Kananaskis is a major camping destination for families in Calgary, and the choice of campgrounds is wide. There's a concentration of campgrounds at Upper and Lower Kananaskis lakes, some 32km (20 miles) south of Kananaskis Village. A few campgrounds are scattered nearer to Kananaskis Village, around Barrier Lake and Ribbon Creek. For a full-service campground with RV hookups, go to Mount Kidd RV Park (tel. 403/591-7700) just south of the Kananaskis golf course.
Kananaskis Village -- The lodgings in Kananaskis Village were built for the Olympics, and in fact, Kananaskis was the site of the G8 Summit in 2002, so you may well stay in a room once graced by a world leader. There's no more than a stone's throw between the hotels, and to a high degree, public facilities are shared among all the hotels.
Canmore -- About half of the hotel development in Canmore dates from the 1988 Olympics, and the rest dates from -- oh, last week or so. That said, Canmore's steam-rolling growth slowed somewhat in the last couple of years; many buildings originally set up as private condominiums have been shifted to vacation rentals and hotel-type lodging options. To a large degree, this is due to the restrictions on development within the national parks to the west: Hoteliers, outfitters, developers, larger stores, and other businesses designed to serve the needs of park visitors find Canmore, right on the park boundary, a much easier place to locate than Banff. As a result, Canmore is now a destination in its own right.
The main reason to stay in Canmore is the price of hotel rooms. Rates here are between a half and a third lower than in Banff, and the small downtown area is blossoming with interesting shops and good restaurants. Canmore hotels can represent especially good deals on discount hotel websites.
For a complete list of B&Bs, contact the Canmore-Bow Valley B&B Association (P.O. Box 8005, Canmore, AB T1W 2T8; www.bbcanmore.com).
Camping
Kananaskis is a major camping destination for families, and the choice of campgrounds is wide. Of the major parks that comprise Kananaskis, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park has six campgrounds, Kananaskis Valley has one, Spray Valley Provincial Park has two, Highwood/Cataract Creek (farther south, near Mountain View) has five, Elbow River Valley has six, and Sheep River Valley has seven.
There's a concentration of campgrounds at Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes in Peter Lougheed Park, some 32km (20 miles) south of Kananaskis Village. A few campgrounds are scattered nearer to Kananaskis Village, around Barrier Lake and Ribbon Creek. For the more intrepid wilderness seekers, the Lougheed Park campgrounds feel significantly more remote, surrounded by peaks and centered on a long, gorgeous mountain lake; closer to the village, campgrounds feel more civilized -- and, therefore, usually are more crowded.
For a full-service campground with RV hook-ups, go to Mount Kidd RV Park (tel. 403/591-7700; www.mountkiddrv.com), just south of the Kananaskis golf course.
For comprehensive listings of all campgrounds and their specific amenities, go to www.kananaskiscountrycampgrounds.com.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
