TransCanada highway

[TallyHo]

Hello All,
I am planning our first trip in our new Escape 19! We have a completion date of August 14, 2017 and plan to pick up as soon as they'll let us. We'll have 4 to 5 weeks to wander our way home to Maine. We are basing our drive on the transCanada highway from Chilliwack to Montreal and then home. Do we need to reserve campsites in advance or can we be more flexible? We'd like to be able to wander a bit and stay longer or not depending on what we find, weather etc. Forest service, provincial parks are more our thing, not looking for full hookups, resort type places. We are getting the solar option and are excited to use it!
Thank you, Jane and Don

[cpaharley2008]

That is one of the nice things about the Escape, with certain options you can stay just about anyplace, comfortably. Heat, lights, bath, water, refrigerator, all at your fingertips. I stopped making reservations and always seem to find somewhere to stay for the night.

[John David]

Originally Posted by TallyHo

Hello All,
I am planning our first trip in our new Escape 19! We have a completion date of August 14, 2017 and plan to pick up as soon as they'll let us. We'll have 4 to 5 weeks to wander our way home to Maine. We are basing our drive on the transCanada highway from Chilliwack to Montreal and then home. Do we need to reserve campsites in advance or can we be more flexible? We'd like to be able to wander a bit and stay longer or not depending on what we find, weather etc. Forest service, provincial parks are more our thing, not looking for full hookups, resort type places. We are getting the solar option and are excited to use it!
Thank you, Jane and Don

I would consider looking at highway 3 from hope BC eastwards. It's the southern route across BC. You cold turn north at Cranbrook and run up the rocky mntn trench through radium to Banff and meet hwy 1there. Or continue east on 3 from Cranbrook right thru to medicine hat Alta where you would join the Trans canada. I suggest hwy 3 as there are many more smaller, lightly used camping spots along that route than he Trans canada.it's sort of off the beaten path.

Alternatively you could turn north on why 5 at hope and get to Kamloops where you continue north on hwy 5 traveling northeast across the province to join up with hwy 16 just west of jasper. Then at jasper drive south on why 93 thru the rocky Mountain trench to banff. From there you could go east on the Trans canada to calgary or south to Cranbrook to hook up east on hwy 3 to medicine hat. This way takes you north east across bc, then south east across bc and into alta. Really stunning views. Doing this will add 2-3 days travelling time over the 2 days from hope to ban of the Trans canada. So 5 days vs 2. Plus whatever stops you may make.

Hope this helps you.
John (your ad hoc travel agent)

[TallyHo]

Excellent information. Thank you. We plan to use more time on the western end of the trip so taking 5 up to Jasper and then dropping down again to Cranbrook and over to Medicine Hat sounds a great trip. We went on a horseback trip about 10 years ago in the Elbow Sheep area, gorgeous! Can't wait.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by John David

Alternatively you could turn north on why 5 at hope and get to Kamloops where you continue north on hwy 5 traveling northeast across the province to join up with hwy 16 just west of jasper. Then at jasper drive south on why 93 thru the rocky Mountain trench to banff.

Just heading across B.C. I would prefer the Crowsnest (Highway 3) route, but to visit the mountains this loop up to Jasper is appealing. My only suggestion would be to consider the Trans-Canada (Highway 1) from Hope to Kamloops, rather than the Coquihalla (Highway 5). The Trans-Canada route winds along the Fraser River valley and is slower than climbing over top (but only by an hour or two), and the narrow two-lane road might not be your driving preference, but there is a lot more to see and do and you skip the tedious long grade climbs.

An even longer alternative for the Hope-to-Kamloops section is to continue east on Highway 3 to Osoyoos, then turn north up the Okanagan (Highway 97) - this would add hours of driving, but add the Okanagan.

[John David]

Brian B-P is right. Hope to Kamloops via Hwy 1 is much better than Hwy 5.

John

[gbaglo]

If I want to enjoy the drive, I take #3 Crowsnest, or depending on where I'm headed, I'll take #1. The only reason to take #5 is to get to Kamloops in a hurry. On #5 you will be doing about 90-100 KPH most of the way and will be overtaken by a stream of vehicles doing 130 KPH.

[TallyHo]

Highway 3 sounds nice, we like quiet and relaxed and it would be a new place for us. We did drive Calgary to Banff, Jasper and Yoho (Golden) several years ago. Loved it, absolutely stunning. From Osoyoos, would you all recommend turning north up the Okanagan to join 1 (and perhaps spend a few days going north to Jasper) or continue on highway 3? Sure wish we were retired already and could spend months instead of weeks! We'll just have to come back.

[gbaglo]

I'd keep going east on the Crowsnest, as I've done numerous times.

[Dave Walter]

I too would suggest heading on Trans Canada from Chilliwack to Kamloops and then going up to Jasper. The crowds in the mountain parks are just horrendous this year due to the many visitors taking advantage of the weak canadian dollar and all of the Canadians doing domestic vacations. I would avoid Banff as much as possible as it was very crowded when we stayed there in July and early August. Jasper is likely to have somewhat thinner crowds to deal with. You could head east from Jasper and take the Yellowhead Highway through Edmonton, Lloydminister, and into Saskatchewan. Lac LaRonge area in northern Saskatchewan is very nice and the fishing there is excellent.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by ice-breaker

I too would suggest heading on Trans Canada from Chilliwack to Kamloops and then going up to Jasper. The crowds in the mountain parks are just horrendous this year due to the many visitors taking advantage of the weak canadian dollar and all of the Canadians doing domestic vacations. I would avoid Banff as much as possible as it was very crowded when we stayed there in July and early August. Jasper is likely to have somewhat thinner crowds to deal with. You could head east from Jasper and take the Yellowhead Highway through Edmonton, Lloydminister, and into Saskatchewan. Lac LaRonge area in northern Saskatchewan is very nice and the fishing there is excellent.

Or go north from Jasper, Lake Lillouette has a fine campground.

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by tractors1

Or go north from Jasper, Lake Lillouette has a fine campground.

If you are referring to Lake Lillooet, it is much closer to Vancouver and could be visited prior to reaching Kamloops.

[TallyHo]

The crowds in the mountain parks are just horrendous this year due to the many visitors

We suspected it might be so and next year might be worse as well since National Parks are free in 2017. We guessed that the further north we go the fewer people there would be.

You could head east from Jasper and take the Yellowhead Highway through Edmonton, Lloydminister, and into Saskatchewan. Lac LaRonge area in northern Saskatchewan is very nice and the fishing there is excellent.

That sounds lovely. We plan on bringing our kayaks or canoe, Don fishes and I take pictures of birds.

[JPSpins]

Originally Posted by TallyHo

The crowds in the mountain parks are just horrendous this year due to the many visitors

We suspected it might be so and next year might be worse as well since National Parks are free in 2017. We guessed that the further north we go the fewer people there would be.

You could head east from Jasper and take the Yellowhead Highway through Edmonton, Lloydminister, and into Saskatchewan. Lac LaRonge area in northern Saskatchewan is very nice and the fishing there is excellent.

That sounds lovely. We plan on bringing our kayaks or canoe, Don fishes and I take pictures of birds.

Thank you for starting this thread! I will be leaving Ottawa in June to pick up my 19 and the road home has been on my mind...along with a few other things.
I have camped (tent) several times at the Mont-Tremblant provincial park and I have enjoyed my time there.
You can make your way home by taking Rte. 138 on the river's north shore and crossing at Québec. I'm sure you can find your way from there!

Parc national du Mont-Tremblant - Parcs Québec - Sépaq

[TallyHo]

nice! Thank you.
We were also puzzling out from Thunder Bay if we should stay on 1 along the lake to Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Ottawa or take 11 and 117 down?

[JPSpins]

Originally Posted by TallyHo

nice! Thank you.
We were also puzzling out from Thunder Bay if we should stay on 1 along the lake to Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Ottawa or take 11 and 117 down?

I have not driven to Thunder Bay but friends who have highly recommend sticking to Lake Superior. That is the path I would choose because I like big water. Georgian Bay is also lovely but that takes you off the 17 to Ottawa...where there will be at least 4 Escape 19s by this time next year! Ontario is a vey big proving so you have options galore. You Tube and forums are your friends.
What will be pulling the 19?
Jean-Pierre

[emers382]

Hi Jane and Don

Congrats on getting your Escape next year.

Having lived in Thunder Bay for many years and traveled both west to MB and east to Toronto area we have had a lot of experience camping across ON.

I would recommend the TC (Hwy 17 in ON) around the lakes, especially scenic around Superior. Some suggestions from west to east for overnighting, these Provincial Parks. Rushing River just off 17 on 71 east of Kenora, Blue Lake just north of Vermillion Bay, Kakabeka Falls just west of Thunder Bay, Rainbow Falls on north shore of Superior (two campgrounds one on the lake and one on an inland lake) both just west of Schreiber, Agawa Bay in Lake Superior Park where you can camp virtually on the beach, Pancake Bay north of the Soo. I am not familiar with parks east of Sudbury down to Ottawa.

Note that ON provincial parks are not cheap, neither is gas in Canada but if you've never traveled across Canada before this will give you a great opportunity to do so.

Adrian

[TallyHo]

We have a F150 2.7L with a nice kayak/canoe rack on top!

[TallyHo]

Wow, Thank you Adrian. My notebook of Parks, camping sites and routes is growing thicker by the minute.

[gharper]

This is what I would do if I was driving through this area: take highway 1 along the Fraser river from Hope to Kamloops, stop at hilltop fruit stand 20 minutes south of Cache Creek for fresh fruit (stand on top of a crest of a hill on the left going north), camp at Brookside RV park in Cache Creek (not great RV campsites in Kamloops), carry on to Kamloops and if you don't want a long day before making Jasper camp north of Kamloops. Kamloops to Jasper with a stop for gas in Valemount and a stop at Mt Robson park. Camp at Mt Robson and hike to Kinney lake or camp at Jasper at Wapiti campsite in Jasper (seems less busy than Whistler as there are no service sites except a parking lot location at the washrooms). Jasper will be busy, head to the local coffee shop Bears Paw. If you have time drive up to Mt Edith Cavell and walk to the glacier or better to the meadows above. I would take the Icefields Parkway and camp a night at Wilcox, check out the glacier or hike up the Wilcox trail or Parker Ridge, then head south to Canmore if I had a confirmed booking at one of the campsites.