Private Campgrounds Alberta – Our Top 14 Picks for 2023

Last updated on September 23rd, 2023 at 05:29 am

Camping season in Canada starts as the weather starts warming. However, most people like to camp in July. Yet there are some private campgrounds Albertans can count on for even pre-summer camping.

We’ll enlist some of the most attractive and joyful sites among Alberta’s many camping sites. These sites will fill your hearts with felicity and satisfaction, and you will eagerly wait for your next summer trip to experience a captivating stay in mother nature.

Note: To make your camping trip most comfortable, you can pick one of the tents from our Coleman 8 person tent review.

So, before any delays, let’s explore some of the best private camping sites in Alberta.

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Best Private Campgrounds in Alberta: Top 14 Picks

We have developed a list of the best private campgrounds Alberta’s geography can offer. For your ease, we have chosen the best from each city so that you may enjoy your trip to the nearest campsite.

These are the best campgrounds we’ve picked for review.

Private Campgrounds Southern Alberta

Calaway Park Campground
Bow RiversEdge Campground
Aspen Crossing Campground

Private Campgrounds Northern Alberta

Pine Lake Campground
Entwistle RV Campground
Big Fish Bay RV Resort
Harmon Valley Park and Campground

Private Campgrounds in Central Alberta

Lakeview Campground
Canyon Creek Golf Course and Camping
Crescent Falls Provincial Recreation Area

Private Campgrounds Jasper Alberta

Pocahontas Campground
Whistlers Campground Jasper
Honeymoon Lake Campground Jasper
Jasper Gates Resort and RV

1. Calaway Park Campground – The Most Scenic Private Campgrounds Alberta

Calaway Park Campground is Western Canada’s largest natural family adventure park. It is a great place to have fun and relax. The Rocky Mountains provide a beautiful backdrop when you walk into the park. There are unlimited rides, entertainment, live Calaway performances, and street performers like traditional wooden walkers, jugglers, and jokers.

Additionally, there is plenty of free parking available. With 104 camping and RV spots and 32 rides, it’s easy to see why families choose this campsite. The campsite has a wide range of prices, from $32 per night to a $200 “stay and play” package.

2. Bow RiversEdge Campground

Consider staying at Bow RiversEdge Campground if you want to spend your time at one of the best private campgrounds Alberta offers in its southern regions. It’s not far from the center of Cochrane, where you can find many shops, restaurants, and other services.

Because the campground is next to the Bow River, it is an excellent place for fishing, biking, running, and swimming. Moreover, the Glenmore Ranch Provincial Park has many things to do and is only fifteen minutes east of the campsite.

This campground has full hookups, 30 and 50-amp electricity, hot showers, laundry facilities, a playground, and access to the Internet. The Bow RiversRidge Campground costs at least $50 per night.

3. Aspen Crossing Campground

All of Alberta’s best qualities come from its residents themselves. Although the original acreage dates back over a century, the Aspen Crossing Railway still has the same energy today. There are numerous tourist attractions. Yet, if you’re looking for a convenient campground in Calgary, Alberta, Aspen Crossing is the best. Highway 24 is 1 km west of Mossleigh and 45 minutes southeast of Calgary.

The 120 large campsites are well-marked and straightforward to find. Also, Alberta’s long history and varied landscapes make it a beautiful place to travel by train.

You can go on 14 trips on a full-size train, such as The Train of Terror, Canada’s first full-size moving railway haunt, and The Polar Express. You will get a fascinating train ride with a classic dining car, a big rig-friendly campsite, and gorgeous caboose cabins.

It’s a peaceful haven in the grassland where people may gather together again. The goal of Aspen Crossing is to help people have the kind of experiences that last a lifetime. There are also modern restrooms, showers, and a laundry facility.

So, this place has everything you could want: great shows, educational exhibits, delicious food, unique shops, challenging escape rooms, and beautiful campgrounds.

4. Pine Lake Campground

Pine Lake Campground is the most picturesque place for family camping if you want to be close to Athens and the University of Georgia. The campground is open all year and has spots for RVs with full hookups and cabins.

Pine Lake is a beautiful place to go camping. It has all the comforts of home and more, making it an excellent place for people who want a memorable outdoor adventure. Guests can enjoy the peaceful, natural surroundings and the many large, flat, shaded campsites.

Moreover, Pine Lake also has a lot of other amenities to offer, like clean, roomy bathrooms, wireless Internet, laundry, a pier for fishing and watching animals, and more. In a nutshell, the campsite has everything you need to have a relaxing and fun time.

5. Entwistle RV Campground

Entwistle RV Campground is an excellent place for people who like camping and adventure. It is in the middle of Alberta and close to the historical sites of Entwistle and Evansburg, which are both in the beautiful Pembina River canyon. Entwistle RV Campground is near the Pembina River, making it easy for many campers to get there. Between the trees, group plots can hold anywhere from three to five separate homes.

Moreover, each single and double campsite is quiet and surrounded by tall trees, making it a great place to rest after a long day. The price of camping at this location includes firewood, water, flush toilets, pit toilets, hiking trails, a children’s play area, the Storybook track, a golf arena, crests, and other outdoor activities.

You can do some things in the area, like river tubing, playing golf, going to the farmer’s market, and going to yearly events like the Entwistle Rodeo.

6. Big Fish Bay RV Resort – Natural Private Campgrounds Alberta

The Big Fish Bay RV Resort is on the southeast bank of Lesser Slave Lake, just outside of Slave Lake. It has full-service lakeside spots, camping sites, cottages, and group camping spots. Its convenient geography makes it easy to get to a wide range of services and entertainment options.

The resort offers all the essential facilities for recreational trips with friends and family. For instance, you can enjoy Mother Nature by fishing, swimming, and camping with your family near the beautiful Lesser Slave Lake. The Big Fish Bay RV Resort also offers sandy beaches for camping, bonfires, and family reunions.

You’ll get quality food with other basic facilities, including flush toilets, a shower house, electricity, cellular internet service, and playgrounds for children. So, Big Fish Bay RV Resort is one of the best private campgrounds in Alberta.

Big Fish Bay RV Resort – Natural Private Campgrounds Alberta

7. Harmon Valley Park and Campground

Situating approximately 36 km southeast of Peace River, this is one of the cleanest Private Campgrounds Albertans can have in the vicinity. The pollution-free grounds and clear sky make it one of the most popular private campgrounds in Northern Alberta.

Harmon Valley Park is a perfect place for star gazing in the summer because there isn’t much light pollution. This campground is an excellent place to camp if you want to look at the stars and see the northern lights. There are 17 primitive campsites with firewood, fresh water, pit toilets, hiking trails, playgrounds, dining shelters, and horseshoe pits. This campsite has what you need if you want peace on your trip.

While if you like to cross-country ski, Harmon Valley Park has several well-groomed trails that you can use all winter. Snowshoers can use the area around the groomed ski trails. Some campsites and the parking lot are clear of snow all winter, so skiers and snowshoers can come to enjoy a campfire and some snacks after a day of skiing or snowshoeing. In the winter, the sky in northwest Alberta is so dark that you may be able to see stars more clearly.

This beautiful campsite only costs $10 per night, so you’ll not be running out of money

8. Lakeview Campground

Lakeview is a private campground in Central Alberta, having large, flat sites that can fit RVs and campers of any size. You can choose between sites with no service and complete connections (electricity, water, and sewer). There is a Sani-Dumps station at the campsite where you can dump your gray and black water.

There are beaches, boat ramps, playgrounds, baseball fields, and showers for campers to use. Some paths lead to Brewers Campground, where people can stay and enjoy hot and cold drinks, snacks, and meals at Ripples Concession.

In addition to a small lending library of books and puzzles, the shop at the park also sells ice cream novelty items and other snack items for the customers to enjoy on hot days or when it rains.

Additionally, security is on the premises, and the personnel is kind and welcoming. You may have a pleasant camping experience at Lakeview.

9. Canyon Creek Golf Course and Camping – The Most Captivating Private Campgrounds Alberta

People who like the scenery and camping will like this large, quiet campsite. The Canyon Creek Golf Course and Camping have grounds between two ravines, giving them a beautiful view of the wilderness. Each site is set up close to the course and other amenities.

Canyon Creek is a great place to play golf, whether you’re a beginner or a pro. Each hole has three sets of tees at different levels, so golfers of all levels can play on the course together. During its 2877 yards, the race goes through steep gorges with thick trees and several notable changes in elevation.

The course’s great hills and water hazards will force you to use each ball in your kit strategically. This makes the course most interesting for golf lovers.

There are 87 plots to choose from, many of which come with electricity and running water. Some of the sites have pull-throughs and 50-amp hookups. Moreover, you will get all the basic amenities, including pump water, restrooms, food stalls, Internet, and much more. The meager pricing is the icing on the cake.

10. Crescent Falls Provincial Recreation Area, Alberta

The Crescent Falls Campground is 22 kilometers west of Nordegg on Highway 11 and another 6 kilometers north on a gravel road. This beautiful campsite has both tent-only sites and sites for horses. Trees cover the grounds so beautifully that they can overwhelm you with joy. The Bighorn Gorge Lookout is at the end of a 2.5 km hike. From there, you can see Crescent Falls and the Bighorn River Valley.

If you wish to trek and view and explore more of the prettiness along the around 3 km trekking route, you may stop your car after a short drive on the paved road at the initial viewpoint. You can also go around the campsite and the lower two waterfalls, or drive straight to the top one.

Also, the Picnic tables beside the creek are the best spots to dine with friends and family. Immediately before the two waterfalls, a path will take you from the upper falls to the lower ones and let you experience the unforgettable camping experience of your life.

For its bewitching waterfalls, scenic views, and peaceful environment, the Crescent Falls Provincial Recreation area is among the best private Alberta campgrounds.

11. Pocahontas Campground Alberta

Situated at 45kms north of Jasper on Highway number 16, Pocahontas Campground is the most beautiful Private campgrounds Jasper Albertan can have in the outskirts.

This campground has 140 camping and the best of the Alberta RV parks spread out over five loops. Mosquito Creek can be reached directly from many places. At the eastern end of the campsite, you can find five friendly walk-in tent sites with lockers to store your food.

There are picnic tables, fire rings, wood, running water, flush toilets, campsites for people with disabilities, and interpretive programs. On the short hike to the nearby Punch Bowl Waterfall and the Old Pocahontas Mine, you can see beautiful views of the valley. Miette Hot Springs is just a short drive up Fiddle Valley to the east. Simply put, this is the warmest spring in the Canadian Rockies, with a temperature of 54 degrees Celsius. This is a famous area for its wilderness, and there are also several hiking trails nearby.

12. Whistlers Campground Jasper

Whistlers Campground is the largest private campsite in Jasper National Park. It has 781 campsites with all the comforts of home, like showers, flush toilets, and electricity. Starting in the summers, you can use the Parks Canada Booking Service to make reservations for any of the 781 sites at Whistlers Campground.

Whistler’s campgrounds have been fixed and smoothed, with beautiful picnic benches and campfire spots. The campsite now has 18 new restrooms and showers and a new place to sign up. The power and sanitation services are updated with the paved road. You will enjoy your Whistlers Campground family camping the most with such luxury services.

Also, our article on “Best 8 person tent for Comfortable Group Camping” can help you choose the most suitable tent for family camping, so give it a read!

13. Honeymoon Lake Campground Jasper – One of the Best Private Campgrounds Alberta

The next is one of the unique private campgrounds in Alberta. South of Jasper, in the middle of the woods, you’ll find Honeymoon Lake Campground along the Icefields Parkway. There are 1–20 locations in the first loop. Sites in this section of the forest are often well-spaced from one another, and trees and flora provide some privacy from neighbors.

Sites 21–36 make up the second loop. As it incorporates the Day Use Area, it also sees a high volume of foot traffic and overall activity levels. The sites in the center of this circle are essentially just parking spots with a picnic bench and fire circle, so they are more open and less spread out than the others.

Lake access is available at the Day Use area. Swimming, canoeing, and stand-up paddle boarding are some of the major activities you can do year-round in the lake’s warm waters. The lake is beautiful, but the surrounding landscape is much more so.

You can also find two clean outhouses, dumpsters, and a water tank for refilling water bottles nearby. Though there are no mosquitoes in the campsites, putting down a ground stake is still wise. Your mobile phone’s reception will suffer, but unless you’re out there by yourself, that shouldn’t be a problem

14. Jasper Gates Resort and RV

The large, wooded lots in Jasper Gates are ideal for people who love nature. This campsite, lying on 17 acres of gorgeous Canadian terrain at the base of Compact Mountain, is guaranteed to please any nature lover. There are 100 RV and campground slots. These slots include forty completely serviced pull-through sites and various lodging options, including cabins, motels, and tent sites.

All the necessary amenities are available here, including flush toilets with fresh water, firewood with fire rings, picnic benches, parking, and cellular signals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many private camping grounds are there in Alberta?

According to the Access Sources website, there are over 300 Private campgrounds in Alberta.

Can you camp on the side of the road in Alberta?

Camping is not allowed within 1 km of a road, provincial park, or provincial recreation area border. Wild camping isn’t allowed anywhere in a PLUZ less than 1 kilometer from a road outside designated campsites.

What is the difference between a campsite and a campground?

A campground comprises broad fields where campers may set up their tents or park their RVs. It is a place specially designated for camping, usually at the expense of the trailers. While Campsites typically have no or minimum improvements.

Conclusion

The purpose of camping is to provide a memorable and entertaining experience. Surprisingly Alberta and “Camping” seem almost inseparable due to the abundance of camping options in the province. Are these the finest private campgrounds Albertans can find in the vicinity, or can you recommend any others? If so, feel free to post it in the comments.

2 Comments

Frank says:

January 12, 2023 at 5:33 am

Hi I just read your best camping brochure and I am not seeing Shaw’s point resort listed here I am just curious why it was not listed in here yes it is a private campground and has many upgrades to it almost every year so please come and check it out so you can see the campground first hand thank you in advance

1. John says:
  
  January 19, 2023 at 3:52 am
  
  Hi Frank, thank you for your feedback. We will cover resorts in the next articles

Private Campgrounds Alberta – Our Top 14 Picks for 2023