Calgary 
There are so many ways to camp in Alberta.
Sir Winston Churchill/Alberta Parks
Parks Canada operates five National Parks in Alberta with camping, and there are hundreds of municipally run campgrounds in the smaller towns and cities. On top of that, Alberta campers can venture to the crown lands for secluded camping with zero services. And on the other hand, Alberta campers can enjoy private campgrounds, many of which offer luxurious glamping experiences. Alberta Parks also operates over 200 different campgrounds across the province.
Alberta Parks’ booking and reservation system recently underwent some changes. And while it can be a simple tool for those who have booked Alberta Parks camping in the past, it can be a bit daunting to a newcomer.
Contents:
- The types of camping available with Alberta Parks
- Where to go camping in Alberta if you’re looking for a specific type of getaway.
- How to book your camping online with Alberta Parks
The types of camping available with Alberta Parks
Alberta Parks uses two types of provincial areas for camping: Provincial Parks (PPs), and Provincial Recreation Areas (PRAs). Within Alberta’s Provincial Parks and Recreation Areas, you can pick between several different ways to camp.
Comfort Camping
A few select provincial Parks offer canvas tents, yurts, tipis, or wall and canvas tents. These accommodations contain other amenities too, like cook stoves and cots inside, and fire pits and decks outside. Comfort camping amenities vary by park. Camp in comfort with these Alberta Provincial Parks:
- Sir Winston Churchill PP (year-round cabins; spring-fall tipis)
- Miquelon Lake PP (spring-fall yurts)
- Pigeon Lake PP (spring-fall yurts)
- Wyndham-Carseland PP (spring-fall wall tents)
- Dinosaur PP (spring-fall wall tents)
- Castle PP (spring-fall cabins)
- Cypress Hills PP (year-round cabins)
- Writing-on-Stone PP (spring-fall cabins)
Tent or RV no services (‘unserviced’)
Unserviced provincial campsites are often grouped in with the serviced campsites, if the park has them. And sometimes, a campground only has unserviced sites. These campgrounds and sites will still have amenities like fire rings or pits, picnic tables, and washrooms.
Tent or RV with services
Serviced campsites can include either power; power and water; or power, water, and sewer. When you use the AlbertaParks.ca Map Search, you can filter by those service types to find your perfect getaway. While sewer and water can be reserved for RVs, tent campers can still take advantage of the power hookup. There are five Provincial Parks with all three camping services:
Random Backcountry Camping
Alberta’s backcountry campsites need to be accessed without a vehicle. Some can be accessed by OHV (see the park’s rules), or by hiking. There are many random backcountry sites in Alberta’s Rockies and foothills, and the northern Boreal Forest. Many of them are also located in Wildland Provincial Parks where backcountry is the only type of camping available. More details
Equestrian campsites
These campsites offer hitching posts, corrals, and loading ramps for horses. A vast majority of these are in the Rocky Mountains and foothills. More details
Group campsites
Alberta’s group campsites provide enough space for multiple tents and RVs. These areas have picnic shelters with cook stoves, and washrooms which are usually exclusive to your group. More details
Lodges
If the comfort camping isn’t cozy enough, you can find a few Provincial areas with lodges. The first two offer accessible comfort camping amenities for those with physical disabilities or impairments.
- William Watson Lodge in Peter Lougheed PP (wilderness lodging for persons with disabilities, seniors and their families)
- Peaceful Valley Day Lodge in Peaceful Valley PRA (for use by groups for seniors, persons with disabilities and the terminally ill)
- Sundance Lodges in Evan-Thomas PRA
- Mount Engadine Lodge in Spray Valley PP
- Elkwater Lake Lodge & Resort in Cypress Hills PP
Where to go camping in Alberta if you’re looking for a specific type of getaway
When deciding where to camp in Alberta, it is helpful to know where you can swim, fish, boat, hike, or bike. When you use the Map Search on Albertaparks.ca, filter your search by any activity, any camping service type, or by any type of camping.
Best Alberta Parks for Camping and Beaches
Aspen Beach encompasses the southern shores of the large Gull Lake in central Alberta. The two campgrounds, Brewers and Lakeview, are open May-September. These campsites can be unserviced, or serviced with power, or power, water, and sewer. The beach is a short walk from the campsites, and has playgrounds, a store, and boat launches.
William A. Switzer Provincial Park
The five campgrounds in western Alberta’s William A. Switzer Provincial Park are, for the most part, unserviced. But you can book campsites with power at the Jarvis Lake campground. Jarvis Lake is where you can take a dip in a beautiful lake with mountain views, as well as Gregg Lake. Jarvis Lake, Gregg Lake, and Graveyard Lake campgrounds are open all year round, while Cache Lake and Halfway campgrounds are May-September.
You can pick between unserviced sites, or power sites, from Wabamun Lake‘s single large campground. The park also has three group camping areas. These sites are minutes away from the beach, and have amenities like showers, a grocery store, and boat rentals. All camping at Wabamun is open April-October.
Crimson Lake’s main campground is open year-round and offers power hookup from May-September. Between the park’s two lakes, there are also five group camping areas which are open May-September. The beach is on Crimson Lake, and there is a trail you can follow to explore Twin Lakes.
Best Alberta Parks for Camping and Hiking
Before you pick a hiking adventure in the Bow Valley, you can choose from the park’s seven different campgrounds, or five group use areas, for a place to stay after your adventure. They are all open from April to October, aside from the backcountry which is year-round. You can find sites in Bow Valley with no services, power, or power and water. There are a few interpretive trails around the park like Heart Creek, Bow River, Middle Lake, Montane, Moraine, and Many Springs.
There is an extensive network of trails within the Sheep River PP, some of which can lead to areas like Don Getty Wildland, or the Bluerock Wildland. The park offers five campgrounds for resting after hiking, with two equestrian campgrounds included. Camping is available May to October with unserviced, or power sites, available.
Thompson Creek Provincial Recreation Area
The one campground in the Thompson Creek PRA offers 59 unserviced sites. And, these campsites are a short drive away from even more hiking and things to do along the Icefields Parkway. From May to October, you can camp and enjoy the trails in the Kootenay Plains, Banff National Park, or those around Abraham Lake.
There remain great hiking trails outside of Alberta’s Rockies, too! And one unique hiking opportunity can be found in north-central Alberta’s Sundance PP. The park has one campground with no services, and access to the Wild Sculptures Trail. This is an awesome hiking trail in the spring for flowers, and the fall for the changing foliage colours. The campground also has a 4.2km loop which goes around Emerson Lake.
Best Alberta Parks for Camping and Biking
Eight out of the 14 trails in Castle Provincial Park permit cycling, and three permit the use e-bikes. These trails vary greatly in distance and difficulty, offering a path for every skill level. The park has four different front country campgrounds, all open May-September. Castle also has eight Designated Camping Areas: these are group use sites that are used on a first-come first-served basis.
Elbow River Provincial Recreation Area
The Paddy’s Flats Campground in the Elbow River PRA includes close to 100 unserviced campsites. The sites are a short drive from the three-day use areas; from these, you can follow multi-use trails on a bike. You can follow the trails as far north as the West Bragg Creek PRA.
This northern Alberta park has over 10km of trails to explore through the forest, alongside Sturgeon Lake, and between the two campgrounds. The two campgrounds, the individual sites and the group sites are open May-October.
Lakeland Provincial Recreation Area
This large east-central PRA has a long list of activities for the open season of May to September. Using the backcountry maps, you can cycle your way between several different lakes in a stunning forest setting. A few of the lakes are swimmable, too, with access to beaches, or areas for a picnic and rest. The Pinehurst Lake Campground has power hookup, while the other three front country sites are unserviced. Lakeland PRA also has a backcountry site, accessible by bike.
Best Alberta Parks for Camping and Stargazing
There are a ton of ways to camp in Cypress Hills Provincial Park and enjoy stargazing any time of year. The park has two year-round campgrounds, and one set of year-round cabins. Plus, there are 10 more campgrounds, and seven more sets of campgrounds, open from spring to fall. The stargazing you’ll enjoy here is special thanks to the Cypress Hills Dark Sky Preserve, which prevents interruptions from light pollution.
While not an official dark sky preserve, Dinosaur Provincial Park is still far enough away from major urban centres that you can experience the dark sky in a memorable way. You are able to stargaze right from your campsite, or the comfort of your wall tent deck. One campground is year-round with unserviced sites, and power sites, while the other is open April to December without services. Comfort camping is open June to October.
Miquelon Lake Park is on the southern edge of the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve. The preserve makes for ureal stargazing opportunities, and better chances at spotting the aurora borealis. You can pick between Miquelon’s comfort camping yurts, open June to September, or the park’s large campground with power sites, and unserviced sites.
Writing on Stone Provincial Park
This is another Provincial Park which is not under a dark sky preserve, but still provides an expansive dark sky for stargazing. Writing-on-Stone also has comfort camping available May to September. The unserviced and power sites in the other campground are open year-round. You can enjoy stargazing here any time of year!
Best Alberta Parks for Camping and Wildlife Viewing or Birdwatching
Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park
The natural surroundings of the Sir Winston Churchill Park include boreal forest, wetlands, and Lac La Biche. The ‘island’ park, and its large forest of trees, is best enjoyed in fall and the spring, when the bird populations are at their largest. It is a beautiful park any time of year, with comfort camping open year-round for winter activities. The main campground has over 70 different sites with power hookup.
While this northern Alberta park has many activities to keep you busy during the spring-fall seasons, it also has an incredibly large bird population. You can chance spotting large waterfowl here during the spring and fall migration season like sandpipers, gulls, or ducks. The Winagami campground is open May to October with serviced and unserviced sites located in a densely forested area. Some larger wildlife you may come across include black bears, elk, or deer.
Saskatoon Island Provincial Park
There are a variety of ways to camp in northeastern Alberta’s Saskatoon Island Provincial Park. You can reserve one of the group sites, a campsite with power, or a campsite with no services. There are several amenities at the campground, too, like showers, firewood, lawn games, and a cook shelter. Camping is open from May to October, allowing you the spring, summer, and early or late fall seasons for bird watching and wildlife viewing.
This smaller provincial park is located directly north of Edmonton. The park’s two campground are open from May to September, with one offering walk-in tenting (no services), and the other with power hookups. The park has many trails to explore on a birdwatching adventure. You can listen for warblers and sparrows or watch for the large predatory birds like eagles and osprey.
Best Alberta Parks for Camping and Boating
Powerboating and paddling are permitted on the three largest lakes of Whitney Lakes PP: Ross, Laurier, and Whitney, and exclude Borden Lake (paddling only). The two May-September campgrounds are a mix of power sites, and unserviced sites. And many of these campsites are close to the shores or boat launches. It is a quiet park with a lot of water to cover.
Ghost Reservoir Provincial Recreation Area
Those who camp at the Ghost Reservoir (on the Bow River west of Calgary) usually do so specifically for the boating opportunities. The large lake is perfect for a day of waterskiing, windsurfing, sailing, and exploring by power boat. One Ghost Reservoir campground is open from May to October with no services.
Rochon Sands is on Buffalo Lake in central Alberta and is beside a small summer village of the same name. There is a boat launch located in the park, beside the campsites. Powerboating is allowed, so you can also enjoy waterskiing or tubing. The prairie lake catches great winds for sailing and windsurfing as well, or can be fun to explore by kayak and canoe. The park has a large campground of over 70 sites without services.
Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park
The camping at Lesser Slave Lake is open from May to October with unserviced sites or power sites. These campgrounds give you easy access to the breathtakingly large lake with the town of Slave Lake’s boat launch. The Marten River campground has a hand launch best for canoes, kayaks, or SUPs.
Reserve your Alberta Parks Campsite
When:
Alberta Parks has a staggered booking system. This differs from previous years when ALL campground reservations opened at the same time. Instead, Alberta campers can now book year-round. This helps prevent the rush we formerly faced in the spring, when all Alberta campers reserved their summer campsites at the same time.
You can reserve campsites up to 90 days in advance.
You can reserve comfort camping and group camping up to 180 days in advance.
How this works:
Victoria Day weekend begins May 19, so campers can book a campsite at open campgrounds as early as February 19, 2023, and comfort or group camping as of November 19, 2022.
Canada Day weekend begins June 30, 2023, so campers can book a site at open campgrounds as early as April 2, 2023. Comfort and group camping reservations can be made as of January 2, 2023.
Last-minute bookings:
To check availability for a last-minute booking, head to reserve.albertaparks.ca. Enter your desired dates, and all campgrounds with availability will appear in green, and in red for campgrounds that are full on your chosen dates.
Screengrab – Availability screen/ Alberta Parks Reservation System
You can also search by campground and date, service type and date, or camping type and date. Another option for last minute camping is FCFS camsites.
First-Come First-Served (FCFS) Camping:
Alberta Parks also have campsites which are first-come-first-served (FCFS). These FCFS campgrounds are available to the person that arrives first at the campsite. Once at the site, register for your site at the kiosk once your tent or trailer are set up and the site can be considered taken, and remember these campsites are cash only.
Where:
How:
Once on the reservation page, you can search by:
- Type of camping
- Specific parks
- Nearby cities or towns
- Or arrival and departure dates
You can fill out all or one of the filters.
- You’ll be shown a map of the open camping areas: green have availability, red are full.
- From here, you can adjust your search and add more filters: camping unit size, site type, services, and accessibility needs.
- Pick you desired campsite or comfort camping, and you’ll get a more detailed map of the campground. You can pick exactly where in the campground you’d like to stay: waterfront or lakeside, close to washrooms, or near friends for example.
- Alberta Parks offers detailed information here about every campsite, including photos.
- If you do not have an account already, you’ll be asked to make one.
- This is for the payment details and confirmation email you receive.
Happy Camping!
