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Trip Guide

Three friends taking a selfie on their RV road trip at Mount Robson in British Columbia

Backcountry Camping Trip Guide: From Kananaskis to Mount Robson

Duration 10 days

Drive 800 km

Plan 6 stops

Start The Kananaskis Trail: Highway 40

End Mount Robson Provincial Park

Start The Kananaskis Trail: Highway 40

End Mount Robson Provincial Park

When my buddies and I started planning our annual trip, our goal was to find somewhere with epic hiking. All signs pointed to camping in the Kananaskis.

An RV is the only way to do this kind of trip right. It made our backcountry Kananaskis camping trip a whole lot easier having our basecamp, our gear locker, and our kitchen, all in one.

In fact, it inspired us to extend our backcountry camping trip for 5 extra days, from the Kananaskis all the way up to Mount Robson Provincial Park. The hardest part of a trip like this is figuring out the route. But we put in the hours of research, and this itinerary gave us one of our best boys trips ever.

Highlights

The Kananaskis Trail: Highway 40

Mount Assiniboine

Friends playing monopoly inside their campervan, class b motorhome

Bow Valley Parkway & Johnston Canyon

Abraham Lake

Jasper

Mount Robson Provincial Park

The Kananaskis Trail: Highway 40

Mount Assiniboine

Bow Valley Parkway & Johnston Canyon

Abraham Lake

Jasper

Mount Robson Provincial Park

The Kananaskis Trail: Highway 40

Kicking Off the Trip in Kananaskis Country

Our Kananaskis camping trip kicked off on Highway 40, a famous scenic drive also known as the Kananaskis Trail. This isn’t technically a ‘stop’ on our route but there’s a reason it’s in our itinerary because the views from the road are insane. My main advice is: don’t rush it.

Give yourself time to pull over at the scenic lookouts, take a ton of pictures, and enjoy the ride. We made a quick stop at Barrier Lake (note: you need a Kananaskis Conservtion Pass to park here) and kept rolling on. It was the perfect way to ease into the trip and a good reminder that sometimes the best memories are made when you’re on the move.

Mount Assiniboine

Your Backcountry Mission to Mount Assiniboine

This stop was the inspiration for our boys trip and we planned for 3 days camping and hiking through Kananaskis backcountry. We parked the RV at the Mount Shark Trailhead, loaded up our packs with our tents and gear, we were ready for the challenge.

This part of the trip is no joke: it’s a 27.5-kilometre hike one way to get to our destination at Magog Lake. We broke it up by spending our first night at the Marvel Lake Campground, which is about halfway and sits beside a stunning, bright blue lake.

On day two, we finished the trek and set up our tent at the Magog Lake Campground for two nights, right at the base of the gigantic Mount Assiniboine. Waking up to that view is something I’ll never forget.

Once we were settled, we did a day hike up to a viewpoint called “The Niblet.” I’m not exaggerating when I say it might be the best view in all of Canada (it just doesn’t feel real!).

After three days of hiking and sleeping on the ground, we took the smart way out: the helicopter. It’s a quick flight from the Assiniboine Lodge that takes you right back to the Mount Shark Helipad, just a short walk from where the RV was parked. Getting back to the RV and cooking a hot meal felt like we were returning to a five-start hotel.

Bow Valley Parkway & Johnston Canyon

Taking the Scenic Route on the Bow Valley Parkway

Our original plan was to head home after our trek to Mount Assiniboine and head back down the Kananaskis Trail. But we were having such an incredible time that we decided to point our RV north towards Jasper, instead.

You can take the main Trans-Canada Highway, but the much better move is to take the exit for the Bow Valley Parkway. It’s a slower, more scenic route that winds alongside the train tracks and through the forest. It’s way more relaxed than the highway.

This drive has a ton of pull-offs and viewpoints, but the one you absolutely have to make time for is Johnston Canyon. It was the perfect stop for us to stretch our legs without committing to another monster hike. The main trail is a series of catwalks bolted right onto the side of a massive limestone canyon. It’s a super rewarding stop that doesn’t take up your whole day. That said, this is a popular stop for many tourists so keep that in mind when you’re planning your trip (try early in the morning and avoid weekends if you can).

Road to Abraham Lake with a class B campervan driving down the middle

Abraham Lake

The Off-Grid Detour: Random Camping at Abraham Lake

From the Bow Valley, we hit the famous Icefields Parkway until we reached the David Thompson Highway and headed for our next camping adventure at Abraham Lake. The moment you see it, you’ll understand why it’s one of our most memorable stops on the route.

The water is a wild, Gatorade-blue colour, and the lake is so massive it feels like you’ve stumbled on a secret ocean in the middle of the mountains. The magic of this place is that it’s not a park, it’s public land where you can do what’s called ‘random camping.’ It’s basically backwoods camping, but you get to bring your RV. You’re completely on your own out here and off-grid – no service, no running water, no picnic tables, no facilities.

We spent a couple of days here just completely unplugged. We found an amazing spot right near the water, got a campfire going, and just relaxed. It was the perfect place to decompress and just enjoy having a huge piece of scenery all to ourselves.

Important Things to Know:

Get Your Permit: Before you go, you need to buy a Public Lands Camping Pass online from the Alberta government website. It’s about $20 for three days or $30 for an annual pass.
Be Self-Sufficient: You must pack out everything you pack in. There are no garbage cans. Your last real stop for fuel is either Saskatchewan River Crossing or way back in Lake Louise, so arrive with a full tank of gas and all the food and water you’ll need.
No Service: There is absolutely no cell service here. Download your maps ahead of time and enjoy being unplugged.

Jasper

Mountain Town R&R in Jasper

After a few days of being totally off the grid at Abraham Lake, rolling into Jasper was a welcomed change of pace.

We kept it pretty chill here. We found an awesome spot for a picnic at Lake Edith, which is super close to town. This is where having the RV really comes in handy – we just made our lunch in our own kitchen and brought it with us. Later on, we did what any good boys’ trip requires and hit up the local brewery. We grabbed a table at Jasper Brewing Company right downtown for a couple of pints and some food. It was the perfect way to cap off a more relaxed day before the final leg of our trip.

Mount Robson Provincial Park

One Last Look at Mount Robson

Leaving Jasper, we headed west and crossed the provincial border into British Columbia for our last big stop. You can’t miss Mount Robson. We were pretty tired by this point, so instead of a huge trek, we did the hike to Kinney Lake. It’s a fairly easy walk and the water was surprisingly warm for the Rockies, so we had to go for one last swim. It was the perfect, refreshing end to our hiking adventures.

Our plan, which started as just a trip to hike the Kananaskis, had turned into this massive, unforgettable journey. And that’s the beauty of having your home-on-wheels. We didn’t have to cancel any flights, re-arrange hotel reservations, or stick to any timeline when plans changed.

My Final Piece of Advice

If you’re on the fence about planning an RV trip with your friends, my only advice is this: just do it. We don’t make enough time for this kind of thing. In our day-to-day lives, it’s easy to let the friendship slide, but being together in the RV, with nowhere else to be, let us properly reconnect.

You don’t need a crazy amount of planning. You just need to rent the rig, find a route to get you started (like this one!), and go. I promise, you will not regret it. You’ll make memories that will last the rest of your lives.