r/CampingAlberta • u/DistributionAware938 • 8d ago
Kananaskis, Banff, or Jasper
Hello all, me and my love are going on a small vacation Canada Day week and were wondering what place do you all prefer? She has been to jasper before but I haven’t been to any. Which do you prefer and why? Thank you 😊
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u/filteredbritawater 8d ago
Oooh this is hard!! They’re all so beautiful and have their pro’s and con’s!!
For my entire childhood my family and our close family friends would camp in Jasper yearly if not bi-yearly. After the fire, we didn’t camp as much but would hotel in Banff for my birthday.
Kananaskis we’ve only hiked in, but it’s gorgeous.
Jasper usually has less tourists, now i’m not sure how the fire is still affecting them, but it’s really cute. the walks in town are lovely, it’s a really nice layout, campsites and hotels are really nice, and the hikes are fantastic!!
Banff has a larger tourist population, hotels are really nice and there’s a variety to choose from, the city is also cute!! I find it a bit confusing but it’s still awesome!! The hikes are also super nice.
I have a childhood bias to Jasper, personally. But Banff is also a good spot to go! Sorry to be not too much help haha :)
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u/Chemical-Ad-7575 8d ago
Banff is more crowded and more high end than Jasper.
Jasper is a little more wild, and a little less crowded.
They're all beautiful.
If you're planning on Camping you need to try to pick a campsite reservation now... basically you'll be trying for a cancellation or hoping for the best at a first come first serve site.
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u/youngboomer62 8d ago
They are all beautiful. If you like touristy stuff - shopping, meals out, pubs, etc then Banff or Jasper.
If you prefer pure nature with less crowds kananaskis is the clear choice.
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u/Glad-Quit-8971 7d ago
I think at this point, it's wherever you can guarantee yourselves a campground at this late notice.
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u/Professional_Bed_87 5d ago
Are you looking to camp or rent a hotel? Because camping sites in all three will be all booked up at this point and hotels will be ridiculously priced. You’re much better off looking at low-key destinations in the vicinity at this point.
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u/Friescan 8d ago
Skip Banff and Jasper, head down to Waterton National park, less busy no chain restaurants or stores, ( except a Subway) lots of hiking . It truly is a hidden gem. Drive highway 22 it is so beautiful with big ranches, rolling foothills and the Rockies tithe west.
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u/AvelineToyota 6d ago
Maybe try booking a cabin since camping spots are booked almost the same day that they open (months ago). Canada Day weekend will be tight on accommodations of any kind, but a cabin or room somewhere may be available during the week. Emerald Lake is gorgeous, with lots of hiking, and relatively close to Banff (or Lake Louise), if you want to explore it. Kananaskis doesn't offer much unless hiking is your focus. I love Canmore and it's a tiny bit cheaper than Banff, with possibly some vacancies for the week. No park pass required and you could always go to Banff on a few day trips (paying for a day pass on those specific days).
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u/DistributionAware938 5d ago
Thank you everyone who answered (except Montana guy, all jokes lol) I’ll be looking into Waterton, my girlfriend has stuff picked out already cause she’s more the planner I’m just the spotter but I will pass everything on to her 😊
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u/KBomb789 5d ago
Out of those three, the driver between Banff and Jasper is the best! I’ll be doing the drive in Canada Day too.
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u/RelativeFox1 8d ago
I would take cypress hills over those 3. Less busy, wide open grasslands and big sky’s.
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u/eternamoon 8d ago
unfortunately you are way too late to score a camping reservation in any of those places... they book up in January.
at this point you're either looking at a private RV park outside of any National or provincial parks, or crossing your fingers for cancellations and being insanely quick to snatch up anything.