Lake Louise Campground
Banff National Park
Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
by
Norman W. Hildrum

From Banff, we followed the Trans Canada Highway north about 38 miles to Lake Louise. The town site is quite small compared to Banff. However, the scenery in this area is exceptional. Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Bow Lake, and Peyto Lake are must see attractions.

Lake Louise Campground (RV) has 189 pull-thru sites with electricity (30 AMP). The campground is situated in a wooded area adjacent to the Bow River about a mile from the center of the Lake Louise town site. The campground is moderately wooded with lots of lodge pole pine and spruce. The interior roads are paved, but somewhat rough. The camp spurs are gravel. Most are twin sites (two units per spur). Other facilities include flush toilets, showers, a dump station, and park sponsored interpretive programs. We were assigned site 98 which is a single site. Our cost was about $14.00 per night.

Make sure you ride the chair lift to the top of Mt. Whitehorn at the Lake Louise Ski Area. We had breakfast in the Lodge of the Ten Peaks and then rode the chair lift up to the top. The chalet offers great views of the Canadian Rockies and Lake Louise. During the summer, there are very interesting animal displays and we saw a very good video on critters of the area. Stop at the National Park Visitor Center in Lake Louise to see the displays and obtain information on activities in the area.

Another must is a drive along the Ice Fields Parkway to Jasper. We left early on a sunny morning and headed to Jasper National Park. Our first stop was Bow Lake. What a sight.! The lake was very calm and provided really great reflections. We took numerous pictures along the highway and at Num Ti Jah Lodge. We spotted a moose near Waterfowl Lake and got some good video.

We continued on to the Banff/Jasper park boundary (just a bit south of the Columbia Ice Field). Jasper National Park was established in 1907 and has an area of 4,200 square miles. Located in the Rocky Mountains just east of the Continental Divide, the park is famous for the beauty of its alpine scenery. Ice-capped peaks, mountain lakes, mineral hot springs, a noted ski area, and glaciers are main attractions. It contains the Columbia ice field, the largest glacier in North America south of the Arctic Circle.

We passed the ice fields and continued toward Jasper. Just a short distance north, we stopped at an overlook which had a number of big horn sheep relaxing along the road. Just a short drive from here is Sunwapta Falls. This is a nice stop. A short walk brings you to the waterfall. The sky was beginning to cloud over and rain seemed possible.

We checked out Honeymoon Lake Campground and met a couple from southeastern Iowa. They have been to this campground about a dozen times and told us the Banff/Jasper area is one of their favorite destinations.

Other sights include Goat Lookout, Athabasca Falls, and the town of Jasper. Driving the Ice Field Parkway in both directions is a full day excursion. Start early and stop often. We highly recommend this drive for all SavvyCampers.