Banff 
Yes! Alberta does have many provincial Park campsites which are first-come-first-served (FCFS): 159 to be exact. Booking in advance can seem ideal, but there is a bit more adventure in heading out to the Rockies or the forest and hand-picking your site.
Hidden within some of Alberta’s Provincial Recreation Areas and Provincial Parks are some gorgeous campsites which can be remote, can be mountain-, creek- or lakeside, or which can be right off the main highways but hidden in the forest. And they provide all the basic campsite needs like picnic tables, firepits, and pit/vault washroom access.
Some quick tips to the Provincial FCFS campsites: 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.
There is no guarantee of vacancy at the FCFS campsites, however, some campgrounds have a private phone number to call the day you leave for your camping trip. There is also no guarantee they can provide vacancy updates when you call or that the sites will still be available by the time you are at the park.
Southern Alberta
1. Waterton Reservoir Campground – Waterton Reservoir Provincial Recreation Area
These non-serviced campsites offer a serene wilderness getaway along the northern shores of the massive Waterton Reservoir. This area is home to a long beach where you can relax, swim, or embark on a lazy float. The Park’s pier can give you awesome lake views, and the boat launch is suitable for power- and paddleboats. If you are looking for somewhere wide, large, and open to waterski or tube, this is the perfect lake. This is also one of the lowest-priced Provincial campsites!
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Near Pincher Creek
Phone: 403-627-1165
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites
Dates: May 13 – September 30
Cost: $21/night
2. McGregor Lake – McGregor Lake Provincial Recreation Area
The park and campground at McGregor Lake cover the northern shores of the narrow lake. Near the campground is a day-use area with beaches where you can relax and picnic or take a dip in the cold water. Power boating is permitted on the lake, so you are able to take out the skis, seadoos, or fishing rods. Canoeing and kayaking are also permitted if you’re looking for a slightly more relaxing boating trip.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: 72 km east of High River
Phone: 1-877-537-2757
Camping Options: Tent sites
Dates: April 23 – October 11
Cost:$20/night
3. Windy Point Campground – Oldman Dam Provincial Recreation Area
The southern foothills and creeks of the Oldman Dam area and Windy Point Campground provide a scenic backdrop to a weekend of boating, fishing, or hiking. The Reservoir also provides a perfect wide-open surface for sports like sailing and water skiing.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: 13 km north of Pincher Creek on Hwy. 785.
Phone: 403-627-1165
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites
Dates: May 13 – October 12
Cost:$21/night
4. Walley’s Campground – St Mary’s Reservoir Provincial Recreation Area
St. Mary’s is an excellent place to take your powerboat. The Reservoir has tons of space to explore on the water where you can also fish, sail, and waterski. The many inlets and turns around the lake make it fun to explore with paddles, too. For easier hiking, there are interpretive trails through the camping areas and along the shores of the lake.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Near Cardston
Phone: 403-653-2522
Camping Options: Unserviced sites
Dates: May 1 – October 15
Cost:$24/night
12 Reasons Why You Should Visit Cardston on a Weekend Trip
5. Designated Camping Areas 1 to 7 – Castle Provincial Park
Camp in some of Alberta’s southern-most mountains and escape to quiet Creekside campsites. Sit around the fire or get out and explore! This large provincial park offers fishing, swimming, hiking, biking, and equestrian riding. Some notable places to check out include Beaver Mines Lake and several waterfalls.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Near Pincher Creek
Camping Options: Unserviced sites
Dates: May 1 – October 8
Cost: Free with proper permits
Designated Camping Areas 1 to 7
6. Lynx Creek
Within the large Castle Provincial Park and Wildlands areas are tons of room for activities. The Lynx Creek Campground is in the center of the PP on Carbondale Road which runs alongside Lynx Creek. This area offers plenty to do in the summer months like creek swimming, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, biking, and powerboating on designated lakes.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Near Pincher Creek
Phone: 403-627-1165
Camping Options: Trailer and tent sites
Dates: May 17 – October 12
Cost: $23/night
Rocky Mountains
1. Livingstone Falls – Livingstone Falls Provincial Recreation Area
For a beautiful campsite with a beautiful view, Livingstone Falls can deliver on both. While you camp you can hike to waterfall views and watch for a variety of wildlife. And on hotter days, you’ll want to swim and play in the cool, clear, and shallow waters of the creeks around you. The surrounding creeks are also great for fishing.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: 80 km southwest of Nanton
Phone: 403-627-1165
Camping Options: Unserviced
Dates: May 17 – October 12
Cost: $26/night
2. Eau Claire Campground – Spray Valley Provincial Park
These campsites are surrounded by extensive Kananaskis trail systems (back and front country) which can take you to meadows, forests, and breathtaking mountain views. The Kananaskis river is a short walk from the campsites, allowing for fishing and wildlife viewing. Speaking of wildlife, this site also offers food locker rentals to keep the bears at bay.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Kananaskis Country
Phone: 403-591-7226
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites
Dates: May 19 – September 19
Cost: $31/night
3. Bluerock Campground – Sheep River Provincial Park
Southwest of Calgary are an abundance of protected natural areas and parks, and the Sheep River Provincial Park has an abundance of campgrounds/campsites. Their FCFS Blue Rock Campground has 66 sites! Within the PP are several trails and activities to choose from on those trails: they have hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails winding through the park. This is also a great place to relax among the treed-in campsites around your private fire.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Kananaskis Country
Phone: 403-949-3132
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites
Dates: May 15 – September 20
Cost: $31/night
4. Burnt Timber Campground – Burnt Timber Provincial Recreational Area
At the entrance to the central Alberta Rockies, you can find a quiet Creekside campground along the Burnt Timber creek and AB-40 (Forestry Trunk Rd.). The creek runs through the campsite and is a perfectly slow creek for swimming on a hot day. At dusk and dawn, the picturesque creek is also a great place to cast a fishing rod. These campsites are a short drive from the Banff NP boundary and several popular and back-country trailheads.
Plan Your Trip:
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Directions: Kananaskis Country
Phone: 587-830-2198
Camping Options: Trailer and tent sites
Dates: April 30 – September 9
Cost: $35/night
5. Interlakes Campground – Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
The private and treed-in campsite of the Interlakes Campground sit along the shore of Lower Kananaskis Lake. The lake provides a beautiful and unbeatable kayak or canoe through serene mountain waters with a hand-launch available. There are numerous trails surrounding the parks that are suitable for hikers and bikers.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Kananaskis Country
Phone: 403-591-7226
Camping Options: Trailer and tent sites
Dates: May 14 – October 11
Cost: $31/night
6. Greenford Campground – Greenford Provincial Recreational Area
Take in the beauty of the creeks and the beauty of the foothills behind them from your quaint campsite in Greenford. This southwest campsite is great for fishing, hiking, and relaxing for a quiet night beside the fire. There are also several hiking trails nearby.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Kananaskis Country
Phone: 403-591-7226
Dates: May 20 – September 6
Cost: $31/night
7. Willow Rock Campground – Bow Valley Provincial Park
These tent and trailer sites allow you the option of camping in a more open area, or the more secluded treed areas. There are tons of boating opportunities in Bow Valley, as well as nearby rafting adventures. There is also no shortage of hiking trails from which you can see wildlife, mountain views, and valley views. On a clear night, the sky comes ablaze with stars over the area, so you can sit back around the fire and spend the night stargazing.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Kananaskis Country
Phone: 403-673-2163
Camping Options: Trailer and tent sites (90 no services; 34 with 15amp power)
Dates: April 16 – October 11
Cost: $31 or $39/night
8. Graveyard Lake – William A. Switzer Provincial Park
This campground and PP bring you to the doorstep of Alberta’s Rockies. You may not be quite in the mountains yet, but you’ll have many chances for mountain views on your trip to William A. Switzer. Graveyard Lake has 7 private sites with no services which are open all year. The PP has five boating lakes, with Graveyard allowing for electric motors only. You can fish in any of the five and expect to catch either whitefish or northern pike. Jarvis and Gregg Lake, and Kelly’s Bathtub both have beaches as well.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Near Hinton
Phone: 1-877-537-2757
Camping Options: Trailer and tent sites
Cost: $31/night
Central Alberta
1. Bleriot Ferry Campground – Bleriot Ferry Provincial Recreational Area
The Drumheller and badlands areas offer something to do for everyone with the Bleriot Ferry Campground available for tenters and RVers during their stay. There is a launch onto the Red Deer River where you can paddle to the next stop or paddle to a fishing spot, as well as numerous hiking trails surrounding the PRA. The campsites are located in a large cottonwood forest area.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Drumheller
Phone: 403-742-7516
Camping Options: Trailer & tent site
Dates: May 20 – September 6
Cost: $23/night
2. Rochon Sands Campground – Rochon Sands Provincial Park
For perfect prairie camping in central Alberta, Rochon Sands on Buffalo Lake can be the next stop for those from Calgary, Red Deer, or Edmonton. The campground is on the south-central shores of the lake and close to the park’s beach. Head to the beach for a swim or lazy float or take your boat out to explore the large prairie lake. Some campsite can be found right beside the water, while the rest are nestled in the trees.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Summer Village of Rochon Sands
Phone: 403-742-4338
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites
Dates: May 17 – October 11
Cost: $28/night
3. Big Knife Campground – Big Knife Provincial Park
These campsites site on the banks of a wide opening of the Battle River. The green rolling hills around the river signal the start to the badlands, and you can even hike to some small nearby hoodoos. There are several trails to explore which take you to scenic creek beds and river views. Other outdoor recreation includes volleyball, boating/paddling, wildlife viewing, and fishing.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Forestburg
Phone: 403-742-7516
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites
Dates: May 20 – September 6
Cost: $29/night
Northern Alberta
1. Emerson Lakes – Sundance Provincial Park
For a true escape from urban life, Sundance Provincial Park can offer this and then some. Emerson Lake is the more secluded area of the park and is a short drive from an amazing hike: the Wild Sculptures trail where you can find northern hoodoos! But for a true lakeside retreat experience, you can spend your time canoeing or paddling the small lake, birdwatching, and stargazing at night.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: Yellowhead County, 50 km northwest of Edson
Phone: 780-865-2154
Camping Options: No services
Dates: May 1 – October 31
Cost: $15/night
2. Queen Elizabeth Campground – Queen Elizabeth Provincial Park
North of the Peace River and its Provincial Wildland Area is Cardinal Lake. On Cardinal’s southeast shores is a large and scenic campground with a beach and picnic/day-use area that can provide their own source of recreation. If you want to stay near your site, the beach area offers plenty to do: boat launches, a playground, volleyball courts, cook shelters, and all of it is a short walk from the campsites. There are also several easy trails which lead from the campsite roads to lookout points. But the area has much to be explored like the Peace River area.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: 3 km north and 5 km west of Grimshaw off Hwy. 35.
Phone: 780-624-6125
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites (40 power sites: 15 & 20amp; 14 sites with no services)
Dates: May 20 – September 27
Cost: $29/ or $37/night
3. Mallaig Campground – Mallaig Provincial Recreational Area
The quiet shores of Vincent Lake, just north of St. Paul, offer 24 campsites where you can enjoy an evening fire, stargaze, and listen for the loons over the lake. The beach area has a playground, and sandy areas where you can set up a picnic and view the wildlife and waterfowl. Nearby St. Paul is also worth a day of exploring with their Alien Landing Pad and several dining options.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: St. Paul County No. 19
Phone: 780-645-5263
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites
Dates: June 1 – September 3
Cost: $15/night
4. Smoky River South – Smoky River South Provincial Recreational Area
The Smoky River PRA is a quiet riverside campground across the highway from the larger Sulphur Gates. Even if you stay at Smoky River, you have close access to the Sulphur Gates attraction, and the Crack of Doom- two natural attractions which are must-see. Beyond this, there are numerous hikes, including Eden Falls, which brings you to a secluded and forest-surrounded waterfall.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: M.D. of Greenview
Phone: 780-524-7600
Camping Options: No services
Dates: May 14 – October 12
Cost: $20/night
5. Williamson Campground – Williamson Provincial Park
This northern gem is an excellent summer getaway! Williamson Provincial Park is a small part of Sturgeon Lake’s southern shores, with other parks located on the lake’s northern shores. The large lake is a great place to take your boats and enjoy water skiing, wakeboarding, fishing, or tubing. And a short walk away from the campgrounds, you’ll find an inviting beach with swimming permitted.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: 94 km from Grande Prairie
Phone: 780-538-5350
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites (31 power sites)
May 20 – September 27
Dates: No services $29/night
Cost: Power (15 amp) $37/night
6. Fawcett Lake Campground – Fawcett Lake Provincial Recreation Area
Enjoy a week or weekend of lakeside camping on northern Alberta’s Fawcett Lake. The campground is on the lake’s northeast shores where you’ll find a variety of activities and places to set up for a picnic. On a hot day, take to the beach’s waters for a swim, and on a cooler day, cozy up to your fire pit. The lake also offers fishing with boat launches for electric motorboats and canoes/kayaks.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: 80 km east of Slave Lake
Phone: 780-849-7100
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites
Dates: May 20 – September 7
Cost: $26/night
7. Moberly Flats – Two Lakes Provincial Park
Take a remote fishing getaway to the scenic Two Lakes area near Grande Prairie. Moberly Flats offers camping on the south shore of the northern lake with most of the sites being lakeside. Both lakes have a boat launch, are stocked with trout, and permit powerboating. IF the water isn’t your thing, try out the many trails on your bike or on a hike.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: 140 km southwest of Grande Prairie
Phone: 780-538-5350
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites
Dates: May 20 – September 7
Cost: $20/night
8. Calling Lake – Calling Lake Provincial Park
The secluded Calling Lake, north of Athabasca, provides serene campsites where you can park an RV, tent, or trailer. You might run into some wildlife while you’re here, and you can take to the water for some fishing. Power boating is allowed on the lake, so you are free to also strap on the water-skis or hop on your tube. The open area of the lake also makes it great for sailing and wind surfing.
Plan Your Trip:
Directions: MD of Opportunity
Phone: 780 331-3860
Camping Options: Trailer & tent sites (15 & 30amp available)
Dates: May 20 – September 7
Cost: $36/night
Canyon in Peter Lougheed provincial park is beautiful too