Best Jasper Campground
Aug 13th, 2017, 07:59 AM
#1
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Best Jasper Campground
I see that there are a number of campgrounds around Jasper. We travel in a camping van with all amenities, and appreciate picturesque campsites, possibly with a mountain or river view. Any suggestions?
Aug 14th, 2017, 09:20 AM
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I think all of the Jasper campsites are beautiful - just by virtue of being in the beautiful scenic area. We've stayed at Whistler's a couple of times. We liked it because we were able to walk into the townsite and access hiking trails right from there so there was no need to drive our big rig into town.
Aug 14th, 2017, 09:47 AM
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When are you coming?
How big is your van?
Timing is a big factor because the bookable campgrounds (Whistlers, Wapiti, Wabasso and Pocohontas) are quite booked up through mid-September. Especially on weekends and holidays, it could be tricky to find a spot.
There are first come, first serve campgrounds, but they tend to be farther from the townsites. And generally cater to a total length under 27ft. Snaring, which is about 20-25 minutes from Jasper gets good reviews.
If your trip is this summer/September, then you need to book ASAP and be flexible. If you opt to go with FCFS, I would try to arrive Sun through Thurs and be willing to give up "tourist time" to find an available spot early in the day.
Most campgrounds have some views - and you can't have a view in the Rockies without a mountain being in it! However, it's a trade off - the more views you have, the less privacy. I tend to prefer campgrounds where the sites have trees between them so you have a buffer between you and other sites. But that means no or few views.
None of the big campgrounds will have a river view per se - think they tend to try and avoid campgrounds right on rivers/lakes to avoid pollution issues and conflicts with the wildlife who use the waterbodies for food/drinking etc. I think that Snaring might be near the river/creek and some of the smaller campgrounds may be near a river or creek.
How big is your van?
Timing is a big factor because the bookable campgrounds (Whistlers, Wapiti, Wabasso and Pocohontas) are quite booked up through mid-September. Especially on weekends and holidays, it could be tricky to find a spot.
There are first come, first serve campgrounds, but they tend to be farther from the townsites. And generally cater to a total length under 27ft. Snaring, which is about 20-25 minutes from Jasper gets good reviews.
If your trip is this summer/September, then you need to book ASAP and be flexible. If you opt to go with FCFS, I would try to arrive Sun through Thurs and be willing to give up "tourist time" to find an available spot early in the day.
Most campgrounds have some views - and you can't have a view in the Rockies without a mountain being in it! However, it's a trade off - the more views you have, the less privacy. I tend to prefer campgrounds where the sites have trees between them so you have a buffer between you and other sites. But that means no or few views.
None of the big campgrounds will have a river view per se - think they tend to try and avoid campgrounds right on rivers/lakes to avoid pollution issues and conflicts with the wildlife who use the waterbodies for food/drinking etc. I think that Snaring might be near the river/creek and some of the smaller campgrounds may be near a river or creek.
Aug 14th, 2017, 11:53 AM
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Good info. Thank you so much! I can't seem to find an online map of either Whistler or Wapiti on which the sites are numbered. Perhaps one cannot reserve by site #. Could you possibly send a link with numbered campsites if such a map exists? We will arrive in a small van on Oct. 2. The remark about privacy versus a view gave me something to think about! Here in Minnesota, we have our favorite private sites at all the state parks we visit regularly!
Aug 15th, 2017, 09:20 AM
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There are detailed online maps if you go the booking site on Parks Canada's wensite. You can see the details for each site, and sometimes even a photo of the campsite.
https://reservation.pc.gc.ca/ParksCanada
October 2nd is towards the end of the season - many campgrounds close at the end of that week and some first-come first serve sites will be shut by then. But probably not nearly as crowded.
Hard to predict now, but it's entirely possible to get snow and quite chilly temps by then - be prepared for overnight temps that could dip below freezing.
https://reservation.pc.gc.ca/ParksCanada
October 2nd is towards the end of the season - many campgrounds close at the end of that week and some first-come first serve sites will be shut by then. But probably not nearly as crowded.
Hard to predict now, but it's entirely possible to get snow and quite chilly temps by then - be prepared for overnight temps that could dip below freezing.
