10 Days in a Campervan Through the Canadian Rockies

What it actually looks like to road trip Alberta and BC with kids, bad weather, grizzly country, and a very full heart.

Let me be honest with you before we start.

This trip was hard. The weather in early June in the Canadian Rockies is not what the Instagram photos suggest. It rained almost every day. It snowed on us at Moraine Lake. We had a worm in our steak, our propane ran out mid-Mac-and-cheese, our camera stopped working early in the trip, and my 6-year-old's shoe sole fell completely off partway through, in Fernie. We locked ourselves out of the car by accident in Kootenay and paid $400 for roadside assistance to come open the door.

And I would do every single second of it again.

Canada is so staggeringly gorgeous that the weather almost does not matter. The fog rolling in over the mountains is its own kind of dramatic. The empty trails because everyone else stayed home are their own kind of gift. And here is something I genuinely did not understand before this trip: I do not know how people do Canada without a campervan. Driving back to a budget hotel every night while all of this beauty exists right outside your window seems like such a missed opportunity. The campervan IS the budget hack. Your accommodation moves with you. You cook your own food. You wake up inside a national park. You pull over whenever something stops you in your tracks, which in Canada is approximately every 15-20 minutes.

We are a family of five. I do a lot of travel as a solo mama and I took my daughter Raya who is 11 and my son Hasan who is 6 this time around. My friend and her two kids joined us in a second van from North Campervans for the first half of the trip, through Radium, before heading home. From Fernie onward it was just the three of us.

Before we left, I will be honest that I was a little nervous about grizzly country. What I learned when we picked up the van changed my whole perspective: the bears in the Canadian Rockies are so healthy and well-fed that they simply do not associate humans or cars with food. We saw two black bears on the way into Kootenay National Park. Hadia spotted a grizzly on the roadside as she was leaving. We saw elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. All of it felt like a privilege.

Two provinces. Here is everything we found along the way, roughly in the order we found it.

We flew into Calgary, which is the closest airport to Banff and the natural starting point for this loop. We found really cheap deals flying WestJet. Once we were on the plane I was genuinely surprised by how nice it was. Clean, spacious, charging ports at every seat. I would absolutely fly WestJet again.

We booked one night at the Doubletree by Hilton Calgary North near the airport to get settled before starting the van adventure the next morning.

The Route at a Glance

Calgary - Banff - Yoho - Kootenay - Radium - Columbia Valley - Wasa Lake - Fernie - Crowsnest Pass - Kananaskis - Drumheller - Chestermere - Calgary

This is a complete southern Canadian Rockies loop and it is genuinely one of the best road trip routes in North America. Treat the pacing below as a starting point rather than gospel, we will flag where we would slow down if we did this again.

Calgary and Banff

We picked up the van at 8 AM from North Campervans in Rocky View County just east of Calgary. After breakfast at Queens Breakfast Cocktails which was the perfect bougie breakfast to enjoy before we hit Walmart for a grocery stock-up and made our first stop at Nose Hill Park on the northwest edge of Calgary. Nose hill is such a beautiful park with rolling green hills overlooking Calgary and was the perfect stop to stretch and take in those views before heading towards the rockies.

Then Highway 1 west toward Canmore. Do not treat Canmore as just a gateway town to Banff. The downtown is genuinely charming and the Three Sisters mountain views from Policeman's Creek Boardwalk are among the most dramatic of the whole trip. I'm not going to lie, I almost liked Canmore more than i did Banff. It has fewer crowds and honestly I couldn't get over the view of the Three Sisters and I loved that walking in downtown was just a lot calmer and you really are surrounded by mountain views from every spot.

We ended up at Tunnel Mountain Village, Site E13, just minutes from Banff downtown. We drove over to the Cave and Basin Historic Site, the birthplace of Canada's national parks system. Then downtown Banff at night with BeaverTails in hand, kids running ahead on Banff Avenue. It is touristy and it is worth every second of it but I'd say try and spend more time in Canmore it really is special.

Moraine Lake and Lake Louise came next. Vehicles are no longer allowed into Moraine Lake. You must take a shuttle.

I genuinely recommend booking through Moraine Lake Bus Company. You can use my affiliate link here: morainelakebus.com. Book the Moraine Lake shuttle for the Rockpile hike, and visit Lake Louise separately on your own time, after 7 PM when the tours slow down.

We ended that stretch in Banff at Anejos for Mexican food, and then the Banff Upper Hot Springs to warm back up. Fair warning: it was crowded and smaller than expected and I highly recommend another hot spring so be sure to keep reading.

Yoho National Park

This park was my absolute favourite national park of the entire trip.

Banff is iconic and it deserves every bit of its reputation, but Yoho is something different. Think Banff without the crowds and with even more dramatic falls and rivers and raw mountain power. I was crying at the sights and truly couldn't believe that this wasn't on my radar. Yoho is the park I am coming back for, and next time I am giving it far more than just a couple of days .

We made it to Natural Bridge, Wapta Falls, and Emerald Lake. Takakkaw Falls and Laughing Falls were both closed until mid-June. We settled into Kicking Horse Campground, Site 15, right by the river and I can't recommend this campground enough! Nestled and surrounded by lush greenery and mountain scenery, waterfalls and right behind it is the Kicking Horse River. Such a special place and I am already yearning to go back and at least spend a week here.

Kootenay National Park and Radium Hot Springs

In Golden on the way to kootenay and radium we made a stop here to do some laundry, stocked up on groceries, and grabbed 7-Eleven hot dogs for the road. Golden itself is a beautiful historic mountain town worth a proper walk and in general a great place to stop and stock up before continuing the roadtrip.

We arrived in Radium and drove straight up to Redstreak Campground. The Radium Hot Springs that evening were one of the most beautiful things we did on the entire trip with two pools, one big cool pool and one hot one, canyon walls rising on both sides. The hot pool isn't so hot it's uncomfortable, it's just perfect, and it barely has any people compared to the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Single entry family rate is around $56 for up to five people, and you get to watch bighorn sheep and mountain goats while you soak. Do not skip this one.

The next morning we headed into Kootenay National Park, which begins right past the Radium entrance. First stop was Olive Lake, a five-minute walk off the road and absolutely not to be missed an olive-green, crystal-clear lake with no crowds, just the water and the silence. Just a short drive on is Marble Canyon, a half-mile round-trip hike to one of the most gorgeous canyons I have ever seen, with a mountain backdrop like no other. The Paint Pots trail and the Continental Divide are not to be missed either. The Paint Pots are genuinely otherworldly, ochre-coloured pools sitting in a flat clearing as if placed there deliberately.

This is also where things went sideways. We stopped for a break at the Simpson River, and my daughter Raya didn't want to get out in the rain. While I was on the bridge she climbed out to grab a sandwich and locked the keys inside with all the windows up. There was no cell service, but thankfully there was an emergency roadside phone. Roadside assistance quoted us $400 CAD (closer to $285 USD, I later realized) and we had no choice but to pay. A sweet couple from Germany pulled over and stayed with us in the freezing rain until they were certain we were okay with the kids, and my friend was there so we could stay warm in the other van while we waited. About an hour later the technician arrived and had the door open in five minutes. Once it was sorted, we carried on hiking and exploring, and ended the day with another soak at Radium Hot Springs as the rain came down. I am still grateful for those German strangers every time I think about it.

The next morning Hadia was leaving to drive back to Calgary for her flight home to California. We spent a slow morning together in Radium, visited the visitor center and the candy store, and said our goodbyes. These are the moments that catch you off guard on a group trip, someone leaves midway and suddenly the dynamic shifts and the road ahead is just yours.

At the visitor centre we learned about the local wildlife: there is a grizzly known as the Boss who weighs 700 to 800 pounds and whose offspring account for an estimated 80 to 90 percent of all grizzlies in the Banff and Kootenay region. He occasionally walks right into the streets of Banff. Radium itself is most famous for the bighorn sheep, and they were everywhere.

Columbia Valley, Wasa Lake, and Fernie

We started our drive south from Radium through the Columbia Valley and it is one of the most underrated drives in British Columbia. Wide open valley floor, Purcell Mountains to the west, the Rockies to the east, barely any traffic. About half an hour south we found the Hoodoo Trail, a two-hour uphill hike to the top overlooking Columbia Lake. Getting to the top with the whole valley opening up on both sides was one of the quieter, more beautiful moments of the whole trip.

Fort Steele Heritage Town was closed on Wednesdays, and we arrived on a Wednesday. Check before you go, it is a fully restored 1890s boomtown with costumed interpreters and working steam engines. We will be back.

Wasa Lake was a complete surprise. Horseshoe Beach, crystal clear water, genuinely warm for early June in British Columbia, and barely a person around. Sometimes you just need a warm lake and some rocks to throw, and Wasa Lake gave us exactly that. This is exactly the kind of place we would have lingered at longer with a slower pace.

Fernie is genuinely underrated. We stayed at Mount Fernie Provincial Park in Site 7. Rotary Park playground has the most spectacular mountain backdrop of any playground we have ever seen. Happy Cow Homemade Ice Cream is mandatory. The Fernie Aquatic Centre is $6 per person and a lifesaver on a rainy day. Big Bang Bagels for breakfast is a complete must. Fernie alone could easily fill two full unhurried days.

Hasan's shoe sole gave up entirely on the way out of Fernie. We found Merrell hiking shoes at Red Apple for $20, and came across the world's largest truck in Sparwood, which the kids rated as a top-five attraction of the entire trip. Sometimes the detour is the story.

For the full guide to this stretch read our complete post: The Southern Canadian Rockies Loop Nobody Tells You About

Crowsnest Pass: Frank Slide and Chinook Lake

Eight kilometres off Highway 3 near Coleman sits Chinook Lake, one of the best discoveries of the whole trip. We were the only people there. Crystal clear mountain water, a short trail around the lake, marshy areas full of tiny frogs, and hidden falls at the end if you follow the stream. The kind of place that makes you feel like you found something nobody else knows about.

On the way north toward Kananaskis we took Highway 22, the Cowboy Trail, scenic prairie and foothills driving with the mountains to the west. Stop at the Longview Jerky Shop, a classic Alberta institution. We grabbed multiple flavours and do not regret a single one.

Frank Slide stopped us completely. In 1903 at 4:10 in the morning, 110 million tonnes of limestone broke off Turtle Mountain and buried the mining town of Frank in 90 seconds. About 90 people were killed. The highway runs right through the debris field, you are literally driving between boulders the size of houses. We did the short trail through the actual debris field and the kids were in complete awe. This is exactly the kind of place that makes history real in a way no classroom ever could. A genuine worldschooling moment.

Driving into Kananaskis on Highway 40, we came across stuffed animals and toys tied to the fences along the roadside. We learned that these are a memorial for the Indigenous children who lost their lives in Canada's residential school system. It stopped the conversation in the van. Canada holds its history honestly, even when it is painful, and I respect that deeply.

Kananaskis

The drive into Kananaskis was probably the most dramatic mountain road of the entire trip, the peaks intensifying the further you go in. Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes are extraordinary, the upper lake especially, with a mountain backdrop so large in scale it is almost hard to look at.

We stopped at the Peter Lougheed Visitor Centre, which is genuinely more museum than visitor centre, interactive and beautifully done. We ended up at Mount Kidd RV Park, Site 42, where a full storm hit and we ate dinner inside the van watching lightning move across the mountains. We finished a later evening at the lodge making s'mores by the fire, which after so many rainy days felt like the most luxurious thing in the world.

The next morning was completely fogged in. No mountains visible, no trails accessible. We made the call to leave and head to Drumheller. It was the right decision, and also a good reminder that Kananaskis deserves more cushion in the schedule than we gave it, since weather here can turn a planned hiking day into a driving day with zero notice.

Drumheller

We drove northeast past Calgary into the Alberta Badlands and it genuinely felt like arriving on another planet. Same province. Completely different world. Drumheller gets its own full post because it deserves it. The Royal Tyrrell Museum. The Bleriot Ferry. Horsethief Canyon and Orkney Hill. The Hoodoos. The Atlas Coal Mine train. The 11 Bridges of Rosedale. And the steak dinner with the worm in it, the propane running out, and sushi in the middle of the prairies.

Read the full post: We Almost Skipped Drumheller: Here is Why That Would Have Been a Huge Mistake

Horseshoe Canyon and Chestermere

Our last morning started at Horseshoe Canyon, about 15 minutes out of Drumheller. You walk right down into it, similar to the Grand Canyon but on a smaller, more intimate scale. The walls are striped grey, red, and black, each colour a different chapter of geological history. A perfect goodbye to the badlands.

Then Chestermere, a small lake town just east of Calgary that we almost drove past and did not. Warm weather, a gorgeous lake, the Lakeside Trail, and the Chestermere Library which sits right on the lake and is one of the nicest libraries any of us had ever walked into. We returned the van the next morning and caught our flight home.

What I Am Coming Back For

This trip was an introduction to Canada, not a finished list, and I mean that in the best possible way. We scratched the surface of something enormous and beautiful and I already know exactly what I am coming back for.

Yoho: My absolute favourite park of the trip and we barely did it justice. Laughing Falls, Takakkaw Falls, more trails, more time. Yoho deserves three or four full days minimum.

Kananaskis: King Creek Ridge, Pocaterra, Tent Ridge. All sitting right there behind a wall of fog and rain. I am not letting those go.

Jasper and the Icefields Parkway: Still on the list. Athabasca Falls, Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, the Columbia Icefield. One of the most famous drives in the world and it is still ahead of me.

My honest recommendation based on this trip: if you can, give yourself more than 10 days, and come back in late June rather than early June. The weather is more stable, higher elevation trails are open, and snowmelt means waterfalls are spectacular. Canada is enormous and generous and it keeps giving. This will not be the last time.

What You Need to Know Before You Go

On the pace: We covered a lot of ground in 10 days, and looking back, it was ambitious. Treat everything above as an introduction to the southern Rockies rather than a strict blueprint to replicate exactly. If we did this again, we would slow down, give Yoho and Kananaskis more breathing room, and consider cutting a stop to do the rest properly. Think of this as a taste of the region, and plan to come back hungry for more.

On campsite bookings: Download the Parks Canada app. That said, you can absolutely wing it and show up at sites hoping for last-minute availability, which there usually is. Have a backup plan and you will be fine.

Getting to Moraine Lake: Book your shuttle in advance through Moraine Lake Bus Company. Remember you CAN drive to Lake Louise after 7 PM, which is magical with June sunsets around 10:30 PM.

On the weather: Early June means cold, rain, and sometimes snow above elevation. Pack layers you actually trust. The moody weather creates extraordinary photos and empty trails.

On the bears: The ecosystem here is healthy. Bears are well-fed and do not associate humans with food as long as everything is secured inside your vehicle with windows up. Fundamentally different from Yosemite.

On the campervan: I genuinely do not understand how families do Canada any other way on a budget. The campervan is the hotel, the kitchen, and the view, all at once. You wake up inside the national park instead of driving back to it, you cook your own food, and you move when you want to. We rented ours through North Campervans, and after living in their van for 10 days I cannot recommend them enough. The conversion itself is genuinely well thought out: every inch of space is used intentionally, the bed setup was comfortable for me and both kids, the kitchen had everything we actually needed to cook real meals on the road, and the storage made packing and unpacking each morning feel easy instead of like a chore. It held up through constant rain, one car lockout, a worm-in-the-steak dinner disaster, and hundreds of miles of mountain roads without a single issue. But honestly, what made the biggest difference was the people behind it. Jennifer helped me build this entire itinerary from scratch, flagged hikes that were too far from where we were actually camping, talked me through campground strategy when I had no idea where to start, and stayed flexible and easy to reach when our plans shifted mid-trip because of weather. That kind of responsiveness is rare, and it turned this from a rental into a genuine partnership. If you are even considering a campervan trip through the Canadian Rockies, book with North Campervans. I would do it again without hesitation.

On Fort Steele: Closed Wednesdays. Do not make our mistake.

Best time to visit: Late June for better weather and open trails. Early June for smaller crowds and lower prices. Both are worth it for different reasons.

I picked up a campervan with my two kids and drove through one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Here is what I know now: Canada is worth every complicated, rainy, shoe-falling-off, worm-in-the-steak, propane-running-out, keys-locked-in-the-car moment of it. The mountains are incomprehensible in person. The wildlife is thriving. The people are kind. And the best moments of this whole trip were the ones that were not on any itinerary at all.

Go. Take your kids. Take the campervan. Just give yourselves a little more time than we did, and do not wait for perfect weather, because perfect weather is not coming and it turns out you do not need it.

This country will take your breath away regardless.

This trip was made possible in part by North Campervans (@northcampervans), who provided our van for the journey. All opinions, rain-soaked moments, and worm-related dinner disasters are entirely our own.