Icefields camping / RVing?
 

Looks like my tour of the Icefields (should I go) will be supported by an RV, so I am not really certain if it even qualifies as a tour anymore. :)


Even though there is a RV, I think I might still take along my tent.

What are the rules for camping in an RV on the Icefields. Must it be done in an established campground or can it be done, anywhere it is permitted to park the RV overnight?


If it is allowed anywhere then:

What are the rules regarding tent camping alongside the RV. Must it be done in an established campground?

Is it safe to camp outside of established campgrounds? I.E. Could I have a problem with bears?

I can't imagine you can park your RV anywhere, there would be RV's all over the place, and I didn't see that. The campgrounds do fill up in the summer - if you're bike touring, that 's not a problem because they let/help you share sites, with a vehicle that's not the case.

Bears on the Icefileds Parkway? See below. Problem with bears? Hmm, I don't know. Probably less of an issue outside the campgrounds, if that *is* allowed, since the bears must know that the campgrounds are where the food hangs out. The campground at Lake Louise has an electric fence around the whole thing.


http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6817/bearontheroad.jpg

(Ok, yeah, I just replied b/c I wanted to show this picture :))

Be sure to make campground reservations for the RV on the Park Canada site. No problem with setting up a tent too. Food lockers are available at all campgrounds. Take full precautions regarding bears - especially around Lake Louise and along the Bow Valley Parkway.

You must set your RV up at a designated campsite. If you pull into a rest stop or by a river or something, you will be told to move along and you might be fined.

Here is some information about Banff National Park (southern end of the Icefields)
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/index.aspx

And Jasper National Park (northern end of Icefields)
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jasper/index.aspx


If you click on the Visitor Information, and then Where To Stay, you'll find information on where you can stay in the park:
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit3.aspx
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/v...it9b.aspx#camp

Thanks I sort of figured that.

Yeah my buddy said you should be able to park anywhere. I was very skeptical.

Thanks for the links Machka. I will be sure to use them in my research.

Not in a National Park in Canada ... there are fairly strict rules about what you can and cannot do in National Parks. Those links will give you a good idea of the rules, but you'll also be given quite a bit of information when you go into the park and pay for your park pass.