Walk-in camping is great practice for backcountry camping. Here’s how to get started with kids, and where to camp near Calgary.
When we had our first child, friends were betting on how long it would take for us to take the wee one backpacking. We had, after all, met on a backpacking trip, so it seemed natural that we would continue with our favorite mountain pastime. However, we’d seen intrepid parents suffering on the trail with 50 pound packs plus their 25 pound baby and knew it wasn’t for us. It is possible, and I salute those folks, but it wasn’t for us because it didn’t look fun.
We decided to start with car camping and graduate to walk-in camping and backcountry camping when the kids could walk/hike in on their own.
Why Walk-In Camping?
Walk-in camping is as close as you’re going to get to the backcountry experience without having to pack your kids and gear over far distances. You sacrifice some comforts of car camping in exchange for peace and quiet; no partiers, RVs, or barking dogs; and the chance to rekindle memories of your glory days when you hiked hours off the highway to bag summits, sleep in the rain, and capture sunrise photos of grizzly bears and calving glaciers.
What age is suitable for walk-in/backcountry camping?
The Camping Readiness Test below will determine your family’s (walk-in/backcountry) Camping Readiness Score. Good Luck!
- Can your child sleep through the night? 1 point
- Can your child sleep through the night in a strange place? 5 points
- Do you know how to set up your tent properly? 10 points
– If you’ve never set up your tent, practice before you go. Read the manual or watch a video so you know how to peg the fly down properly. This is the most important step – so many people complain that their tents leak, when in fact, the tent is fine. Read the instructions! Soaked sleeping bags make for cold and cranky campers. - Has your child successfully (i.e. without waking and screaming and waking up the whole campground) slept in a tent several times? “Camping” at the cabin or in a trailer does not count. You need to cram yourselves into a small tent in the pouring rain or at high elevation where it’s -8C at night. Most kids who sleep through the night but can’t sleep in a tent are either frightened or cold. This is why practice camping – even in your yard – is valuable. It is better to put your kid(s)and gear to the test when the car/home are not far away before venturing into the wilderness. 10 points
Unless you despise sleep and enjoy having obscenities screamed at you in the night, you should score a minimum of 20 points to venture beyond car camping with your kids. Did you pass?? Hurrah! Check out our tips for walk-in camping with kids, and recommendations on where to try walk-in and backcountry camping.
Walk-In Campgrounds Near Calgary
Mount Sarrail Walk-In Campground, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Mount Sarrail Walk-In Campground has 44 well-treed campsites with convenient parking close to campsites. Amenities include fire pits, onsite firewood sales, food lockers, outhouses, and a water pump but it’s recommended you bring your own drinking water.
Day hikes in the area include Lower Lake Interpretive (1 km), Lower Lake (7 km), or Rawson Lake (7.8 km). There are also lots of paved bike trails in the area. We like biking to Boulton Creek Trading Post for ice cream! For more information, please see my Camping and Activity Guide for Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.
Campsites are first come, first served. Don’t forget to purchase a Kananaskis Conservation Pass before you go!
Takakkaw Falls Campground, Yoho National Park
Takakkaw Falls Campground boasts 35 lovely walk-in sites near the stunning Takakkaw Falls, only a 300 metre walk from the parking lot. There are wheelbarrows you can use to haul your gear to camp. Amenities include a communal fire pit with firewood, cook shelter, water, and outhouses.
Dayhikes from camp include Laughing Falls (8 km round trip) and the Iceline Trail (17-20 km depending on if you go via Celeste Lake or Little Yoho). Hike as much or as little of the Iceline Trail as you wish; it’s stunning!
Campsites are first come, first served. Arrive early in the day, midweek if you can, to get a site. This popular campground fills up fast.
Two Jack Lakeside Campground, Banff National Park
Two Jack Lakeside Campground has 22 walk-in campsites with fire pits. The campground also has showers and a communal fireplace/seating area. If you’re lucky enough to score a spot at this beautiful lake, you can enjoy paddling and hiking by day, and stargazing at night. Nearby hiking trails include C-Level Cirque, Johnson Lake, and Stewart Canyon.
Reserve a campsite on Parks Canada Reservations on reservations launch day for Banff National Park.
Beauvais Lake Provincial Park
Beauvais Lake Provincial Park has 10 secluded walk-in tent sites with lake views across the lake from the main campground. Amenities include a fire pit, bear locker, and picnic table at each site.
Enjoy boating, birding, biking and hiking in this pretty foothills campground near Pincher Creek. Check the park events page for interpretive programs during the summer. Discover fun things to do in our story A Fun Weekend at Beauvais Lake.
Reserve a campsite 90 days in advance at Reserve Alberta Parks.
Lundbreck Falls Provincial Park
Lundbreck Falls campground has 12 walk-in tent sites along the Crowsnest River. Walk to the twin falls, fish for rainbow and cutthroat trout, and go wading in the shallows. Just a few kilometres off Highway 3, this campground makes a nice base camp for exploring Crowsnest Pass! Learn more about this area in our story Camping at Lundbreck Falls.
Book camping now at Reserve Alberta Parks.
Short Backpacking Trips Near Calgary
Elbow Lake, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Elbow Lake is located 1.4 km from the Elbow Pass parking lot. While it’s not technically a walk-in campground, it’s the shortest backcountry trip in Kananaskis so it’s worth including (and visiting) once you have done some walk-in camping and have your gear sorted out.
Things to do: hike to Edworthy Falls or Rae Glacier. Fishing is permitted here, check Alberta Fishing Regulations for details. While bikes are allowed on the trail, it’s a very steep climb up to the campground, so if you’re camping, we recommend hiking in.
Book a campsite at Reserve Alberta Parks. Note that fires are no longer permitted at Elbow Lake Backcountry Campground, and a Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required to park in Kananaskis.
Read about our experience in this story: Backcountry Camping at Elbow Lake.
The Point Backcountry Campground, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
This lovely backcountry campground on Upper Kananaskis Lake feels a world away, but is only a 3.4 km hike! Hike or paddle in (note that this is a large lake that gets big waves, so we don’t recommend paddling in windy weather) and enjoy fishing, hiking around the lake, and stargazing.
Reserve a campsite at Reserve Alberta Parks, and don’t forget to purchase a Kananaskis Conservation Pass. Fires are not permitted here.
Read about our experience in this blog post: Backpacking to The Point Backcountry Campground.
Lake O’Hara, Yoho National Park
While Lake O’Hara is one of the most beautiful places to camp, it’s also one of the most difficult to get a reservation at. With only 30 coveted campsites, you must enter a lottery several months in advance to get a campsite (For 2023 only, sites are reservable on the regular Parks Canada Reservations site. The lottery system will resume in 2024.).
Your camping reservation/backcountry permits include tickets for the bus that will take you 11 km up the bus-only road. From there, it’s a 100 metre walk to the campground. The campground has 2 cook shelters, a communal fire pit, grey water disposal, and food locker for food/dishes/items with a scent (sunscreen, toothpaste, etc.).
Dayhikes suitable for kids include Lake O’Hara Shoreline Trail (2.8 km loop), Lake Oesa (3.2 km one way, 240 m elevation gain), and Opabin Plateau Circuit (5.9 km loop, 250 m elevation gain). Lake McArthur (8 km, 310 m elevation gain), a large turquoise lake, is another fantastic day hike.
Get more information at Parks Canada | Visiting Lake O’Hara. Note: In addition to backcountry permits, you will also need a Parks Canada Discovery Pass.
Lower Elk Lake Campground, Elk Lakes Park, BC
Upper Elk Lake and Petain Falls, Elk Lakes Park, BC
From the BC side, it’s only a 1 km hike to Lower Elk Lake Campground, but it’s a long drive (2 hours from Sparwood). For a shorter drive but longer hike (10 km one way), you can start from Elk Pass Parking Lot, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.
Dayhikes in the area include: Upper Elk Lake (1 km) and breathtaking Petain Falls (3 km one way). There are several more gorgeous trails to explore if you have time!
Campsites are first come, first served, but you need to pre-pay a $5/person/night (ages 6 & up) camping fee at Camping BC Parks.
Tips for Walk-In Camping with Kids
- Keep it short and sweet. If your kids are quite young and don’t sleep well away from home, keep your first trips short: 1 or 2 nights.
- If campsites are reservable, book them as early as possible. Popular spots like Two Jack Lakeside sell out for the entire camping season within minutes. Alberta Parks campsites may be booked 90 days in advance (regular/walk-in sites) or 180 days in advance (backcountry sites). For tips on booking camping, see our story How to Get a Campsite in Alberta.
- Pack as if you are backpacking so you don’t have to go back and forth from the car. Our Fun Family Backpacking story has tips for great trips.
- Ensure you have plenty of clothing appropriate for the weather before bringing “extras”.
- Coolers are not allowed and won’t fit in bear lockers; bring food in a large, waterproof stuff sack to place in a food locker or hang from a bear wire. Bring extra stuff sacks for cookware, dishes, toiletries, and garbage. Remember to pack all trash out!
- Let the kids carry their own jackets, snacks, water bottles, and headlamps.
- If fires are allowed, bring roasting sticks so you can roast marshmallows and hot dogs!
- Consider the distance from parking lot to campground. The distance will determine, most importantly, if you can make it to camp before dark if you plan to arrive Friday after work.
- Leave pets and speakers at home so everyone can enjoy the peace and quiet of the outdoors.
What is your favorite walk-in campground?
Related Posts
- Fun Family Backpacking (tips for great trips!)
- Backpacking to The Point, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
- Backpacking the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail with Kids
- Family Fun at Bow Valley Provincial Park
- Camping at Bow Valley Provincial Park
- Exploring Dinosaur Provincial Park
- Camping at Firerock Campground, Cypress Hills Provincial Park
2 comments
Aww, you rock! What a lucky kid you have!! Backpacking is such an amazing experience at any age, but it's easiest to get kids hooked when they're young, isn't it? I'm happy to hear your daughter still loves it!
Great advice! I did lots of backyard camping with my daughter who is now a seasoned backpacker. I had to pretend some of our early trips were the best ever because one bad experience for your kid could set them back for years. Letting them bring a friend when they are a little older is a good strategy also. Canada is so beautiful! Those sites you suggested are all awesome.
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