The Tunnel Mountain Village 2 campground is the closest campground to the town of Banff.
There are three campgrounds next to one another on the flanks of Tunnel Mountain. All three campgrounds combined have 1,149 campsites. Do not be confused by the similar names! Each campground has a different character and amenities. However, every campground has flush toilets, showers, drinking water, and sanidump facilities.
ORIENTATION
The easiest route to the Tunnel Mountain campgrounds is via the Banff Avenue exit from Hwy 1 (Trans-Canada Highway). The Mount Norquay exit will force you to drive through the Banff townsite, which can be quite congested.
Shortly after taking the Banff Avenue exit, you will drive over a Texas gate (cattleguard). That is your signal to quickly look for a left turn onto Tunnel Mountain Road. Tunnel Mountain Road goes up the side of Tunnel Mountain, through trees, for 3 km (1.9 mi) until you reach the turn off to Tunnel Mountain Village 1. After driving 1.5 km (0.9 mi) past the turn off for Tunnel Mountain Village 1 on Tunnel Mountain Drive, you will reach the shared entrance for the Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court and Tunnel Mountain Village 2 campground. If you have to wait to check in, please do not block the far right lane, as that is needed by returning campers and Roam Transit buses
* Tunnel Mountain Village 1: No RV hookups; firepits at every site. All sites in a very natural wooded setting.
* Tunnel Mountain Village 2: Electrical hookups at every site. Most sites have firepits; see online campground map to see whether the site you are booking has one. Parking lot ambiance. Tunnel Mountain Village 2 also has 21 oTentik deluxe tent cabins with electricity, heating, mattresses, wooden floors, outside deck, and Adirondack chairs. (
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* Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court: Every site has power, water, and sewer (PWS) hookups. Some sites are shared with another camper (RVs usually park back to back). Other sites are single pull-through sites. Some sites are surrounded by trees (particularly Loop A on the west side), while others are more open (particularly Loop C on the east side). No fire pits in this campground; only propane fires are allowed.
FOR ALL CAMPGROUNDS
* Reservations: All campgrounds in Banff National Park are operated by Parks Canada, a government agency. Reservations are strongly recommended for the busy season, from mid-June to mid-September. Online and phone reservations open up early in the year. Check Parks Canada Reservations (
visit link) starting in early December for the exact date that reservations begin for the following year. If you are hoping to book a stay for a long weekend (Victoria Day, Canada Day, August long weekend, Labour Day) you should try to book on the very first day that reservations open up. The reservation website has photos, campground maps, and detailed information for every campsite, so read carefully before booking. If you wish to have a campfire, you must purchase a fire permit at an additional charge; a fire permit includes firewood.
* Clean ('bare') campsite regulations (
visit link) Food and food-related items left unattended attract bears and other wildlife. Food, barbecues, campstoves, cooler chests, and water bottles must be secured in a vehicle, campground food storage locker, or hard-sided RV unless the food-related items are in use. Failure to comply may lead to confiscation of the items, eviction from the campground, eviction from the park, and/or fines up to $25,000. "Parks Canada staff may enter open and plainly visible areas of an unattended campsite to remove and secure plainly visible wildlife attractants." (
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* Alcohol and cannabis restrictions: No alcohol or cannabis consumption between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. On long weekends, alcohol and cannabis POSSESSION is not allowed at any time.
ABOUT TUNNEL MOUNTAIN VILLAGE 2:
* Sites: 188 Electrical sites, plus 21 oTentik tent cabins
* Fees (2023): $34.50/night, fire permit $9.50/day (includes firewood). $128.00/night for oTentik deluxe tent cabin (
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* Season: Tunnel Mountain Village 2 and Lake Louise Hard-Sided are the only Banff National Park campgrounds that operate year-round. (oTentik tent cabins are only available from early May to early October.)
* Character: Tunnel Mountain Village 2's has an odd layout, where you set up your RV in a paved "parking lane", with other campers in front and behind, nose-to-tail. This is partly made up for by the amazing mountain views from some sites, which are equal to those in expensive "view suites" in Banff hotels.
The campground has several kitchen shelters. These are roofed shelters with 3-4 picnic tables and a wood cookstove inside. (See photo gallery). The Wolves' Den theatre, near the campground entrance, gives free live interpretive shows to campers during the summer months. There is a Roam Transit stop near the campground entrance.There is no fee for campers boarding the bus at any Tunnel Mountain campground. You only pay for the return trip. (
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FURTHER READING
CBC News: Parks Canada says reservation system appears to be meeting 'high demand' for camping (23 Mar 2023) (
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Banff-Lake Louise Tourism: Tunnel Mountain Village 2 Campground (
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