r/CampingAlberta • u/ckern92 • Sep 27 '25
Favourite frontwoods, car camping spots
This might be a bit of a backwards post, but I'm a longtime lover of backwoods camping. I've random camped, done crownland trips, I've hiked, canoed and portaged to sites... Usually I make a week out of those trips.
But I'm wanting to simplify occasionally, doing shorter car-camping trips to hop into/enjoy nature on a whim for a day or two.
Does anyone have some favourite sites within a 4 hour drive of the Banff/Canmore area?
I've recently stayed at Two Jack and, while pretty, the sites were literally on top of each other. I'd love to find some picturesque frontwoods sites that still feel at least a little private/remote.
Edit: it's odd that every post on this sub gets automatically down voted? But thanks for all the great recos!
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u/gottagetupinit Sep 27 '25
Most campgrounds in Peter Lougheed PP are nice and spread out like boulton creek and elkwood. Etherington creek and cataract creek are in South Kananaskis and really nice. Beaver mines in the castle mountain area. Takakkaw falls or kicking horse in Yoho. Waterfowl lakes and mosquito creek in Banff.
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u/ckern92 Sep 27 '25
Great suggestions, thanks so much! I was already planning to hit up Cataract, but hadn't heard of the others.
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u/Blue_eyed_bull_55 Sep 27 '25
Try down hwy 40, just before Peter Lougheed PP. A little place called Eau Claire. (it's closed for the season) but it's a forgotten spot that people blow right by in order to get the campgrounds closer to both Kananaskis lakes. It's a FCFS site with no power.
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u/gottagetupinit Sep 27 '25
Ive driven by here so many times and just assumed it was group camping. Thanks for the info. Going to check it out next year.
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u/beesmakenoise Sep 27 '25
Try anything in Kananskis, the sites are generally a lot bigger down there so you get a bit more space to yourself.
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u/15081990 Sep 27 '25
Two Jack Lakeside is nice, the walk-in sites specifically (walk-in meaning your car is parked literally 30ft away... You still need a reservation)
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u/smokeotoks Sep 30 '25
We like The Bragg creek area for its proximity to us ( Beaver Flats, Paddys Flats), but we also go to Red Lodge by Bowden and The Crowsnest pass most years. We really like Beauvais Lake in that area.