Banff Camping
If you are planning on travelling during the summer months of June through August to Banff camping is an excellent option. Whether you are an RVer with a bus sized motorhome or a more rustic tenter, there are many serviced and unserviced sites and campgrounds that will fit the bill for you. As always in Banff, none of these campgrounds or sites are more than a few steps from breathtaking scenery. We have focussed on campgrounds that are relatively close to the Town of Banff, however, there are a number of other campgrounds in Banff National Park, such as near Lake Louise and on the Banff-Jasper parkway.

TUNNEL MOUNTAIN CAMPGROUNDS
The closest Banff camping sites are located in the three Tunnel Mountain campgrounds. Tunnel Mountain is the hill-in comparison to the massive rocky mountains surrounding the Town-located immediately next to the Town site. You can get to the camprounds by taking the first left after you have taken the first Banff exit off of the highway (if you are coming from Banff - Lake Minnewanka is the same exit but runs away from the Town of Banff. Alternatively, you can reach the campgrounds from Banff Avenue by turning east onto Wolf Street (toward the Tunnel Mountain "hill"), then left onto Otter Street, which eventually turns into Tunnel Mountain Road.
The Tunnel Mountain Campgrounds are located just over two kilometres from the Town with easy driving and public transit (and relatively easy walking) access. The public transit is the Banff Roam Bus - Route 2 Tunnel Mountain. Pick up a bus schedule/route information from the campround kiosk, the Parks Canada Information Centre on Banff Avenue, or from the lobbies of most hotels. All Banff Roam busses are hybrid-electric.
The Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court Campground is open from early May to early October and has 320 serviced sites that are suitable for RVs. The campground has flush toilets and showers, however no campfires are permitted.
The Tunnel Mountain Village I Campground has 618 unserviced sites and it is also open from early May to early October. Most of the sites have campfire pits and you can buy a fire permit - which allows you to burn as much wood as you want - for $8.80 per night when you check in. This campground also have showers and flush toilets.
The Tunnel Mountain Village II Campground is open year round with 188 electrically serviced sites. There are showers also, but no campfires are permitted.
TWO JACK MAIN AND TWO JACK LAKESIDE CAMPGROUND
Not as close to the Town of Banff (but really not terribly far away either) are the Two Jack Main Campground and the Two Jack Lakeside Campground, which you can reach by taking the Lake Minnewanka exit off of the highway (or just keep heading away from Banff on Banff Avenue and go through the underpass under the highway). Follow the signs to the Two Jack Campgrounds.
The view from Two Jack Lakeside campground, just a small sample of Banff's crystal clear waters and skies.
CAMPGROUNDS NEAR LAKE LOUISE
Located 1km from the very small town of Lake Louise and 4km from the actual Lake Louise, you can find the Lake Louise trailer and tenting campgrounds. Reservations can be made using the information below.
RESERVATIONS
Camping reservations are recommended, especially for weekends in the summer and REALLY recommended for long weekends, which are essentially the first weekends of each of July (Canada Day), August (Alberta civic holiday), and September (Labour Day). The second to last weekend in May is also a long weekend in honour of Queen Victoria (called, unimaginatively, the Victoria Day Long Weekend). You can make reservations for the Tunnel Mountain Campgrounds and those by Lake Louise by calling 1-877-RESERVE or by surfing to the Parks Canada campground reservation site. All other campgrounds are generally first come - first served.
ALBERTA PROVINCIAL CAMPGROUNDS
For information on provincial campgrounds in Alberta, click on the link to go to our Alberta camping page.
NEARBY NATIONAL PARK CAMPGROUNDS
Close to Lake Louise but just over the Alberta border into British Columbia and Yoho Natonal Park you can find some excellent camping spots as well. The downside is that you are over an hour from the town of Banff, but if you are looking for some good hiking and to be relatively close to Lake Louise, the campgrounds in Yoho are just fine. Reservations can be made through the Park Canada camping reservation line or website mentioned above.
OTHER INTERESTING CAMPING LINKS
Interested in some more in-depth information on RVing in Canada and the United States? Check out Everything About RVing for more information on RVing and camping while travelling the open roads in North America.
Go to Everything-About-RVing.com here!
Are you interested in a more rustic adventure? Try ultralight backpacking. Banff and the Canadian Rockies are the perfect scenic hiking destination. This site provides a step-by-step guide to gear, food, clothing, advice and much more. Everything you need to begin ultralight backpacking.
Click here to go to Ultimate Ultralight Backpacking.
Do You Have Banff Camping Tip or a Question About Camping in Banff?
Share your experience or tip or ask your question here!
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
British Columbia Camping is Fantastic Not rated yet
British Columbia is a campers paradise. If you are a camper, be it tent camping, travel trailer or a full scale motor home, camping in BC is simply incredible. …
Jumping into water Not rated yet
If I wanted to jump off a big cliff and into a lake, where would I go in Banff for such a thing?
Great question! Johnson Lake is the place on the far …
Click here to write your own.
Return from Banff Camping to Banff Insider