In mid-August, my husband and I decided to take off to the mountains for a couple days. We hadn't planned anything in advance so I started searching up first-come-first-serve campsites around the Banff and Kananaskis area. I shortlisted 3 to hit, to guarantee we had a place to sleep on short notice:
Protection Mountain Campground
Monarch Campground (in BC)
Kicking Horse (in BC)
Since I have a Banff National Park Pass, Protection Mountain was the top choice so we didn't have to pay the additional fees. And it worked out!
We arrived around 1:30pm on a Wednesday and there were plenty of campsites available. It's 100% first come first serve, with flush toilets and a dishwashing station. There was an additional $10 fee for a fire permit which included firewood. We didn't see a park attendant during our stay there so we checked ourselves in at the head of the site and picked a spot.
The sites are in an open meadow (no tree cover). It's between two mountain ranges so the views are spectacular on a clear day. It was a bit smoky during our visit. I checked the weather in advance and the first night we were there it was supposed to be clear, so I convinced my husband to leave the tarp off the tent and we snuggled into our sleeping bags and could watch the Milky Way pop out. Stargazing from the tent was the highlight of the trip.
Recap
Pro's of the campground:
Minimal planning required
20 mins drive to Lake Louise, 40 mins to Banff city areas
Stunning meadow and valley views
Flush toilets and running water sinks
There were RV and trailer specific lots
Con's, or reasons this may not suit you:
Without trees around, the spots aren't very private. That's worth considering if you're a noisy bunch, or pick a spot beside a noisy group
There is no cell phone signal
There is no playground for kids on site
The toilets do not get serviced daily
The location was great for us. Here is what we did in our 2.5 days that we spent there:
Visited Lake Louise Tourism Centre for a map, and bought some bear spray
Hiked to Vista Lake
Had a picnic at Lake Minnewanka
Stand-up paddleboarded and hung out at Johnson Lake
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