If you fancy a last-minute long-weekend camping trip, be prepared to drive
Provincial and Parks Canada sites that can be reserved almost completely booked up for August holiday weekend
If you wanted to go camping for the long weekend and haven't booked ahead, you might not find a spot — at least not an idyllic, lakeside one.
Planning-averse campers can, of course, still try their luck at one of the many first-come, first-served sites in the national and provincial parks.
But as far as reserving a site in the mountians or K-Country, it's probably too late.
Parks Canada's website show its bookable campgrounds in Banff National Park almost fully booked over the August long weekend, including its facilities at Two Jack Lake, Johnson Canyon and Tunnel Mountain.
The townsite campground in Waterton Lakes National Park is also booked up.
The luxury Otentik huts operated by Parks Canada at Banff's Two Jack Lake and at Redstreak Canyon in Kootenay National Park are also fully booked.
The provincial book-ahead campgrounds are also mostly spoken for.
The Alberta Parks website shows that every campground in southern Alberta is booked, from Bow Valley and Lac Des Arcs in the mountains to Boulton Creek and Elkwood in Peter Loughheed Provincial Park, to Writing on Stone Provincial Park in the south and all seven campgrounds in Cypress Hills Provincial Park in the east.
Alberta's many privately-run camping and RV lots could be worth a shot, even this late in the game.
Or, if you're up for a longer drive, here are eight provincial campgrounds still showing a handful of campsites available as of Friday afternoon:
- Kehiwin Provincial Recreation Area (235 km northeast of Edmonton)
- Crimson Lake Provincial Park (230 km north of Calgary)
- Miquelon Lake Provincial Park (310 km northeast of Calgary)
- Vermilion Provincial Park (190 km east of Edmonton)
- Cross Lake Provincial Park (150 km north of Edmonton)
- Thunder Lake Provincial Park (140 km northwest of Edmonton)
- Saskatoon Island Provincial Park (480 km northwest of Edmonton)
- Dunvegan Provincial Park (525 km northwest of Edmonton)
If you do find a spot, be aware that there's a fire ban in effect in Banff, Yoho and Kootenay national parks because of the elevated wildfire risk.
There are also numerous fire bans on provincial lands. Check here for details.
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