Lake Louise Campground, Banff CNP, Canada

[iowahiker]

We spent one week camping at Lake Louise Campground in Banff CNP, Canada, this past July as part of our summer trip to the Canadian Rockies. Lake Louise is around 50 kilometers (this is Canada, get used to it) north of the town of Banff in Banff CNP in the Canadian Rocky Mountains west of Calgary. Lake Louise Campground has two sections, "hard side" and "soft side". Dining and shopping are an easy half kilometer walk north of the campground.

The "hard side" campground has the same layout as a trailer park with each parking pad being shared by two RV's facing opposite directions next to each other. Lake Louise "hard side" campground is very large, has limited hookups and showers, and is very popular with reservations strongly recommended.

We had reservations in Lake Louise "soft side" campground which has a typical national park campground layout, showers, sometimes a few unreserved sites, and is surrounded by an electric fence. Questions we were asked given the unique protective fence included:

Q: Did you see any Grizzly Bears outside the electric fence?
A: Yes.

Q: Can a bear evade the fence?
A: Yes.

Q: Did you see any bears inside of the fence?
A: No.

Q: What should you do if you see a bear inside the fence?
A: Go to the other side of the fence.

Q: Can the electric fence electrocute my pet dog?
A: Yes.

Q: Are dogs required to be leashed at all times?
A: Yes.

Q: Did you see any dogs in violation of the leash requirement?
A: No.

Q: Did you see any dogs electrocuted by the fence?
A: Yes.

Q: Can I charge my truck camper batteries from the electric fence?
A: Yes.

Q: What special equipment is required to charge my truck camper batteries from the electric fence?
A: 80 meters of 8 gauge wire, 20,000 volt-12 volt DC transformer, grounding electrode, $C 250, a valid passport.

Q: Is the electric fence patrolled routinely?
A: Yes.

View of the high country from Lake Louise Village looking west.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks for the info.
Was the park crowded?
Wouldn't think they would allow you to mess with the fence.
Not something I would want to do.
Frank

 

[iowahiker]

Lake Louise proper and Moraine Lake which is on the same road system were very overcrowded. An off season visit would greatly enhance these very scenic areas. The "$C 250 and passport" were meant to indicate the permissibility of battery charging. The avid discussion of electricity on WTW inspired the idea during our entire stay.

 

[JaSAn]

Back when I was doing a lot of mountaineering, I would go up there after Labor Day in September. Much less crowded, although a lot of the tourist stuff was starting to shut down. Most of the time the weather was settled and NO BUGS, with new snow up high and early fall in the valley. In a lot of the popular backcountry areas we didn't see anyone.

jim

 

[Bill D]

This is my backyard playground. I love Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise. I usually visit about 10 times per year.
We typically go in the Spring and the Fall/Winter months to avoid the crowds. We still go during the busy season. There are still plenty of places to go that are amazingly quiet during the high tourist season. I wouldn't let it stop you from going.

We plan to visit again soon ~ mid Dec.

Some of the most majestic scenery has been in the winter time.

 

[iowahiker]

Nice shot. We were usually out of the campground around 8:30 in the morning and had no crowd issues other than going anywhere in the immediate Lake Louise area after 10 am. Afternoons were usually busy but we were returning from our hikes. Lots of no reservation sites were available other than on Friday, Saturday, and holidays. The Park recommended avoiding the town of Banff because of the crowds. Our fourth trip to the Canadian Rockies.

 

[Westisthebest]

I did a hike out there once and started to get of the regular trail. Shortly after I passed a sign telling me to enter at my own risk the trees got really tight and visibility reduced pretty good. Suddenly, I heard loud snorting coming from inside the dark cluster of trees. I don't know what the heck it was but I didn't stick around to find out.

 

[craig333]

Haven't been there since I was ten. It was beautiful then. Need to make it back up that way.