Seattle to Banff

[spomo1]

Planning a two week trip from Seattle to Banff in September. Any tips, Ideas or suggestions?

Outline right now is take four days to drive to Banff. Day a day, camp two days and two nights on the Canadian side and drive a day arriving Banff Day 4. Similar on the return trip but stay at a different spot. Any suggestions on spots, routes etc ??

Thanks

Kim and Terry

[woodbee]

Hello Kim and Terry,

We just got home a week and half ago from a 27 day trip that took us from California thru Oregon, Washington, to Vancouver Island, back to main land Canada, up to the north end of Jasper N.P. Then down thru Jasper N.P., Banff N.P. and Waterton N.P. Down thru Glacier N.P., Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and back home to California.
I will be posting a trip report as soon as I finish updating my website "BeckersMinerals.com", I have been working on it for the last week. I should finish this weekend.

Woody

[Roonie]

I am planning the exact same trip Aug 6-16th. We are going to go up through Wenatchee and Lake Chelan route up 97. Passing through Kelowna and revelstoke as hoping to spend the first night in Glacier National Park B.C. Then we will travel onward to Banff and find a camping area. My first choice campground is Two Jack Lakeside. If that is full then Honeymoon or Mosquito creek. Unfortunately it is first come first served for camping so I am not sure where we will camp. I have been doing some research of the campgrounds online at this site as they have pictures and descriptions of every campsite in the park area and beyond.
http://www.albertawow.com/index.htm
If all campsites are booked then I think there will always be openings at columbia icefields campground or wilcox as they are high up there and they get to below freezing at night all the time.

We plan to spend the week along the columbia icefield corridor and explore that area. Then we are heading down South and will spend a night in Waterton Lakes National Park. Take the going to the sun road through Glacier National park and spend a couple nights there. Then home.

What research have you done about Banff and Jasper? Any recommended campsites? I am only going by pictures and some blogs recommended.

[bitburger]

Various comments with the usual disclaimer that your mileage may vary.

We liked the Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Banff. The glaciers are huge and they have a good visitors center for giving you perspective on the area. Camping is limited to campgrounds and we didn't find any remote camping available.

We liked the Canadian side of Glacier better than Glacier itself. The Canadian side is Waterton Lakes National Park.
It is smaller and less crowded and we thought the campgrounds were nicer. We liked the town as well.

If you are going to Glacier, the Going to the Sun road is nice and worth the drive for the scenery. I didn't find it too bad with the van although there are steep edges, narrow roads and lots of bicycles.

We stayed at Yoho National Park (Canadian) on the way back to Seattle and would do it again. It has a reasonable visitors center and some nice hikes while still being on the way home:-)

Have fun.

-Mark

[cellularSTEVE]

If you hit Glacier in the US, I suggest stopping in Polebridge at the Polebridge Mercantile for some excellent sandwiches and cookies. it is in the middle of nowhere but close to the west side of Glacier. Then you can enter Glacier and stay at Bowman Lake--beautiful. All dirt trails and far from the main part of the park so you don't get the tourists. We were there in September and had the whole lake to ourselves, other than one kayaker. Then hit Going to the Sun Road, like Mark said it is beautiful.

For Canada the Icefields Parkway had a great campground very close to the Columbia Glacier and we didn't have a reservation. It is worth going on the glacier tour in those large 6x6 busses.Then Jasper has a large forest service type campground. Campground is in a good location but nothing to write home about.

While in Banff, head over to Lake Louise. Also there are several other beautiful lakes like Morraine Lake and Emerald Lake.

On TransCanada Highway 1 there is a nice campground at Glacier Park (not to be confused with Waterton Lakes opposite the US Glacier National Park). There are some good hikes there. There is a beautiful campground near Rogers Pass (I think it is east of it) along a river. I would stay there over Glacier.

Awesome trip.

steve

[twolost]

Awesome trip!!


Here are a few places my wife and I visited while on a similar route.


Side note, we purchased an annual Park Pass once and used it both times we were there as it had not expired yet.

If in late September, you may even run into new snow as well (at least at Mt. Edith Cavell).


15 Day Post-Delivery Shakedown Tour (Sept, 2007)
Banff/Jasper, April 2008



Cheers,
---TWOLOST + 1

[spomo1]

This is GREAT input and ideas and experiences.. THANKS TO ALL.

I am going to spend the next few days putting stuff together and then Ill post the plan and see what you all think!..

Thanks again for the input

[spomo1]

Trip plan is growing... does anybody know where I can easily find the regulations for camping in Canada parks outside of campgrounds? is it the same as for US National Forrest? I am looking around the Kelowna area.

[woodbee]

Originally Posted by spomo1

Trip plan is growing... does anybody know where I can easily find the regulations for camping in Canada parks outside of campgrounds? is it the same as for US National Forrest? I am looking around the Kelowna area.

We talked to several people about off road camping when we were in Canada, couldn't really get a straight answer. Some just didn't know and others said just try it. There are so many Provincial Campgrounds, we just used them. I think the most we paid was $16.00, no hookups, no complaint. They were very well kept up. We would start looking for a place to spend the night at about 3:30 in the afternoon.

Hope this helps,
Woody

[Roonie]

Leaving in 3 days so will let you know when I get back.