Alberta is a dream for horse campers: over 22 provincial parks and recreation areas welcome horses, in addition to a number of privately owned campgrounds. Not to mention the stunning scenery and some of the country’s most beautiful trail views, from the foothills to the Rocky Mountains.
Here’s our roundup of some of the coolest places you can camp with your horse in Alberta (note that many are under a fire ban this time of year):
A trail through the Little Elbow Recreation Area. (TravelAlberta.com photo)
Little Elbow Equestrian Campground
Location: Little Elbow Provincial Recreation Area (30 minutes from Bragg Creek, 1 hour from Calgary)
Amenities: 46 sites for horse camping, with hitching rails, corrals, and a loading ramp available for use. Water available via hand pump but campers are encouraged to bring their own drinking water
Rates: $38/night
Trails: Access to many kms of backcountry trails, including the Little Elbow Trail (23km), Ford Creek Trail (18km) and Ford Knoll Trail (4km)
This park offers an amazing setup for horse campers, with hitching rails, corrals, and extensive trails to explore in Kananaskis country. Reserve your site online up to 90 days in advance.
Kananaskis Country’s beautiful trails support many recreational activities, including horseback riding. (christopher – stock.adobe.com)
Big Elbow Equestrian Backcountry Campground
Location: Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park (30 minutes from Bragg Creek, 1 hour from Calgary)
Amenities: Hitching rails, vault toilets, fire pits and firewood, secure food storage containers, water (river)
Rates: $12/person/night
Trails: Access to many kms of backcountry trails
If you’re looking for an adventure, check out this backcountry equestrian campground. The site itself is in the Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park, and the trail head to access it is in Little Elbow Provincial Recreation Area. The trail to the site is roughly 8.3 km from Little Elbow Campground, with 811 metres of elevation gain.
Spring Creek Equestrian Campground
Location: Cypress Hills Provincial Park (45 minutes from Medicine Hat)
Amenities: 9 horse campsites with two 16’ x 16’ corrals each, hitching rails, water for horses, limited grazing available
Rates: $27/night
Trails: Access to many kms of trails within Cypress Hills. From the campground, the park’s recommended rides include the Spring Creek Ski Trail (6km), Spruce Coulee Trail (3km – 16km+ loop, depending on your route), and Nine Mile Area (full day ride).
A small campground with corrals for your horses, surrounded by meadow and open pine forest. It’s a good base camp for those wanting to explore Cypress Hills Provincial Park by horseback.
Sandy McNab Equestrian Campground
Location: Sheep River Provincial Park (30 minutes from Turner Valley)
Amenities: 20 horse campsites, corrals, hitching rails, loading ramp, water access, flush toilets, showers
Rates: $46/night
Trails: Access to many kms of trails throughout Sheep River Provincial Park, as well as adjoining Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park (both of which allow horses on the trails)
This equestrian campground boasts 20 well-treed sites in Sheep River Provincial Park, with beautiful pine forest and the Sheep River. This campground is first-come first-served (no reservations).
Whitehorse Creek Provincial Recreation Area. (TravelAlberta.com photo)
Whitehorse Creek Campground
Location: Whitehorse Creek Provincial Recreation Area, (10 minutes from Cadomin, 50 minutes from Hinton)
Amenities: 9 equestrian sites (2 with corrals and 7 with pens & tie stall), water from a hand pump, firewood, hitching rails, loading ramp
Rates: $15/night for the site, plus $4/horse/night
Trails: Access to many kms of trails throughout Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park and adjoining Jasper National Park
This equestrian campground is set along Whitehorse Creek, near where Whitehorse Creek and McLeod River meet. Equestrian areas must be reserved via phone, but one site is kept first-come first-served. Explore mountain trails throughout the stunning Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park and Jasper National Park, including Whitehorse Falls Trails (12km) and Fiddle Pass Trail to Miette Hot Springs (40km).
Bighorn Campground
Location: Ya Ha Tinda Ranch, beside Banff National Park
Amenities: Tie stalls, panels, vault toilets
Rates: Free of charge
Trails: Access to many kms of trails at the ranch and Banff National Park. Options include the Banff Park Trail (a 13km trail that takes you to the park’s boundary), Wolf Creek/Labyrinth Mountain Loop (20km), and more – full descriptions of their trails can be viewed here.
Ya Ha Tinda is owned by Parks Canada, and it’s the only federally operated working horse ranch in Canada. The ranch is primarily used for wintering and training horses to patrol the western National Parks. They also have an equestrian campground, the Bighorn Campground, which receives maintenance and improvements by the The Friends of The Eastern Slopes Association. The campground is free to use and provides access to many kilometres of trails over the ranch and nearby Banff National Park.
Rock Lake Provincial Park. (TravelAlberta.com)
Rock Lake Campground
Location: Rock Lake Provincial Park (1 hour 25 minutes from Hinton)
Amenities: 4 large equestrians sites with corrals, 14 smaller equestrian sites with 1 corral, tie stalls, and pens, hitching rails, loading ramp, firewood
Rates: $20/night for the site, plus $4/night/horse
Trails: Easy access to many kms of trails in the Rock Lake-Solomon Creek Wildland, Willmore Wilderness Park, and northern Jasper National Park
Set in Rock Lake Provincial Park, this large campground has stunning views of the northern Rockies. You can reserve your site over the phone, and unreserved sites are available first-come first-served. From the highway, the park is accessed via a 32km gravel road – users are advised to use caution on the road, which is not regularly maintained.
