Camping & Hiking · Alberta
A riverside provincial park campground on the Bow River between Calgary and Banff, with treed sites, starry skies and evening amphitheatre shows; highway and train noise and washroom upkeep draw complaints.
Bow Valley Campground sits along the Bow River in a provincial park, just off Highway 1 between Calgary and Banff. Many sites are treed and some back onto the river. Campers talk about the mountain scenery and the night sky, with one visitor seeing the Milky Way on a clear night.
There are tent and RV sites, some with electric and water hookups, plus restrooms and playgrounds. The store staff are friendly, and the store sells bear spray at a small markup. Showers run on tokens, about $3 for five minutes according to one guest. A camp host went out of his way to fit in a late arrival when flooding had closed some sites.
Families enjoy the evening amphitheatre shows, which a recent visitor called entertaining and well run, though the seating is hard benches, so bring a cushion. Dogs are welcome, and the river is right there for exploring. It works well as a base for day trips into the mountains.
Noise is the most common complaint. Loop C is close to the highway, and one camper heard trucks and motorcycles all night. Trains run across the river periodically, so earplugs are a good idea. Several people found their sites badly off level, small or hard to find, and it can be windy. Washroom opinions vary: one camper thought they needed modernizing, and another had a very poor experience with cleanliness and staff response. Cell service is weak.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 512 Google reviews. Details change — confirm hours, prices and bookings with Bow Valley Campground directly.
