Canadian Road Trip

[Scrubadub]

Greetings all…The wife and I are planning a road trip to the great white north later this summer, probably a 9-11 day trip around Labor Day and I’d like some advice. We will be driving north from Montana to visit some of the parks in Alberta and BC such as Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Glacier etc. We will be towing our camper (19’ Airstream) and bringing our mountain bikes and either duckies or SUP’s. Our dog will also be along for the ride. Is there anything along this route that is a must see, or things to avoid on the trip? I’ve been up to BC a few times, and made it up to Banff, but it was all over fifteen years ago on ski trips when I was an undergrad, and she has never been up there. Are Canadian parks crazy over Labor day as there are in the US? Also pondering making a loop out of the trip and heading to Whistler from Banff, then head south to Washington and trucking it back home on I-90. Will this be too much driving…any good things to see between Banff and Whistler?

[shafty85]

Don't do it, man! You do realize we have universal health care and overly compensate people that are out of work, right? You know what that pretty much makes us? COMMUNISTS.

That being said, yes, it will be busy (don't know what it's like in 'murica, but by our standards, it's busy). If you haven't already booked sites, and were hoping to get them, I'd be on that NOW. I know out here on the west coast, parks have their spots for RVs/trailers get booked 12 months in advance for long weekends. All the parks in the Rockies are spectacular, imo, and on the coast, as well. Two totally different ecosystems.

Hope you enjoy yourself. DO NOT TAKE ANY COMMIE PROPAGANDA HOME WITH YOU!

[XXX-er]

If you have or have had legal problems you may be denied acess, remember dope is not legal and hand guns are restricted weapons ... leave them both at home

[jamesp]

yeah labour day will be crazy busy just like every other long wkend in the summer. School goes back right after. Although the couple weeks after school goes back in Sept can still be fairly busy as all the old folks sans kids seem to holiday then. Having said that, whilst Banff / Jasper / Yoho will be busy, over in BC it'll be a bit easier to get away from crowds.

If you only have ~10 days, going to Whistler adds lots of driving. A good loop would be up to Banff/Jasper, across through Golden/Revy, then down towards Nelson & the west Koots. Lots of good biking, mountain scenery, the towns are all different so there will be variety.

you want to google (1) Parks Canada for national park info, (2) BC provincial parks, (3) Sites & trails BC for the forestry/regular crown land campgrounds & trails for areas that are not national or provincial parks.

[KQ]

Waterton Lakes

Lake OHara

Mt. Robson

Canadian Parks

[4matic]

This applies to pets:

“Dogs must have a certificate showing they have been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days prior to entry into the United States.”

[Mazderati]

Greetings, Earthling.

[Gripen]

Labour day is a long weekend in both countries and as such will be a gongshow in both with lots of Canadians going south and Americans going north. Reserve camping spots now in both Alberta, BC and Montana. There won't be a camping site on the American aidewithin 150 miles of the border.

For the Canadian side consider going to kananasskis country and the Peter lougheed provincial parks to camp. Many campsites in Alberta provincial parks allow reserving online. K country is amazing, close enough to Banff for a day trip ND while it still will be busy no where near as much as the National parks. Plus there is better mountain biking!

Adding Whistler to the loop Isa Ton more driving. If you're coming from Montana. Do crows nest pass thru Fernie up to k country and Banff area then over kicking horse pass to Golden then over Rogers into Revy. From there you can head back to States via either Nelson and slocan or over and down through the Okanagan Valley.

Sorry for poor grammar spelling. In backseat of car trying to type on phone.

[BigDaddy]

In Banff, maybe avoid Lakes Louise and Moraine, though they are beautiful. We hiked and camped in Paradise Valley which was between the two and about a thousand times less crowded and very beautiful. We camped overnight in Horseshoe Meadow, then hiked up and out via Sentinel Pass. This took us down to Moraine Lake and hordes of tourists, but it was a gorgeous view.

[DougW]

If you only have ~10 days, going to Whistler adds lots of driving. A good loop would be up to Banff/Jasper, across through Golden/Revy, then down towards Nelson & the west Koots. Lots of good biking, mountain scenery, the towns are all different so there will be variety.

I agree ^ but I would go up Columbia valley Cranbrook /Invermere/ Golden, then over to Banff with a side trip up ice fields parkway though not all the way to Jasper. Then back to Golden (lots of good biking in Golden) - Glacier NP , Revie then south in to West Koot/ Nelson.

[DougW]

or over and down through the Okanagan Valley.

That would be very crowded but nice warm lake and lots of wine tours and by the time you hit Osoyoos its a desert with desert like heat

[KQ]

If you're coming from Montana. Do crows nest pass thru Fernie up to k country and Banff area then over kicking horse pass to Golden then over Rogers into Revy. From there you can head back to States via either Nelson and slocan or over and down through the Okanagan Valley.

Made the crossing (US to Canada) at Nelway via Metaline Falls. Whoo boy was that an experience. Got there too late to cross at night and had to stay in Metaline Falls. Talk about the land that time forgot - crazy little town. Was like stepping back in time but I think worth seeing. Stayed in the Washington Hotel which is on the Nat'l Historic Reg. Gal at the front desk (such as it was) said "go see if you like room 4 at the top of the stairs. There's no key because there's no lock". LOL! Honestly, I felt like I could feel the energy of miners and prospectors (and hookers?) who once walk the narrow halls of the hotel. I'd never been in that part of Washington before and the drive was quite pretty.

Today:



1911:


Governor Marion Hay (1865-1933) speaks at celebration, Metaline Falls, May 29, 1911
Good climbing in Metaline Falls.

Border Crossing Info/Times

[Caucasian Asian]

Don't plan on traveling the Monday of the long weekend either. The amount of traffic between BC/AB is obscene. A two or three hour trip could easily take eight hours, just due to the volume. And then if there's an accident...

Traffic on the Tuesday is pretty bad as well.

[Gripen]

That would be very crowded but nice warm lake and lots of wine tours and by the time you hit Osoyoos its a desert with desert like heat

Very true.

I would take BC 3 from there back to Creston or Elko and avoid the Washington part of the Okanagan. But yea it'll be busy in the Okanagan

[grapedrink]

just interested in biking or also hiking? can't help on biking but there's some fantastic hiking around there:

mt. temple in lake louise, it's an easy scramble. park your car at paradise valley trailhead, then hitch up to moraine lake to start, come back to your car via paradise valley, makes for a great loop. for something mellow plain of six glaciers trail from lake louise visiting the tea huts and beehives makes for a nice day, but still check out moraine lake, it's more scenic than lake louise. will there be crowds in the lake louise area? yes. but it's unbelievably scenic.. new york city is crowded too, that doesn't mean you should go to newark instead.

mt robson/berg lake: 3 day backpack, so worth it. day 1 to berg lake, day 2 to snowbird pass and back to berg lake, day 3 back down. probably the best hike in canada imo

on the way up to jasper stop at peyto lake viewpoint, and athabasca glacier. these are right off the road

drive to whistler via kamloops and lillouet from jasper is not bad, lots of biking in whistler. but there's lots of biking in the rockies too..

[mntlion]

what they said:


plus www.bikepirate.com has great trail beta

[Beaver]

Pfft, crowds? What crowds? Even on a busy holiday weekend it isn't that busy in the Kootenays. Hwy 3 gets a bit slow but only because I'm used to open roads and 120kph and I end up having to do the speed limit 90 - 100kph. I'd stay off hwy 1, it gets stupid. Excellent riding in nelson, Castlegar, Rossland, great hiking in the area too and not many people on the trails.

It sucks here, stay away like everyone else.

[jamesp]

I agree ^ but I would go up Columbia valley Cranbrook /Invermere/ Golden, then over to Banff with a side trip up ice fields parkway though not all the way to Jasper. Then back to Golden (lots of good biking in Golden) - Glacier NP , Revie then south in to West Koot/ Nelson.

sure there are different roads to take depending whichever border crossing a mag decided to come across. Fortunately the highway planners had the vision to route Hwy 95 such that you can get north without ever laying sight on cran-hole