Unique Camping in Alberta

Are you tired of going to the same popular campsites instead of looking for unique camping in Alberta? I have three suggestions for you! Two are first-come first-served and one requires a reservation. Waterfowl Lakes (first-come first-served) is located on Hwy 93 between Saskatchewan Crossing and Lake Louise. It’s a gorgeous campground located on a lake in the middle of the mountains. Bleriot Ferry, also first-come first-served is located just off the N Dinosaur Trail road close to Drumheller where you can enjoy hiking in the badlands and explore the Royal Tyrell Museum. The last campground is Ferguson Hill (reservable sites) in Cyprus Hills, in the southeastern part of the province. It’s a great place to feel secluded from the big city, go hiking and enjoy swimming with the family or your partner.

Waterfowl Lakes

Open: June 22 to September 4.

Sites: Unserviced

Campsite cost: $23.00. You can either pay by bringing the exact cash or charge your credit card by writing your credit card number on a form, placing the form in the envelope provided and dropping it in a locked metal container at the campground. We used the second option and it was super convenient!

There are not any sites that can be reserved at the first unique camping spot in Alberta: Waterfowl Lakes. The first-come first-served sites are typically emptied by 11 A.M at the latest but you’ll want to arrive earlier around 10:30 A.M. to have an easier time finding a site.

Tip: When trying to scope out a spot for the weekend, go earlier in the week (maybe on a Thursday) to help secure yourself a spot. Showing up on a Friday or Saturday morning when it tends to be busier with weekend travellers might make it harder to find a campsite.

Gorgeous Setting

When you do grab a spot, you’ll be happy to stay here for a few nights. It’s an absolutely gorgeous setting! There is one relatively easy hike to take from the campsite, across the bridge and to the right to Chephren Lake. Another hike is a bit more challenging. Take the junction to the left further up the mountain to Cirque Lake (shown in pictures three and four in the slideshow above). The beautiful main Waterfowl Lake offers a place to go canoeing, kayaking, rafting (pictures five to eight in the slideshow above) and swimming if you dare to enter the frigid cold waters. My mom has definitely found it refreshing to swim in this beautiful lake.

Campsite

It has one hundred and ten sites for tents, motorhomes and trailers up to nine metres long (31 feet). There is lots of space and trees between campsites offering privacy. For campers wanting easy access to the water, some campsites can be found along the Mistaya River running between the two Waterfowl Lakes. Others are located on the lower part of the lake. The rest of the campsites are found in the woods. They have outhouses throughout the campground with one flush toilet building closer to the north end. Drinking water taps can be found 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 campsite. Free Interpretive programs hosted by Parks Canada can be found Saturday evenings at the campground theatre.

Cooking

Small shelters provide two sinks to wash your dishes with soap (provide your own) and hot water. This can be handy when washing greasy pans after making Salmon Patties for example and having a safe place to dispose of the dirty water instead of a grey water area that can attract bears due to the smells. Food lockers are available if you need a protected location to store your food while you’re away from your campsite. This campground offers picnic shelters with wood-burning stoves in case bad weather rolls in.

Unwinding

There is no cell phone coverage at this campground allowing you to unwind from your busy schedule and unplug from social media.

For more information on this campground, click here.

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. If you do forget something, count on a spectacular hour-and-a-half drive to get what you need.

Bleriot Ferry Campground

Open: May 20 – Sep 6

Sites: Unserviced

Campsite cost: $25

All fourteen campsites are first-come-first-served. There are no-reservable sites at this second unique camping spot in Alberta. Exact cash or cheque is required to make a payment at the campground for the duration of your stay.

Tip: If you plan to head here for the weekend, consider heading there on a Thursday and grabbing your site around 10:30 A.M. If campers are leaving that day, they’ll need to vacate their campsites by 11 A.M. at the latest. If you arrive at an earlier time it allows you more breathing room to look at potential available sites compared to scoping them out at the last minute when potentially many other people will be competing to grab a spot.

Firewood

Firewood is not available at the site but can be purchased locally.

Tip: Do not bring firewood from home and leave the unused wood for the next campers. Alberta Parks is asking to “help stop the spread of forest pests, Dutch elm disease and emerald ash borer”.

There is currently a fire ban in effect at Bleriot Ferry campground. At this time a fire won’t be permitted.

Campsite

Outhouses are located at this campground.

Tip: Bring hand sanitizer in case the outhouses run low.

A picnic shelter is available if poor weather arises. It’s a great place to cook, eat and pass the time by playing card games with family. The campsites are cozy; they don’t have a ton of room between the sites but if you organize it efficiently and place your car on either end of the site or beside a trailer, you’ll have a bit more privacy.

Parts of the campground are open to the elements, closer to Badlands on the grass and provide less shade. Other parts have many trees accessible to set up a tarp in case it rains. We had lots of rain when we went in May; having a backup tarp is never a bad idea. If you don’t end up using it, great but at least you’ll have it set up. It can also be used to protect against the sun. Here are 10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn when the weather is super nice outside.

Tip: No potable water is available at the campground. You’ll need to bring your own drinkable water in plastic water jugs to use for cooking, drinking, washing your hands, etc.

More information on the campground can be found here.

Activities

This is a beautiful location right on the Red Deer River. It offers fantastic access to go canoeing, kayaking and fishing. There is a five-minute ferry that connects both sides of N Dinosaur Trail. Access to the ferry is next to the campground. Once on the east side of the road, it’s a nice scenic drive that connects to many popular hikes including Horse Thief Canyon and eventually the Royal Tyrell Museum. This museum is dedicated to dinosaur research and exhibits. It has a playground outside for children and a pathway in between the badlands for a fun adventure with your family or partner. For more hikes to do in the area, check out 4 Spectacular Drumheller Hikes.

Cyprus Hills: Ferguson Hill

Open: May 15 to Sep 4. Reservations can be made ninety days in advance of your arrival. Book here.

Sites: 50 unserviced sites

Campsite cost: $28/night

Unique camping in Alberta includes Ferguson Hill Campground, the fifth campground as you drive on the road to Cypress Hills. It has outhouses, and water pumps to fill up your water bottles or to cook delicious meals such as Butter Chicken. Firewood can be purchased in Elkwater townsite for your nightly fires in the dedicated fire pits (as long as there isn’t a fire ban in place). Ferguson Hill is close, with a five-minute drive to get to the lake. Ferguson Hill is on top of a hill showcasing beautiful views which I enjoy and further away from RVs with running generators. It’s more secluded but again close to the lake, the town and has accessible showers. It’s in a really convenient location. They have some small campsites while others are bigger sizes for a large tent or a small trailer.

Reservations are only offered nighty days in advance but when searching in May, campsites might still be available for certain dates in June and July. Take a look to see if you might get lucky and reserve when you’d like to go.

Lakeview Campground

Lakeview Campground (the first campground you’ll pass to your left) as you drive up Sherwood Crescent Road has campsites with showers available near the campground registration booth. They have thirteen campsites with power, flush toilets, showers and drinking water for $47 if that’s more your style. Lakeview Campground as suggested by the name is located on Elkwater Lake where you can go swimming.

Campgrounds in the Area

The other campgrounds: Old Baldy is similar to Ferguson Hill while both Beaver Creek and Elkwater also have showers available. There are lots of campgrounds available depending on what you’re looking for and your style of camping. For the Best 2023 AB and BC Campsites with Showers, check the post here.

Hiking

This Cypress Hills area is great for hiking. There are many hikes in the area with varying lengths. Some are hilly to offer a workout while others are walks along the water. The staff at the visitor center can help you find hikes suitable for your family if you need additional help.

Final Thoughts

Enjoy these unique camping places in Alberta to feel secluded and enjoy swimming, kayaking, canoeing, hiking and exploring the badlands. There is so much adventure to be had. What part of the province do you want to go explore? Waterfowl Lakes with gorgeous mountains and a lake? Further south to Bleriot Ferry to enjoy walking in the badlands? It’s a great opportunity to walk up the dinosaur in Drumheller or go to the museum. It’s such a unique area to experience. I love that region of our province! You can go even further south to Cyprus hills for some hiking in the hills, swimming, and perhaps even paddleboard on the lake.

All these campsites take you far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It feels relaxing to get away and experience a new area that you might not have seen before. Or, if it’s a regular go-to spot then enjoy everything the campsite and its surroundings have to offer. So many possibilities and trips to plan. Where are you planning on going with your family or partner?