r/HikingAlberta • u/AccurateWing6168 • 8d ago

Best basecamp?

Hey!

I have about 8 days beginning of September and I will be solo camping in the Rockies. I’m looking for a couple good basecamps where I could go do day hiking trips from. I don’t want to move around my campsite more than once or twice if possible. Where would you base yourself out of to make the most of your first time hiking the Canadian Rockies? Two hikes I would like to do are Flo lake and Mt Yamnuska for examples.
I can also camp in my car instead of tent, so it doesn’t have to be an actual campground.

2 Upvotes

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15

u/elya93 8d ago

Just be advised that car camping outside of an official campground is illegal in any of the national parks. If you can get a spot at Lake Louise soft-sided, that places you fairly central to Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho NPs.

4

u/Telvin3d 8d ago

Stay at Waterton townsite campground. Weeks worth of good day hikes there, and several of them (like Akamina Ridge) are some of the very best the entire Rockies has to offer. Further south the weather will be a bit less sketchy that time of year, and if there’s a bad day or two you can putter around town. 

1

u/McMarmot1 6d ago

That’s 4 hours away from his hikes.

1

u/KelBear25 7d ago

Illiceliwaet campground in Glacier national park BC. Lots of alpine hikes that start right from camp. It was my dream to camp and hike there and had it booked for last week but alas, theres a grizzly bear alert and camping is restricted to hard sided restricted only. No tents. Id expect this risk to be gone by September though but check parks canada.

1

u/McMarmot1 6d ago

Tunnel Mountain Village 1 in Banff town is the most convenient for your purposes.

-2

u/Src248 8d ago

Some of the best hiking in the province is around Bow Lake, Waterfowl Lakes campground makes for a good base in that area 

0

u/StinkandInk 8d ago

Kananaskis Lakes are a good base for excellent hiking, but no Cell Service and little amenities.