Welcome to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Lorraine and I love this park! The park is close to calgary only 90km away along Hwy 40 the Kananaskis Trail. Which is a beautiful drive amongst the foothills and mountains of the park. You must drive to the end of this hwy and turn left before you pass the wildlife gates and enter the Highwood Pass.
There are so many reasons to love this park, this photo is one of them. The park offers incredible photo opportunities if you look for them, and it is not hard to look. This park boasts 5 RV friendly campgrounds,two of which have power. There are also two group areas, A Walk-in campground, a special needs lodge, and a warming hut in the area. There is also numerous backcountry camping areas that make this a real outdoor enthusiasts dream park.
It is almost inevitable that as you enter the park you will encounter one of the most visible members of the park the Big Horn Sheep. They are numerous and roam the park. They like to graze around the roads enjoying the salt from the winter thaw. they are pretty oblivious to RV traffic and will stand around and offer up a photo op for those willing to stop.
I caught this big old Ram trotting over to his harem as the RV traffic was building up, and everyone came out cameras a clicking.
As i said earlier there are five RV friendly campgrounds. Three of them Bolton, Elkwood and Lower Lake can be reserved online at Alberta Parks. Bolton an Elkwood are the powered campgrounds while Interlakes and Canyon are rustic and are first come first serve.
The road system through the park and the campgrounds are exceptional for a mountain park. Roads are paved and there is good clearances for the biggest of rigs. We prefer to visit the rustic sites with out power like Intelakes or Lower Lake campgrounds. Canyon is also rustic and has nice sites, but it is usually closed except in high season.
This particular site was at Interlakes, We got lucky with this site as it is popular; because it faces the Lower Kananaskis lake, and provides stunning views. So we planted our flag and once again setup our camp.
As you can see here this site has a long driveway. Our 26′ RV and toad fit on the site with room to spare, and we still had a great pitch for bocce ball.
Stunning views, and we would have this to wake up to for five days. As the campgrounds are in the mountains you need to bring appropriate clothing. Layers and clothes for all types of weather is recommended.
Being able to have your morning coffee and baileys and look out upon this magnificent view of the lake is just a wonder to behold. Out here with no access to the often overwhelming pace of the city, this park can refresh your soul.
This was a great site to spread out on, and had a fire pit facing the lake. We had just gotten new recliner chairs and we were dying to try them out and lounge in front of the lake and enjoy Nature TV.
Another trip into the area finds us at Lower lake. This particular site is down by the lake but with heavier tree cover. The trees are in front of the lake so the view from your picnic table is not like it was at Interlakes. In fact that tree cover comes in handy as the winds can blow heavy into this particular site and the trees help to break it up.
Time to set up camp, as soon as you stop taking pictures! Here Lorraine waits patiently for me to stop futzing around and setup the canopies. As you can see the tree cover in front of the lake is almost view stopping.
Done! up in a minute and now a dry place to eat and enjoy our stay. Dry and protected should a rain shower appear.
Life does not get any better than this! Sun and time to snooze after all that hard work setting up camp.
Wildlife. There is an abundance of wildlife within the park including grizzlies. I have often encountered grizzlies while camping in this park. They are particularly active in spring and fall and can visit the campgrounds and cause havoc and mayhem. So it is always wise to practice safe bear practices at all times in this park. Keep a clean campsite and have bear spray with you.
The picture shows a little friend of mine, a Grey Jay. They are predominant throughout the park and often visit campsites looking for handouts. The ones I have encountered in the park are rather tame as they will take handouts directly from your hand, or food from your table while you are sitting there.
If mountains are your thing then this is the place for you. Interlakes and Lower lake campgrounds are surrounded by mountains on all sides and offer spectacular views of their peaks on clear days. Almost any where in the campground you can see these sleepy giants.
Believe it or not there is another lake nestled in that skyline. The upper Kananaskis Lake is a short hike from the interlakes campground which is across the lower lake in this picture. It offers a wonderful hike around its circumference navigating the base of the mountains. The upper lake hike is certainly a day hike so make sure you take extra gear and food with you before you set out.
Both upper and lower Kananaskis lakes are affected by seasonal runoff and contribute to hydroelectric power generation in the area. In the early spring the lakes are almost empty, but fill up by July.
Well with the campsite setup and the sight seeing over, it is time for me to kick back and have a coffee and enjoy the fruits of my labours. I leave you with this lovely picture from a site at the Interlakes campground. The light was right that the lake water in this bay turned emerald green.
Happy Trails
The Glampurs
Nuts & Bolts:
Peter Lougheed Provincial park is an exceptional place to bring your rig and your family. With adventure at every corner you could not wish for a more magical back country experience. With five RV friendly campgrounds to choose from almost any camping experience can be found with in the park. The rustic campgrounds Interlakes, Lower lake and Canyon will cost you $26 / night. Bolton and Elkwood the powered campgrounds will cost you $40/night for 30amp service. firewood can be purchased from the campground hosts at all campgrounds. The roads in all campgrounds are well maintained and can fit big rigs without issues. No worrying about tight turns or pot holes here. There is no cell service with in the park, not even a cell booster can pick up a signal. The closest place to gain cell service is back at Wedge Pond on Hwy 40, which is a 20 – 30min drive from either Interlakes or Lower Lake. There is potable water and sani-dump service at the Canyon dump station. which is approx 8km from the parks main entrance next to the Canyon campground.