Embark on a camping road trip to Kelowna that will create lasting memories with your partner. The campgrounds offer many activities to do while you’re there including hiking, swimming, and kayaking on gorgeous lakes in both provinces. Whistlers Campground is conveniently close to the town of Jasper if you want to go out for supper. Waterfowl Lakes on Highway 93 is in a special location with mountains. Kicking Horse is close to Field and near Emerald Lake. You can either chill at the campsite or explore all the hikes in the area. If you love swimming, Martha Creek Campground offers beautiful beaches with gorgeous secluded campsites on the property. Yard Creek Campground near Sicamous is close to many amenities while in nature with trees all around. It’s handy to have Bear Creek Campground near Kelowna offering a space to stay outdoors while saving money.
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Whistlers Campground
Your camping road trip to Kelowna includes stopping at Whistlers Campground. It’s open from May 8 to October 14 in 2024. A reservation is required to book both serviced and unserviced sites. A valid National Park pass is required to stay in the park. Campsites cost from $17.50 to $53.50 for full service. Find more details here. For an additional $11, a fire permit can be purchased, including the wood price. Check the fire ban status for the most up-to-date information.
Whistlers Campground has campsites with showers and three all-gender accessible washrooms in the registration centre (updated in 2022). Eighteen washroom and shower facilities can be found throughout the campground. There is a lot of trailer parking in the middle of the campground now. On the edges of the campground, you’ll find sites of various sizes for campers looking for privacy in the trees. Bear-proof lockers are available to store your food. These are especially useful if you’re backpacking or on a bicycle trip. They feature picnic shelters to keep you dry while it’s raining. The campground is a six-minute drive to Jasper if you want to go out for a bite to eat or need to visit the grocery store.
Activities
While camping at Whistlers Campground, Jasper Hikes: Best Memories suggests different hikes to experience with your partner. There are many lakes for swimming in the area such as Annette Lake which is relatively warm compared to Pyramid Lake which is very cold. These lakes are also perfect for kayaking. Pyramid Lake Resort rents canoes, kayaks and paddleboards on an hourly basis. Check the prices here.
Edith Cavell (pictured above) is a thirty-six-minute drive south of Jasper. The parking lot fills up by 10 A.M. in the summer, so go early to get a spot. It’s a narrow, winding road to the trailhead. No trailers or large motorhomes are allowed on Cavell Road. Outhouses are available at the trailhead. It’s an 8.2-kilometre moderately difficult loop that takes approximately three and a half hours to complete. There are two sections to hike. The first is a short and easy hike to check out the glacier. If you’re feeling ambitious, do a loop of moderate difficulty higher-up that offers spectacular views. You’ll climb out of the trees and up the scree to see a 360° view of the valley below and its gorgeous surroundings.
There are many animals to see on this trail. You might come across marmots and pikas that live in the Canadian Rockies. They both make high-pitched calls announcing their whereabouts. If you’re lucky, marmots sometimes pose for you, allowing time to snap a few pictures of them. Pikas are more skittish and tend to be on the move.
Tip: It often gets windy by two in the afternoon at the peak. Head down the peak before then to avoid potential storms and increasing winds.
Waterfowl Lakes Campground
The Waterfowl Lakes Campground is open from June 20 to September 2 in 2024 offering unserviced sites. It costs $24.00 per night to stay there. You can either pay with exact cash or write your credit card number on a form and charge your credit card. These sites can’t be reserved ahead of time. They operate on a first-come first-served basis. The campsites are typically emptied by 11 A.M at the latest. Arrive earlier around 10:30 A.M. to have an easier time finding a site. When planning to camp on the weekend, you’ll easily secure a spot if you arrive on a Thursday. By Friday, it might be too late.
Campsite
The campground has one hundred and ten sites for tents, motorhomes and trailers up to nine metres (31 feet) long. There is lots of space and many trees between campsites offering privacy. Some campsites can be found along the Mistaya River and others on Waterfowl Lake if you want access to water. The majority of the campsites are in the woods. They have outhouses throughout the campground with one flush toilet building closer to the north end. Drinking water taps exist throughout the campground. Fires are allowed as long as there isn’t a fire ban in place. Wood can be picked up from the wood bin piles scattered throughout the campground. Free Interpretive programs hosted by Parks Canada are offered on Saturday evenings at the campground theatre.
Washing Dishes and Shelter
Small shelters provide two sinks with hot water to wash dishes. Bring your own soap. This can be handy when washing greasy dishes and pans by having a safe place to dispose of the dirty water. This in turn prevents attracting bears with various smells. Food lockers are available if you need to store your food. This campground offers picnic shelters with wood-burning stoves to protect you from potentially miserable weather.
Gorgeous Setting
Waterfowl Lakes Campground is a beautiful spot to stay a few nights and must be included in your camping road trip to Kelowna. There is one relatively easy hike from the campsite, across the bridge and to the right to Chephren Lake. Another hike is more challenging with some inclines, roots and mud. Take the junction to the left further up the mountain to Cirque Lake (shown in the picture above). This is a good place to stop for a snack or lunch while sitting on rocks.
Waterfowl Lakes offers a place to go canoeing, kayaking, rafting and even swimming if you dare to enter the frigid cold water.
There is no cell phone coverage at this campground allowing you to unwind from your busy schedule and unplug from social media.
Amenities Close By
Ensure you bring all your gear and food along with you. If you’re missing something, two options are available. Saskatchewan Crossing is a ten-minute drive North on Hwy 93. If you need some food, there is a pub, restaurant and café available for your needs. The other option is a forty-five-minute drive south on the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise which has gear and a grocery store. It is a spectacular drive there and back.
For more information on this campground, click here.
Kicking Horse Campground
Kicking Horse Campground is open from May 16 to Oct 14 in 2024 and you can make a reservation for any unserviced site from May 31 to October 14 (new as of 2024). It costs $30.50 a night to stay there and $11 per day for a fire permit. A valid National Park pass will be required to stay overnight in the park.
Kicking Horse Campground has hot and cold water taps, showers, and flush toilets. There is limited cell service in this area with no WIFI so it’s a great time to disconnect from social media and enjoy quality time with your partner. A playground is available for children to play. Food lockers are available to store food while you’re away from your campsite. Shelters offer a refuge from bad weather. It’s an awesome place to stay while on your camping road trip to Kelowna.
Activities in the Area
Drive up the Yoho Valley Road to view the impressive Takakkaw Falls. There is an easy trail a short distance from the parking lot. For those wanting a more challenging hike, consider Gorgeous Hiking to Laughing Falls. It’s an eleven-kilometre hike with flat and uphill sections on the way there and some downhill on the way back. It offers wonderful views of the mountains. This trail can also be backpacked if you want to stay in the wilderness overnight. To get your backcountry permit and reserve a spot, click here.
The Iceline Trail is also a spectacular path that starts from the Takakkaw Falls parking lot. The views are beautiful as you walk above the tree line for many kilometres before heading into the trees again to reach Celeste Lake, making it a seventeen-kilometre loop. You can look around and see in multiple directions. It’s completely worth the hike for the scenery, time spent with your partner and the amazing pictures you’ll get to take.
Martha Creek Campground
Martha Creek Campground unserviced sites are open from May 8 to Sept. 30, 2024. They cost $28 per night. Reserve here. Sites 1 to 33 are family-friendly with easy access to the playground and the sandy beach. Sites 48 to 89 are in a more secluded area with access to a rocky beach and offer more peace and quiet. This part of the campground has trees between campsites offering more privacy from your neighbours.
There is no cell service at this campground allowing time to unplug from your phone. If you need to contact someone or check messages, drive back down the road towards Revelstoke for about fifteen minutes and you’ll be able to access cell coverage. You won’t need to drive back into town.
Campfires are permitted in designated fire pits when there is no fire ban. The bulletin board at the front entrance will indicate important announcements.
First-Come, First-Served
The starred campsites on the reservation map indicate the first-come, first-served spots.
Tip: These campsites are more out in the open with little privacy, no tree cover and full sun as you enter the campground and along the bank to the right. But, sometimes the site doesn’t matter as long as you get one! The more secluded sites will need to be booked.
Showers and Toilets
Registered campers have campsites with showers and flushable toilets available at no extra cost. They are an enjoyable ten to fifteen-minute walk from campsites 48 to 89. You’ll get some exercise as you walk or bike to and from your shower. The campsites further north don’t have flushable toilets but offer clean, non-smelling outhouses maintained by the campground staff.
Lake Activities
This lake is gorgeous and inviting for swimming on your camping road trip to Kelowna! There is a boat launch for easy access to the water. When we rented kayaks for our day trip, they were conveniently dropped off at the boat launch. Many areas of the lake can be explored in a kayak or canoe.
Yard Creek Campground
Yard Creek Campground with unserviced sites is open from May 16 to September 6, 2024. It costs $25 a night. You’ll need to have exact cash or make a cheque payable to Yard Creek Campground to reserve your first-come, first-serve campsite. The park attendants will be on-site in the morning and evening if you need their assistance. Each campsite can have a maximum of three tents or 1 trailer. Yard Creek Campground has spacious campsites with many trees separating each site, as shown in the picture above. It’s an awesome stop on your camping road trip to Kelowna.
Firewood can be purchased from the park attendants for $10 a bundle. You will be charged twice the cost of a bundle if you use wood found in the bush. Check to see if there’s a fire ban in effect. You might not be able to have a fire.
There is a picnic shelter off the main park road and to the east of the parking lot in case you need it due to bad weather. The toilets are outhouses at this location but are generally kept nice and tidy. Drinking water is available from taps throughout the campsite. Trails are situated on the edge of the campground if you’re looking for a short hike to the picnic shelter.
Activities
If you’re looking for activities in the region, Sicamous Beach Park is a perfect place to have an awesome day kayaking with Dad on Shuswap Lake, fifteen minutes west of Yard Creek Campground. It’s also a great location for a quick swim on your road trip, get refreshed and continue on your journey. You might consider planning a picnic lunch or supper stop with your swim.
Bear Creek Campground
Bear Creek Campground on Westside Road is eleven kilometres from Kelowna. It is open from March 27 to October 14, 2024. The campground has serviced and unserviced sites available starting March 31. It costs $35 a night to stay there. During peak season all sites are reservable while in the off-season, the sites are on a first-come first-served basis. Some campsites are located along the water while others are further in the campsite.
Showers are provided in the washrooms. Flush toilets and outhouses, as well as taps with drinking water, are located throughout the campground. It has two separate playgrounds for two age groups. Fires are allowed in the fire pits as long as there isn’t a fire ban in place.
Bear Creek has a day-use area with picnic tables on the lawn close to the beach. Flush toilets with a changing room can also be found. Additionally, parking is available. The front gates are locked from 11 P.M. to 7 A.M. Make sure to be back at the campground by 11 P.M. if you venture away from it.
Sometimes the water can reach high levels and come close to the road’s edge. Monitor the road situation to ensure you can get in and out of the campground if there is high water in the area.
Final Thoughts
Are you feeling excited to explore the breathtaking campgrounds on the camping road trip from Edmonton to Kelowna? Whistlers campground in Jasper National Park is near many gorgeous hikes in the area. Waterfowl Lakes has beautiful campsites along the river and the lake. It’s the perfect place to go swimming, kayaking or rafting in the middle of the mountain range. Kicking Horse Campground in Yoho National Park has spectacular hiking near Takkakaw Falls and on the Iceline Trail. Martha Creek Campground has some awesome opportunities for kayaking and swimming at a gorgeous lake. Yard Creek is a peaceful place to stay while continuing your journey. Lastly, Bear Creek Campground is a great place to camp while visiting Kelowna. Enjoy your camping road trip from Alberta to British Columbia! Make sure to stop and play along the way!
Additional Links
- Best 2023 AB and BC Campsites with Showers
- Unique Camping in Alberta
- 2023 Unique Camping in BC
- Jasper Hikes: Best Memories
- Guide to Kayaking in Revelstoke
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