Campground Review - Tunnel Mountain Village II - Banff, Alberta, Canada

Description

Tunnel Mountain Village II is a large, lightly forested, limited-service, big-rig friendly campground with stunning views of the rugged Canadian Rocky Mountains. Located just a few miles inside the east entrance to Banff National Park of Canada, the park is conveniently close to the transportation, shopping, services, fine dining, and entertainment venues of historic Banff township. Surrounded by tall grassy meadows, stands of whispering conifers, and mountain splendor, this is a lovely park from which to explore the many attractions of Banff and the surrounding area.

Location

Tunnel Mountain Vilage II Campground
Improvement District No. 9
5FQ4+3G Banff, Improvement District No. 9, AB, Canada
Park: +1 877-737-3783
Latitude: 51.187799 N, Longitude: -115.543765 W, Elevation: ~5,000 ft (1,523 m)

Details

We stayed for 7 nights at Tunnel Mountain Village II Campground in late August, 2018. This is a clean and well-maintained park, with limited RV amenities.

Note: There are several large campgrounds in the Tunnel Mountain Village campground complex, each with different levels of RV amenities. This review is only for the Tunnel Mountain Village II Campground.

Note: Banff National Park is an extremely popular destination and area campgrounds fill up fast. Be sure to book reservations far in advance. We waited until late May to book a reservation and were very fortunate to get a site at such a late date.

Cost

For 7 nights at a 50 amp electric-only hookup parallel parking site we paid about $34(CN) per night, including tax. There were no fees for pets or an extra vehicle.

We were, however, required to purchase a Canadian parks pass for both of our vehicles while camping at Tunnel Mountain Village II or stopping elsewhere in the national parks. Given the length of our stay, the most cost-effective option was to buy one family/group (~$136 CN) plus one individual (~$67 CN) annual pass and then display the group pass in whichever vehicle we drove for the day.

Ratings (1-5)

Accessibility – 5/5

The campground is accessible via paved roads from the Trans-Canada Highway, AB-1. Lanes in the campground are well-maintained asphalt. The park has parallel parking sites and can accommodate large rigs. The campground facilities have provisions for Universal access.

Caution: Pay attention to your route and avoid any routing through the main part of Banff where residential streets are narrow and often congested with traffic. Some GPS navigation units may have problems finding the actual campground entrance from Tunnel Mountain Road (ours was off the mark by several blocks). Check the campground website for specific directions.

Facilities/Amenities – 4/5

The Village II campground offers only basic amenities, including partial (electric-only) hookup sites, RV dump station and fresh water fill, restrooms and free showers, picnic shelters, water hydrants, as well as ranger talks and programs. Facilities were clean and in good repair. Bike paths and bus service connect to the campground.

Site quality – 4/5

RV sites have partial (electric-only) hookups and a picnic table. Some sites have a fire ring. Electric service is 50, 30, or 20 amp. Sites are parallel parking asphalt or gravel, level, generous in size (extra vehicles may pose a problem, though), and have fair separation between sites. Some sites have shade trees.

Scenic Value – 5/5

Located on a high ridge over Banff township, this campground has stunning vistas of the rugged Canadian Rockies. The campground is dotted with tall conifers and bordered with prairie meadows.

Location/Isolation – 4/5

This quiet park is conveniently located within the eastern border of Banff National Park and close to the fine shopping, dining, and entertainment venues of Banff township. This large campground is generally quiet, but does not feel very isolated. Given the huge popularity of the park and the throngs of visitors each year, this feels very much like industrialized camping.

Paws Friendliness – 4/5

The campground is pet friendly, but does not have an enclosed pet run or cleanup bag stations. The park is large enough for a decent walk with your pet.

Overall Rating – 4/5

Overall, the Tunnel Mountain Village II Campground is a nice place to stay while exploring the many attractions around Banff National Park. We enjoyed our visit here and would certainly return another time.

Additional info

Internet access

We received a moderate 4G signal at this campground. Access was roaming, but did not cost extra with our Verizon Unlimited plan. High speed data usage throttled down after 500 Mb per device per day. The campground did not have WiFi service.

Water Quality

Hydrant water tested hard. We were at a dry site so did not hookup to a water source.

Nearby Amenities

Gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and some automotive and RV services are available nearby in Banff or Canmore, AB. A wider range of shopping and services are available in Calgary, Edmonton, or Prince George.