Good places to go in Canada??? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

Good places to go in Canada???

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bernie:

We’re big fans of the Ice Fields Highway down between Jasper and Banff. Nice to overnight / boondock at the Columbia Ice Field Experience. Not the best camping experience in the parking lot but it is really nice to be right beside the glacier, especially in the morning. The cool air and sunrises there are simply amazing. The drive is incredible.

We are quite partial to traveling up to Dawson Creek – take the Alcan up just into YT to meet up with 37 – The Cassier Highway – then down via Prince George to the Ice Fields Highway.

Don’t know if you have that much time, but the drive is incredible with lots of stuff along the way such as Muncho Lake (CG at Northern Rockies Lodge - totally off-grid - local generator only) and Lair River Hot Springs. Neat stuff in Ft. Nelson if you are into old cars and such things.

If you have the time for that distance PM me and I’ll give you a link to GPS POIs.

We’re traveling across from Sault St. Marie to Edmonton, then on up to Alaska this year. Maybe we’ll have some POI for Manitoba and the like when we get back. But it seems more “sparse” than Alberta, YT, NWT and BC. We’ll just have to see.

Maybe Bill J will chime in . . .

Bill

Someday · RV-Dreams Family Member

What are your interests Trailerking? Hubby likes to fish the spillways and lakes for the Manitoba Monsters. Northern Sask is popular for fisher folk and Qu'applle valley was surprisingly very beautiful. On the Sask/AB border South is Cypress Hills PP, that many love. AB South towards border = Writing on Stone Provincial Park, Oldman River, Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump & Fort Macleod. Down that way (South of Lethbridge) see folks on the rivers with rafts and rings floating etc. Kananaskis Country, Bragg Creek, Priddis are popular areas to explore all close to each other and West of Calgary. Turner Vally, Longview leading into wonderful scenic country on Hwy 40 take you all the way upto Canmore to explore enroute to Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper. Johnston Canyon off Hwy 1A in National Park wonderful to hike around as is Lake Minnewanka/Two Jack Lake. Campground on Tunnel Mountain and explore Banff Springs Hotel, Hot Springs, Gondola. Also NE of Calgary is Drumheller (Dinosaur/prehistoric and like one would imagine walking on the moon enroute). Cochrane is a cute little town (check out the pie shop there) to stop in for a couple hours, with attractions surrounding, Ghost Lake.

Calgary of course July is the Stampede, but there's Eau Claire, Princess Island Park, and Hip 17th Avenue DT, as well as the zoo, and a myriad of other things to do depending on your interest. We have acreage just 10mins south of Calgary if you wish to boondock for a handful days you'd be welcome.

Going through the Crowsnest Pass is quite neat and where we've spotted most of our bears on the side of the road (also towards Jasper bear sightings, and if in K' Country for week likely to spot grizzly, moose etc), Frank Slide, Sparwood Huge Truck, Lundbreck Falls is pretty, then you'll hit Christina Lake and Osoyoos and in towards Vancouver or North towards Penticton/Okanagan.

Koocanusa and the Kootneys areas are beautiful. Oh heavens there's just way too much to see and do, you are in for a blast.

FWIW: We most enjoy doing the loop through the Crowsnest Pass towards Vancouver, then up thru the Okanagan coming into AB past Revelstoke and Golden (both worth a stop see - Railway Museum in R'stoke), checking out Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon and more enroute, then heading up past Columbia Icefields to Jasper, then heading towards Edmonton, then down through the smaller towns towards Calgary.

You could spend all summer travelling just two provinces, never mind four. Enjoy :)

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks, you've been a great help so far. We need to plan for more than a long weekend that's for sure. We'll go baby steps as far as we can get at a time. Who knows?

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

“Also NE of Calgary is Drumheller (Dinosaur/prehistoric and like one would imagine walking on the moon enroute).”

Oh yes! This place is so cool. The Royal Tyrrell Museum

http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/

The Dinosaur remains are presented in some galleries of the museum more like works of art with great lighting. This is one of those fabulous places that totally surprise you how great it is. Highly recommend.

BTW, we really agree with the sig quote from “Someday”

“Breathtaking Alberta. Her Mountains Draw You But Her People Bring You Back” That’s true for all the places we’ve been in Canada thus far.

Bill

Camr · RV-Dreams Community Member

Manitoba has some of the nicest provincial (state) parks, but you MUST get off the Transcanada Highway. Sadly, most RVers blast through the province on the way to the mountains and miss the wooded beauty of the prairies. Just an hour north of Winnipeg is one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world, with beautiful parks on both sides. On the west side is Hecla Provincial Park, which was an island until a causeway was built. A short drive south of the park is the town of Gimli, which is the largest Icelandic community outside of Iceland. It is a commercial fishing community which has a "magic" feel to it during the summer. South of Gimli is Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park, a newer park on the edge of a summer resort town.
On the east side of the lake is Grand Beach Provincial Park. A few years ago, Grand Beach was listed in the Michelin guide as one of the 10 best beaches in the world, with miles of ever changing sand dunes.
At the east side of the province, on the Ontario border is Whiteshell Provincial Park. Westhawk Lake is a meteor crater, with its depth and clear water making it ideal for diving. Falcon Lake campground is on Falcon Lake, a 2 minute drive off the Transcanada Highway.
On the west side of the province is Riding Mountain National Park, and the adjoining town of Wasagaming. The town is on the edge of Clear Lake, which is a spring fed lake with absolutely crystal clear water. A short drive takes you to a Bison range where you can drive a loop to see the bison close up. The park has mostly all large pull throughs.
It is advisable to reserve all sites at both the Provincial and National parks, as the parks fill up quickly with those who have quickly realized that it's better to get off the "4 lane"!

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

RIGHT ON.................This is what I'm talkin' about.
Keep the feedback happening. This is turning out very informative and useful information to keep in the log book.

Neil and Connie · RV-Dreams Family Member

Banf, Jasper, and the other perks in BC/AN. All are great spots as is the Icefields Parkway.

The Restless Youngs · RV-Dreams Family Member

Another vote for Banf, Jasper, Lake Louise.....

The Schweitzers on the road · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cypress Hills Provincial Park, AB/SK
Waterton Provincial Park, AB
Okanagan Valley, BC
If you go further than Jasper: Mt Robson, Wells-Gray PP
If you make it to Ontario: Sleeping Giant PP (Thunder Bay)

and of course Vancouver Island (that's were I live)

Bernd

-- Edited by The Schweitzers on the road on Wednesday 1st of April 2015 07:47:08 PM

dianneandsteve · RV-Dreams Family Member

If you should happen to be passing through Merritt, BC we are work camping at Monck Provincial Park on Nicola Lake. Come say hello and stay awhile.

-- Edited by dianneandsteve on Thursday 2nd of April 2015 08:30:01 AM

Millie · RV-Dreams Family Member

I used to live at a campground on Vancouver Island for 3 years. - It was very hard to leave because it was sooo lovely there!
There's a short path through the woods to a swimming hole on the wild Nanaimo River.
There are plenty of old serene logging road paths to explore an era steeped lightly in ancient logging and coal mining machinery to discover, while listening to the enchanting sound of an occasional bird tweeting, and the echo of an occasional big red headed woodpecker drumming on a log in the forest.

So, if you love the forest and fantastic views of snow-capped mountains, this is the place for you!

http://www.mountainairervpark.com/