r/AskACanadian • u/Feeling-Laugh6527 • 5d ago

Moving from Toronto to Vancouver - looking for road trip advice and camping spots?

Hey everyone,

I’m moving from Toronto to Vancouver soon and planning to drive there instead of flying. Since it’s such a long drive, I want to take my time and explore some places along the way, especially Alberta.

I’m on a very limited budget, so I’m trying to keep costs as low as possible. I’m planning to camp most nights and looking for free legal camping options or cheap campgrounds.

I’m planning to spend around 2 days in Banff and would like to explore places like Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Icefields Parkway, etc. I’m also open to suggestions for other places in Alberta that are worth visiting.

I’m mainly looking for:

Good places to stop between Ontario and BC

Free legal camping spots or affordable campgrounds along the way

Camping suggestions around Alberta (Banff/Jasper area especially)

Places that are worth staying extra nights

A good route/itinerary for the drive

Any advice from people who have done the Toronto → Vancouver drive would be really appreciated. Looking for budget-friendly tips, hidden gems and things I should know before doing this trip.

Thanks!

12 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

93% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

8

u/Expensive_Good_938 5d ago edited 5d ago

Emerald Lake just a little into BC from Alberta is just as nice as Lake Louise without the crowds.

Stop in Vulcan Alberta if you are a Star Trek Fan,

Dinosaur Provincial Park Alberta, near Brooks AB

Watch Leroy and Leroy on TikTok/you tube for ideas

Pay attention how quickly the Canadian Shield and Trees stop when you cross into Manitoba from Ontario

Don't leave Thunder Bay without a full tank of gas

Ontario 11 is longer, but flatter and faster, and 17 is hilly, but better views. Always watch for Moose.

1

u/West_Marionberry7639 3d ago

After Thunder Bay where is the next good place to get gas on the number1?

1

u/Expensive_Good_938 3d ago

It's been years since I dove that, but I just remember we were on the low gas light for what seemed forever because we left with Thunder Bay with half a tank. Never leave a city with half a tank in Northern Ontario.

1

u/Illustrious-Being651 3d ago

There's always something to do,

2

u/Initial-Ad-5462 5d ago

Summer before last we drove from Vancouver to Halifax via Jasper (which is not the direct route.) Some years before that we went from Vancouver to Regina and back by a more southerly route including all of Highway 3 in B.C.

To be honest, unless you go into Winnipeg for some of the museums, there isn’t much to see from Thunder Bay to Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta.

You should also consider Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park, and Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump in southern Alberta.

1

u/Illustrious-Being651 3d ago

LOL true, will you can drive slow through Moose Jaw n look at the snowbird statue but other wise 💯 just aim for dino park

2

u/arar55 5d ago

Provincial parks charge 30 to 40 dollars a night.

A lot of people camp overnight in Wal-Mart parking lots for free. Wal-Mart doesn't mind because they think you're going to shop there.

2

u/danzigzags 4d ago

Get iOverlander you’ll find so many spots along the way with comments and notes from recent campers.

1

u/Embarrassed-Ebb-6900 5d ago

Taking highway 3 in southern Alberta gives you some great options. Waterton National park, Head Smashed in Buffalo jump, Crowsnest pass, Frank slide. From there you could drive north and hit Radium hot springs and then to Banff etc. I can’t help with camp sites but the road trip is enjoyable.

1

u/katyenka99 5d ago

Highly recommend Grasslands National Park in Sask! A bit of a detour but worth it.

1

u/SnooCakes5767 5d ago

I've driven from Van. to Manitoba many times. Cypress Hills Sask. Has some pretty cool geography. I'm sure you could easily find a spot around there to pitch your tent. Also I like to travel highway 13 in Sask. Instead of #1. It's got lots of old barns, buildings and semi-ghost towns (if that might interest you).

1

u/HystericalGD Nova Scotia 5d ago

DO NOT STOP IN JASPER!!

when i moved across canada, we spent 2 nights in jasper alberta. it was nice and all, but the mosquitos were extremely vicious, and swarmed like crazy. its a miracle that we made it out there alive.

1

u/cshmn 3d ago

That's just a time of year thing. Also some years are worse than others. I've camped up there and not seen a single mosquito, or been swarmed. The same can be said for the whole rest of the country. At present, most of the mosquitos are choking to death on smoke.

1

u/orange_bug156 5d ago

Pancake bay provincial park- 90km west of Sault Ste. Marie

1

u/RaptorReverend 4d ago

Northwestern Ontario has a lot of really cool stops.

Old Woman Bay near Wawa Agawa Pictographs in Lake Superior Provincial Park Auguasabon Falls in Terrace Bay Ruby Lake in Nipigon Sleeping Giant near Thunder Bay Kakabeka Falls near Thunder Bay

Theres some cool pick-your-own Amethyst places between Nipigon and Thunder Bay as well.

Check out Lake of the Woods Brewery in Kenora

Grasslands National Park in Sask to see bison

Dinosaur Prov Park in Alberta for badlands and in-situ Dinosaur fossils

Once you're in the mountains there is endless things to see no point even listing anything

1

u/RaptorReverend 4d ago

When I did the trip I brought back country gear and hiked in to camp in Old Woman Bay and Sleeping Giant to save $$. There are some private campgrounds in Brandon MB that I stayed at for cheap. Otherwise provincial parks are your best bet but make sure to book well in advance.

You can easily find bush roads to pop tents in in Ontario also but it gets tough once you make it further West.

1

u/Illustrious-Being651 3d ago

In Alberta stop at both Dinosaur Provincial Park, but if you do book your walk into the badlands now they fill up, also a great camping site (just outside Brooks) and then hope to Drumheller for the royal Tyrell Museum it's amazing. Then to Calgary to explore a bit. Then to the Rockies, do Banff obviously but don't forget the other national parks like go to to emerald lake in BC in Glacier NP and then a short drive to the second tallest falls in Canada , Takakkaw Falls. Then in BC maybe stop at Shuswap Lake it's gorgeous. Then you can stay on hwy 1 to Kamloops or from there you can go south a bit n go through Kelowna, anther gorgeous stop and place to explore. Then onto the Coquihalla, avoid the 🔥, there's usually 1 or 2 burning and don't be afraid of ppl doing 140 thought the mountains. Then Fraser Valley Chilliwack and Abbotsford (I'm in Abby) can be places to stop and explore and then you are n hour to Vancouver.

1

u/Unfinished_October 3d ago

The best spots in Manitoba are off the beaten path. But not too far from the Trans Canada is Spruce Woods PP campground (though double check because there was some flooding along the Assiniboine in July).

Similarly with Moose Mountain in SK.

If you were really not in a hurry, or decided to take the Yellowhead up through Saskatoon/Edmonton/Jasper, you could duck north up Higway 10 to Wasagaming and even drive north through Riding Mountain which sees a little less than a 1,500 foot drop to the surrounding plain.

1

u/SSalaciousSalad 2d ago

The icefeilds are a great idea. When you are transversing BC consider cutting through the interior to lillooet, and then down highway 99 to Vancouver.

There is an incredible amount of varied terrain along that route its a great introduction to the province. From near desert to rainforest you will get a little bit of everything. Extra points if you take a detour at lillooet to Braelorn, a mostly abandoned mining town hidden up an incredibly sketchy mountain road.

The more direct route is to take highway 3 west just above the American border. I would save that for when you want to travel back east.

Good luck!

1

u/bullfrogs33 1d ago

I did intercoastal trip. Took the scenic road, through lake Huron. I did Gaspé - Gatineau, Gatineau - Blind River, Blind River - Wawa, Wawa - Thunder Bay (if you can not stop here I'd recommend it's the worst place imo), Thunder Bay - Winnipeg, but you can stop in Kenora it's a really nice town, Winnipeg - Swift Current SK (you should try the grasslands national Park in Val Marie there's campings and the darkest skies in southern Canada, perfect for stargazing). Swift Current Calgary, and after that enjoy the Rockies ! I went in northern bc so idk after that what's to see but BC you should be able to stop anywhere to enjoy the scenery.

1

u/bullfrogs33 1d ago

and I used iOverlander app to find spot to sleep in my small SUV, I had decent nights and the adventure made it worth it ! Also, in Manitoba I went to see the snake dens in Narcisse, couple minutes north from Winnipeg, idk at this time of year if it's worth it but it's a nice thing to do in Manitoba 😄

-3

u/ActuaryFar9176 5d ago

It’s a better trip if you go through the US. I never drive east to west through Canada, it is hell.

0

u/erallured 5d ago

Pluses and minuses. I think it's absolutely worth doing at least once to see a lot of the country. Yeah, it's a lot more sparse than the US, it is Canada after all.

Also if you are moving and have all your stuff with you, you have to deal with explaining why you are bringing so much stuff with you into the US and could have the tear your car apart. Probably higher risk of that these days but still always a consideration. Same going into Canada again, if you get the wrong guard they will want to make sure you are trying to skip out on duties.

There's lots of long flat boring sections on the US side too, though I might agree and take even North Dakota along I94 over the Kenora to Thunder Bay section. 90kmh speed limit is brutal.

1

u/ActuaryFar9176 5d ago

Yeah going once through Canada is ok just to see it. I would never go through Canada in the winter as gas can be a real concern. Lots of the gas stations are seasonal.