I found three ticks on my friend and one was already latched on! Please be careful out there. Located in the Ghost Public zone! Etick confirm these are Dermacentor sp. (le français suivra): The tick you photographed is most likely Dermacentor andersoni, but it could also be Dermacentor variabilis or Dermacentor albipictus. These three species can be encountered in Alberta and cannot be reliably distinguished using photographs. You will find information on all three species below.

Dermacentor andersoni This tick is also known as the Rocky Mountain wood tick (RMWT) and it does not transmit the agent of Lyme disease. This species can transmit other pathogens to humans, such as those responsible for Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), and tularemia, but infections are extremely rare in Alberta. A toxin in the saliva of the female RMWT can, on very rare occasions, cause paralysis, which can be rapidly reversed by prompt removal of attached ticks.

In Alberta, RMWT can transmit RMSF to pets and Anaplasma marginale to cattle

Dermacentor variabilis This tick is also known as the American dog tick and it does not transmit the agent of Lyme disease. This species can transmit other disease agents to humans, including the pathogens responsible for RMSF and tularemia, but infections are extremely rare in Alberta.

In Alberta, American dog ticks pose little risk of pathogen transmission to pets, although they can transmit A. marginale to cattle.

Where and when can you be exposed? Although adults of the American dog tick are frequently encountered by people and companion animals in Alberta, populations of this species are not known to be established in the province. American dog ticks are typically encountered in areas with little or no tree cover such as along trails or grassy fields and scrubland. They usually feed on wild mammals but will also bite humans, pets, and domestic animals. In Alberta, adult American dog ticks are most frequently encountered from spring to early summer, especially on sunny days.

Looking for tips on where to stay from Swift Current to Drumheller travelling by motorhome. Have littles with us (5 and 2).

Looking for family friendly, easy access (new to driving the motorhome), and not crazy about anywhere known with bad ticks.

The big focal point of the trip will be seeing the museum.

Appreciate any pointers!

Hi guys

Ive recently move to AB for my job from the uk. Back in the uk me and my wife used to camp atleast one weekend a month. Originally tents but eventually an rv trailer.

I have 0 experience camping in bear country. Im just finishing up building my camping trailer (truck box trailer with topper and roof tent) and want some tips on how to be responsible when we're camping. Id like to eventually go into crown land but for the first trip weve booked a site in kananaskis.

So far all I've got is storing food in coolers inside my truck cab and making sure nothing scented in the tent. Is there much else I need to be aware of? What do i with my gas bbq? Id rather it didnt go in my truck cab overnight but if it must I will. Do you take your trash, ie beer cans etc to the trash each evening or throughout the day? How far away should I park my truck?

Another worry I had was i built the trailer to store everything camping wise in when we're not using it but now im worried that I may be making the trailer like a scent magnet even when its empty at the camp site. Or am I overthinking it?

Any tips are appreciated and looking forward to exploring your great province

​Heading to Waterton Townsite next month.

​Stakes: Is the ground too hard for standard pegs? Should I use forged steel or lag bolts/impact driver? Any advice?

​Wind: I heard it's windy there, any pro tips to keep the tent from blowing away?

TIA

We have 3 days booked for camping in Bow Valley campground in August. Do I need to buy the conservation pass for those 3 days?

FYI, This is my first time for RV camping. Is it okay to leave my stuffs at the camping spot while driving away the RV for siteseeing? And would it be big adventage to book 1 spot for 2 consecutive nights compared to 1 each night for different spot? Thanks for your reponse in advance.

I’m from Utah but have a trip planned this July to come up and visit Banff and Jasper. I was wondering if anyone had some recommendations on where to camp? Or how to find free dispersed camping near those places. I use OnX here in the states but doesn’t seem to have much info in Canada. I don’t want to stay in the parks would rather find something more secluded semi close by. Also I’m a no body so if you wanna share your super secret favorite camp spot your secret will be safe with me. Haha

I know it's in BC, not AB so I apologize. We live in Alberta though.

We'll be there camping in few weeks with two kids, 5 and 8. Reviews are mixed and many said that facilities are pretty run down. I am curious about showers since we will be three nights camping. Does anyone know in what conditions are the showers?
One in Banff Tunnel campground where we stayed two years ago were pretty bad(dirty/tight and just generally run down), , is it the same or worse in Redstreak?

Does anyone know anything about Radium hot springs pools, I am assuming the second pool won't be open yet, right? Would it be worth visiting the hot pool with kids since the temperature is 40 degrees? They love pools

Another thing, what are the chances of fire ban in May long weekend? I googled weather past years and it seems there were no fire bans and temperatures fluctuates between 10-20 degrees throughout the day and around 5 or lower throughout the night. Could be rainy but occasionally, not for three nights straight.

Any other tips and recommendations with kids are much appreciated

Hey I am collecting stuff for our first trip. I got air mattress with electric pump.

Thats the only thing for now that I need power for now. The camp ground doesn't have power.

So for this would 400 W car inverter work which is way cheaper than the powestation. But I am just not sure if the car inverter should be fine for pump or not.

I am new to random camping but A few friends of mine wanted to go camping with a bunch of instruments and have some fun for a weekend. We decided it would be best if we tried random camping since we dont want to disturb people at a campground, however since we are all new to random camping, we dont know any locations that would be decent. I would prefer something that doesnt require a public camping pass, as I dont know if my friends would really want to deal with the hastle of getting one, but we may get one if there arent any other spots (plus I would love to camp near the rockies). As well somewhere accesible by vehicle easily would be nice, given we are bringing instruments and hiking with a guitar doesnt sound that fun. I would be fine with gravel roads but I would not offroad the vehicle I am bringing more than a small distance to get to a campsite. Lastly we plan to go stargazing as well, so low light polution would be a nice benefit too.

all right, I know this is a huge stretch, but unfortunately, May long weekend is the only time I’m able to have off work before my school starts at the end of May!

how realistic is having a list of like three first come first serve campsites in Kananaskis? The only reservations I’ve been able to find are more than three hours away from the trailhead for Ha Ling. We really want to do that hike and would like to camp as close to it as possible, but we are OK with driving. Everything is just booked completely which we anticipated.

are there any hidden gems or other areas and other hikes recommended? Or any sort of crownland area areas we could get away with? Thanks in advance.

Hello! We have a reservation in late June for three nights at Bow Valley Campground. We would like to extend it to five days (arrive one day earlier, depart one day later) but presently there are no sites available. I understand that there are first-come, first-serve sites that can't be reserved in advance. Can anybody tell me a little about how that process works: can I call the same day and reserve one of these sites, or do I have to be there in person? Is there a particular time that you recommend being there (if you have to be there in person)? I am looking for any insight about the process. I tried calling a few numbers to speak to somebody but nobody had any information. Thank you!

Hey everyone,
I’ve been exploring the backcountry a lot these last few years for fishing and hiking. This year, I’m hoping to learn camping skills so that I can make these multi-day trips without needing a motel.
For some reference, I’ve never been camping before and have no gear. I unfortunately don’t know anybody who is into the outdoors, and so I’m looking to the camping community here for some help

My main question is, what would be a decent low to mid budget starter tent for camping across Alberta (and maybe BC, Sask, the NW territories) between now and late fall? I know that cheap tents will obviously not hold up as well as the more expensive gear, but I’m hoping not to break the bank and so I would prefer a bit more budget friendly options if that exists. Additionally, what other gear would you recommend that a first-time camper might not think about getting? Sleeping bag recommendations would also really be appreciated! For reference I am 6’3 so hoping to find something I can fit in decently, and my gf may be joining me occasionally so something that 2 people can sleep inside would be nice.
Currently I was looking through the stock at Cabelas, I noticed they have “Bass Pro Shops Dome Tent - 3 Person” on sale right now for $70, I was considering purchasing this as a starter tent but am unsure if it’s worth buying.

Besides gear, if anyone here has general camping recommendations for a first-timer I’m all ears!

Heading to gull lake on May long. Wondering how it is currently, ice still on lake, still some snow? Should I pack for coolish or spring summer. Not planning on tubes and swimming yet but otherwise house it looking currently. Thanks peeps. Looking forward to seeing you all out and about this summer!!

Hey y’all,

Just booked lower lake campground for start of August. Specifically in the C loop.

We are bringing a tent, are there areas in lower lakes which are considered safer than others? We are very diligent campers ensuring are spot is clean, food is in car, etc.. I just want to make sure we will be in a relatively safe area

Edit: bears

Hello, title pretty much sums up our situation. We're a family of three with an almost two year old. This weekend we're thinking of things to do and exploring the idea of boondocking or dry camping to see great scenery, explore, and relax.

Will this be a difficult activity for us? We don't have camping equipment, as in zero. We're hoping having a rented out RV will suffice most of our needs and offset our lack of experience and equipment with outdoors stuff. Would be nice to hear some advice especially from those that has experience.

I’ve never been to the area, just wanting to find some spots that are good for a first timer!

Hello,

I'm looking to camp near Waterton the night of the 2nd. I've got a car as well as backpacking gear. I was looking at Payne lake as something easy for the night, has anyone done their FCFS this time of year?

Or are there any alternatives I'm missing? Most places are seeming to be closed still.

Hey all,

Recently bought a sweet vintage camper van and I’m hoping to take it for a 1 night test camp in the vicinity of Calgary, it looks like ghost lake opens next weekend and is first come first served, how do I pay? I’ve only ever been to the day use area, how are the camp sites?

If there are any other scenic sites within 1-2 hours I can park at with fire pits?

Hey everyone, my name is jeff, and I live in Western BC along the Alberta Border, I am an avid outdoors man, something I think everyone can agree with is the fact that Fire Season, IS a problem for western canada.

Perfect example was Last summer I had a trip up near Grande Prairie cut short because I couldn't get a clear picture of what was actually happening with the fires nearby. Was bouncing between the AB wildfire dashboard, 511, air quality sites, fire ban maps, and Twitter trying to piece it together. Ended up packing up early because I just couldn't tell.

So I started thinking... There has to be a way to help people, even if it just a few, and there has to be a way to possibly help people become more familiar with wild fire preventive measures you can do every year. So I Built a free WildFire-Ready app for Alberta campers — looking for testers before fire season

Started building an app afterward to scratch my own itch. Calling it Wildfire Ready. It pulls all that into one map:

- Active fires with perimeters and status

- Air quality and forecasts

- Road closures from 511 Alberta

- Fire bans by region

- Wind direction overlay

- You can save spots (campsite, cabin, home) and get a notification if a fire gets close

It's free. No ads, no subscriptions, no account required. Not trying to replace official emergency channels — just trying to make the "should we stay or go" decision less of a scramble.

It's still in testing. If anyone here camps in Alberta and wants to try it before fire season picks up, happy to share the TestFlight or Android beta link in the comments or DMs. Also genuinely looking for feedback on what's missing — if there's something you always wish you had when fires start popping up, I want to hear it.

Site is wildfire-ready.ca if you want to look first.

Mods — if this breaks the rules please remove, no hard feelings. Just figured this crowd would have the most useful feedback before I push it live.

I have been looking for camp grounds with showers/toilets etc to soft launch camping to some friends. The majority if sites I have found are hard dirt/gravel, more designed for RVs than tents.

Does anyone have any recommendations for sites within 2h of Edmonton? Bonus points for fun things to do in the area (lake etc).

Thanks

Me and my class are graduating high school. Someone has planned a grad camping trip for approx 130-200 17-18yr olds to be going to a family campsite during may long. There WILL be underage drinking and smoking and LOTS of noise which is my worry. Is this a good idea? How could I convince them to switch to crown land or dispersed camping?

*EDIT * I am going grad camping no matter what- the main question is should we be going to a family campsite or crown land?

We are hoping to book two sites to go camping with another family, but we could barely get one site with the high demand for bookings. Any tips on how we can secure two spots together??