Those intending to camp or travel by RV are well catered to in Alberta. Calgary has a half dozen campgrounds spread around its outskirts, Edmonton has one near downtown, and almost every town, no matter its size, has a municipal campground. These facilities range in price from free to $20 for a tent site and up to $40 with hookups, depending on facilities and location. Often campgrounds in smaller towns are a bargain—it’s not uncommon to pay $20 or less for a site with hookups and hot showers. Except in major cities, reservations aren’t necessary—just roll up and pay the campground host or use the honor box.

Each of Alberta’s national parks has excellent campgrounds. At least one campground in each park has hot showers and full hookups. Prices are $15–37. A percentage of sites in the most popular national park campgrounds can be reserved through the Parks Canada Campground Reservation Service (450/505-8302 or 877/737-3783, www.pccamping.ca) for a nonrefundable $11 reservation fee. If you’re traveling in the height of summer and require electrical hookups, this booking system is highly recommended. The remaining campsites in the national parks operate on a first-come, first-served basis and often fill by midday in July and August. Banff, Jasper, and Waterton Lakes have winter camping but with limited facilities.

Most provincial parks have a campground; prices are $17–38 depending on facilities available. Some have hookups, showers, boat rentals, and occasionally laundry facilities. In national and provincial parks, firewood is supplied, but at a cost. In the national parks, a nightly fire permit costs $8.80, which includes as much wood as you need. Throughout the foothills, campgrounds managed by the Department of Sustainable Resource Development have pit toilets, picnic tables, and a supply of firewood. Most are accessed along the Forestry Trunk Road. These cost $12–15 per night.

Beat the Camping Crowd

Albertans love camping. Every weekend throughout the summer, thousands of folks flee the cities for the great outdoors. National and provincial parks are the most popular destinations. With the vast majority of campsites offered on a first-come, first-served basis, campgrounds fill fast. This isn’t usually a problem during the week, but by lunchtime Friday, eager campers are busy setting up camp for the weekend, and by late afternoon all sites will be filled. The official checkout time in both national and provincial parks is 11 a.m., but plan on arriving earlier than this to secure a site. When campgrounds in Banff and Jasper National Parks as well as Kananaskis Country are full, you’ll be directed to overflow camping areas. These are little more than glorified parking lots, but, hey, it beats working.