best camping site in banff image
reica
I'm debating for a week in Banff or a week in Denali. I want to hear from all of you who've been to these places. Thank you :)
Answer
It depends on what you're looking for. If you want a wilderness experience and are into backpacking and/or camping then Denali is the place youâll want to spend a week in. Denali is truly a wild place and youâll be relatively close to the Arctic Circle so prepare for your trip accordingly. Do some research and be prepared for the climate, wildlife and insects. There is only one road in the park and private vehicles are prohibited. You have to use the park shuttle or take a commercial tour to get into the park. The road penetrates 92 miles into Denali to Kantishna near Wonder Lake on the north side of the Alaska Range. The south side is virtually impenetrable except by air. An air tour of Denali is a must do, including a glacier landing. I recommend K2 Aviation in Talkeetna. If you have a choice, take a De Havilland Beaver. These planes may be a half century old but if properly maintained they are rock solid and my plane of choice when flying in Alaska. You donât have to backpack/camp to see Denali. There are many motels and hotels near the park entrance. You can sleep in a warm bed at night and use the park shuttle to explore the park during the day.
On the other hand, Banff is a heavily trafficked place. Youâll find much more people there than in Denali. Itâs hard to get away from people unless you get out on some of the more remote trails. But, the Canadian Rockies are beautiful and a site to behold. I canât really say that theyâre better than the Alaska Range in Denali but equally as impressive in a different way. Many of the trails can be done as day hikes but there are longer backpack trails if thatâs what youâre looking for. Banff isnât as far north as Denali but you should be prepared for sudden changes in weather. I hiked up to Wenkchemna Pass at the head of the Valley of 10 Peaks last July and was greeted by a sudden downpour and high winds. It was freezing cold even with an insulated rain jacket on. Do your research because like Denali you may encounter grizzlies. Some of the trails are restricted and you must be in a group of 4 to enter the posted areas. This is especially true of the trails into Paradise Valley, Larch Valley and the Valley of 10 Peaks. Too bad because I think thatâs some of the best hiking in Banff. If alone, you can wait at trailhead and ask to join a group thatâs entering the area. The trails near Lake Louise are not restricted and I enjoyed the "Lake Agnes and the Beehives" trail and the "Plain of Six Glaciers" trail done together as a loop. By my estimate it was approximately 10.3 miles long with a total elevation gain of about 3,150 feet. Excellent day hike but youâll be sharing the trail with many, although few do both hikes as a single loop. The teahouses at Lake Agnes and the Plain of Six Glaciers are a good place to take a break and get a hot cup of coffee or tea. They also serve fresh baked apple pie. Yum!
Whatever park you choose you canât lose. In fact, you should plan on doing one now and the other later. Enjoy.
It depends on what you're looking for. If you want a wilderness experience and are into backpacking and/or camping then Denali is the place youâll want to spend a week in. Denali is truly a wild place and youâll be relatively close to the Arctic Circle so prepare for your trip accordingly. Do some research and be prepared for the climate, wildlife and insects. There is only one road in the park and private vehicles are prohibited. You have to use the park shuttle or take a commercial tour to get into the park. The road penetrates 92 miles into Denali to Kantishna near Wonder Lake on the north side of the Alaska Range. The south side is virtually impenetrable except by air. An air tour of Denali is a must do, including a glacier landing. I recommend K2 Aviation in Talkeetna. If you have a choice, take a De Havilland Beaver. These planes may be a half century old but if properly maintained they are rock solid and my plane of choice when flying in Alaska. You donât have to backpack/camp to see Denali. There are many motels and hotels near the park entrance. You can sleep in a warm bed at night and use the park shuttle to explore the park during the day.
On the other hand, Banff is a heavily trafficked place. Youâll find much more people there than in Denali. Itâs hard to get away from people unless you get out on some of the more remote trails. But, the Canadian Rockies are beautiful and a site to behold. I canât really say that theyâre better than the Alaska Range in Denali but equally as impressive in a different way. Many of the trails can be done as day hikes but there are longer backpack trails if thatâs what youâre looking for. Banff isnât as far north as Denali but you should be prepared for sudden changes in weather. I hiked up to Wenkchemna Pass at the head of the Valley of 10 Peaks last July and was greeted by a sudden downpour and high winds. It was freezing cold even with an insulated rain jacket on. Do your research because like Denali you may encounter grizzlies. Some of the trails are restricted and you must be in a group of 4 to enter the posted areas. This is especially true of the trails into Paradise Valley, Larch Valley and the Valley of 10 Peaks. Too bad because I think thatâs some of the best hiking in Banff. If alone, you can wait at trailhead and ask to join a group thatâs entering the area. The trails near Lake Louise are not restricted and I enjoyed the "Lake Agnes and the Beehives" trail and the "Plain of Six Glaciers" trail done together as a loop. By my estimate it was approximately 10.3 miles long with a total elevation gain of about 3,150 feet. Excellent day hike but youâll be sharing the trail with many, although few do both hikes as a single loop. The teahouses at Lake Agnes and the Plain of Six Glaciers are a good place to take a break and get a hot cup of coffee or tea. They also serve fresh baked apple pie. Yum!
Whatever park you choose you canât lose. In fact, you should plan on doing one now and the other later. Enjoy.
Anybody know a good camping spot near banff/ Calgary AB?
We are looking for a good spot to go camping in the woods in tents. we do not want a family campground but something more "friday the 13th" style?
Answer
You can pack into the backpacking trail along 30 mile creek trailhead that starts at a parking lot outside Banff near the downhill ski lifts of Mount Norquay.
Don't quite know what you mean by "Friday the 13th" style but if you are looking for danger, that valley is grizzly bear territory. Last time I backpacked there we found bear scat and trees that had been clawed 8 feet above the ground. And when we got back to our van after 5 days in the backcountry, the guy parked next to us had his car door ripped off by a bear who broke in to get a bag of food he had left inside. That should add a thrill to the outing for you.
The campground at Lake Minnewanka outside Banff is cool -- near the lake, trails for mountain biking, secluded tent sites in the trees but also concrete bathrooms and covered cooking huts with picnic tables and grills. No big RV's or screaming brats. One thing about camping in the Canadian Rockies is you can pretty much count on rain or snow any time you go out so having a place to get out of the occasional rain is a plus.
You could also check out the Climbers Campground across from the Athabasca Glacier tongue along the Icefields Parkway. Had some good times there in my crazy youth. Watch out for the drunken demented climbers with their ice axes.:-)
I've hiked in Kananaskis (near Canmore) but never camped out there -- there are likely some good secluded campsites in that area. The 1997 movie "The Edge" with Anthony Hopkins was filmed there in Kananaskis (it was supposed to look like Alaska). Rent the movie if you want to see what that area looks like. Of course, there's that scary grizzly in that one too.........
Have fun! And bring lots of bandaids...............
You can pack into the backpacking trail along 30 mile creek trailhead that starts at a parking lot outside Banff near the downhill ski lifts of Mount Norquay.
Don't quite know what you mean by "Friday the 13th" style but if you are looking for danger, that valley is grizzly bear territory. Last time I backpacked there we found bear scat and trees that had been clawed 8 feet above the ground. And when we got back to our van after 5 days in the backcountry, the guy parked next to us had his car door ripped off by a bear who broke in to get a bag of food he had left inside. That should add a thrill to the outing for you.
The campground at Lake Minnewanka outside Banff is cool -- near the lake, trails for mountain biking, secluded tent sites in the trees but also concrete bathrooms and covered cooking huts with picnic tables and grills. No big RV's or screaming brats. One thing about camping in the Canadian Rockies is you can pretty much count on rain or snow any time you go out so having a place to get out of the occasional rain is a plus.
You could also check out the Climbers Campground across from the Athabasca Glacier tongue along the Icefields Parkway. Had some good times there in my crazy youth. Watch out for the drunken demented climbers with their ice axes.:-)
I've hiked in Kananaskis (near Canmore) but never camped out there -- there are likely some good secluded campsites in that area. The 1997 movie "The Edge" with Anthony Hopkins was filmed there in Kananaskis (it was supposed to look like Alaska). Rent the movie if you want to see what that area looks like. Of course, there's that scary grizzly in that one too.........
Have fun! And bring lots of bandaids...............
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