Banff Campground Review - The Good, the Bad, and the AWESOME!

We camped in Banff National Park twice over the months of May and June, staying at two different campgrounds near the townsite of Banff.  We also spent a couple of nights in the park close to town last summer at a third campground.  Each campground was VERY different but only one can be the winner in this comparison review.

The Banff Campground Review - The Good, the Bad, and the Awesome

The Bad - Two Jack Main

We camped at Two Jack Main near the town of Banff and had few positive words to say for this campground.  No playground, few amenities, no views from any of the sites, no service or power at sites for RVs, sites that weren't leveled for trailers, and garbage left on our site when we arrived.

Add the fact that people were cooking in the bathrooms,  and I was less than impressed.  Oh, and the mosquitoes!! - which yes, can be bad anywhere, but sure didn't help with an already bad stay.

And, I actually don't have a single photo of the Two Jack Main Campground.  There was nothing to take a photo of.  The photo below is of Two Jack Lake across the road, where there is a better campground.

Paddling across gorgeous Two Jack Lake

In defence of Two Jack Main, there's nothing truly wrong with this campground, and it serves its purpose as a place to sleep in Banff.   It's just that there's nothing awesome about it either.  There's no views from the campground, no lake, no hiking trail or bike trail in the campground itself, and there's honestly just nothing special about it. 

On the bright side, the campground has 349 sites so if you haven't made a reservation and can't get a site anywhere else, there's a good chance you'll at least get into Two Jack Main.  You're also very close to the town of Banff, Two Jack Lake across the road, Lake Minnewanka, and Banff's only beach at Johnson Lake.  If you have to camp here, use your campsite as a base camp and spend your days exploring.  You're still in Banff and it's still one of the most beautiful places in the world. (as soon as you leave camp.)

And also helping redeem this campground,  Parks Canada has set up 32 equipped campsites allowing you to show up and find your tent and basic camping equipment waiting for you at your site.  Check the Parks Canada website at the above link for more information on this fabulous service.

Camp at Two Jack Main and spend the day exploring (photo: Johnson Lake Beach)

The Good - Tunnel Mountain Village

We camped in Tunnel Mt Village II in the town of Banff and it's basically a parking lot for trailers with a few trees behind your site if you're lucky.  You camp on pavement and there's virtually zero privacy from your neighbors.  Somehow though we liked it here.  We had power, we were close to all of the amenities in town (the campground is within 5km of downtown Banff), and we had great mountain biking trails that started right from our campground.

We also met some of the friendliest people we've ever met while camping.  The open feeling of the campground lends itself to getting cozy with your neighbors.  (which is good when you forget the ketchup.)

Tunnel Mt. Village II

Tunnel Mt Village I is an amazing campground though!!  Less of a parking lot for trailers and it feels more natural for tenters or families not requiring a serviced site.  In fact, after camping here, I'd almost move this campground up to the "awesome" rather than the "good."

Natural camping at Tunnel Village I (lots of trees, privacy, shade, and close to amazing  trails)

There's also an actual trailer court campground for those with large RVs up to 50' long and all sites in this campground are fully serviced.

Top reasons to camp at Tunnel Mt Village:

• Serviced sites for those wishing to have power (most campgrounds in Banff are more natural and do not have serviced sites.)
  
  
• Bathrooms with running water, showers, and electricity at all three campgrounds
  
  
• You are within 5 km of downtown Banff from any of the Tunnel Mt campgrounds
  
  
• You are within close proximity to the Banff hostel (with restaurant on site) should you wish to
  eat out rather than cooking
  
  
• The Banff Roam bus has stops beside the campgrounds so that you can go downtown for shopping or dining without having to drive
  
  
• Hiking and biking trails are located right at your doorstep (no driving to access the beautiful trails on the Tunnel Bench)
  
  
• Urban camping at its finest!  Perfect for beginners wanting a few extra comforts or looking to be close to town
  
  
• All three campgrounds in Tunnel mt Village accept reservations in advance
  
  
• There are over 1000 sites in the three campgrounds combined which almost guarantees you'll find a site last minute if you haven't booked. 

Trails like this near the campground are perfect for hiking or biking

**One thing to note when booking a site at Tunnel Mt. Village is that not all sites have fire pits.  If this is important to you, choose your site wisely.  (and there are still no playgrounds - same as Two Jack Main.)

Read more about camping at Tunnel Mountain here: Our New Favourite Campground in Banff 

Biking on the Tunnel Mountain Bench 

The AWESOME - Two Jack Lakeside

The Two Jack Lakeside campground is a paradise of a campground that takes reservations. Unfortunately you'll have to be on the ball in January to get a site here because that's when sites can be booked for the entire summer season. If you didn't make it work this year, put a reminder on your calendar to try for next year.

Paddling on Two Jack Lake - walking distance from all campsites!

This is another campground that is close to the town of Banff and also within close proximity to Lake Minnewanka, Johnson Lake, and great hiking/biking trails.  All campsites are metres away from Two Jack Lake and our site even had a trail leading down to the water.

Paddling on the calm waters of Two Jack Lake in Banff

Another draw for this campground is the O'TENTiks located at the water's edge.  Comfort camping in Banff never got so fine!  Tenters will also love the 23 walk-in tenting sites that sit right beside the shore of Two Jack Lake.  They are some of the best waterfront sites you'll find in the Rockies.

This campground has no services or power for trailers, but the bathrooms do have flush toilets and showers so it isn't completely primitive.

Lack of playground and services aside, the only true downside to this campground is its size.  There are only 64 sites and you'd better believe you'll need a reservation to get a spot here.

O'TENTiks at the Two Jack Lakeside Campground 

Other Banff Campgrounds

I have only covered the campgrounds near the Town of Banff in this review.

For information on camping at Lake Louise or on the Icefields Parkway in Banff, visit the Parks Canada website.

The best bet for finding a campsite outside the Banff Townsite area, is to camp at the Lake Louise (trailer) or Lake Louise Tent Campground  because it is 100% reservable and offers safe camping for tenters inside an electric fence to keep out bears. While the campgrounds at Louise can be busy and crowded, at least you'll be close to awesome hiking and biking trails, lakes to paddle, and scenery that will knock your socks off around every bend.

Hiking at Lake Louise 

For camping on the Icefields Parkway, check out Rampart Creek, which now accepts reservations as of 2019! And if you don't have a reservation, the good news is that the rest of the campgrounds between Lake Louise and Jasper do not take reservations - so show up early and you'll have a chance of getting a site. (and when I say early, I mean 10am.)

Camp on the Icefields Parkway and you can explore sites like this!

Other Recommended Reading 

Summer Planning - Where to Camp in the National Parks of Alberta

Camping Super Guide (with reviews for everywhere we've camped across Alberta and BC!)

Family Guide to Banff National Park - Top Ten Places to Explore with Kids 

Locals Guide to Exploring the Best of Banff and Jasper 

A Family Guide to the Best Adventures on the Icefields Parkway (Lake Louise to Jasper)

The Best Family Bike Trails in Banff National Park 

2020 Campground Reservation Guide for Alberta and BC