs as much as 8.2 metres (27 toes), it has superb entry for non-motorized recreation on the lake in addition to close by mountaineering and biking trails.

Rampart Creek Campground

Distance to Lake Louise: 92 km / 1 hr 10 min

Campground highlights:

• Open June to September – Reservations required
• Dimension: 50 websites
• Facilities: Outhouse amenities, potable water, fireplace pits, cooking shelter, picnic shelter, and meals storage lockers

One of many extra rustic campgrounds close to Lake Louise, the Rampart Creek Campground is discovered alongside the Icefields Parkway, simply over an hour’s drive from Lake Louise Village. With gorgeous views of the North Saskatchewan River and surrounding mountains, campsites are unserviced and finest suited to tents, motorhomes, and trailers as much as 10 metres (35 toes). Observe that some loops are unsuitable for motorhomes or trailers over 8 metres (25 toes). RV campers can fill potable water and use the sani-dump station positioned at Waterfowl Lakes Campground, which is about 30 kilometres (18 miles) away.

Sadly, not like each Lake Louise Campgrounds, Rampart Creek Campground doesn’t have a Parks Canada shuttle cease, nor does it have any cellular phone protection. That being stated, this campground is good for individuals who wish to get away from all of it.

Fortress Mountain Campground – CURRENTLY CLOSED

Distance to Lake Louise: 27 km / 19 minutes

Campground highlights:

• On a primary come, first serve foundation when open
• Dimension: 43 websites
• Facilities: Washroom amenities, potable water, fireplace pits, cooking shelter

Good for individuals who love a extra rustic and intimate campground, Fortress Mountain Campground is roughly 20 minutes from Lake Louise. Appropriate for tents or small RVs as much as 7.3 metres (24 toes), this no-service campground is in a gorgeous wooded space off the Bow Valley Parkway. Head right here for nice mountaineering and huge starry skies at evening.

Backcountry Tenting in Banff Nationwide Park

For individuals who love an actual journey, there’s lots of backcountry to discover in Banff Nationwide Park. With a lot pure magnificence to find – assume snowcapped mountains, crystal-clear lakes, and fields of wildflowers – backcountry tenting is nice for individuals who aren’t afraid to sort out the weather. Fortunately, there are a couple of alpine huts or different shelters across the park to go to, too. Journey concepts for various lengths of time could be discovered right here.

A backcountry allow is necessary for anybody planning an in a single day journey into the backcountry of Banff Nationwide Park and should be bought upfront. Campers should carry a replica of their allow when within the park (paper copy or a screenshot) and current it to Parks Canada workers if and when requested.

The backcountry permits should be bought upfront. Nightly charges are $13.50 per particular person, plus an extra reserving price relying on the way you do it ($11.50 per reserving on-line, $13.50 per reserving by cellphone – name 1-877-RESERVE).

Winter Tenting in Lake Louise

For individuals who aren’t afraid of a bit of snow, there are a few winter tenting websites out there in Banff Nationwide Park – one close to Banff Townsite and the opposite close to the village of Lake Louise. Each Lake Louise Trailer and Tunnel Mountain Village II are each open for the winter months.

For extra info, see our information to winter tenting in Alberta.

Pete is a co-founder of Highway Journey Alberta. Rising up in Edmonton he has an intensive information of Alberta and every thing the province has to supply. He likes to eat good meals, hike (particularly within the winter), play tennis and curl. Other than working Highway Journey Alberta, he’s a director with HMI, a digital media company, half of the Hecktic Travels duo, and a co-creator of the favored card recreation Journey Chaser.