Athabaska River | Wild Camping

August 2nd, 2023 by huskiesgonewild

The road on the way in is very wet, muddy and deceiving. We were fine going in but wow that took a lot to get back out. And we are driving a 4x4 truck with a 6” lift..
Be careful

June 7th, 2023 by undingen

nice place would come here again even though the train is quite loud

May 12th, 2023 by Delica_girl

Awesome spot, quiet, private, beautiful. Train and highway are omnipresent, but tolerable. River is nice and tame right now. Road is rutted out as described, difficult when muddy. Good cell reception.

August 1st, 2022 by olafontrip

As described before. 4WD and high clearance is necessary. Deep ruts on the track. Maybe difficult in rain.

July 16th, 2022 by karmic.protagonist

Excellent spot. There are a few camping “areas” where 2 - 3 different groups can set up without interfering with one another. We stayed for three nights and one of those night another vehicle set-up close to us and we didn’t feel like our experience was infringed upon at all.

Bring water - the river is extremely fast flowing and not safe to access. If you have a dog which is difficult to keep away from water this is NOT the site for you. An animal or child would quickly be swept away. However, it is an extremely peaceful and beautiful spot.

Be bear smart. There is evidence of bear, coyotes, and deer as well as horses. On our last day some riders passed through on horseback.

As others have said, the road has some difficult areas where clearance and 4X4 is required. It was very dry when we went, but I don’t think my truck (Silverado) would have made it in wet conditions.

September 5th, 2021 by bcpov and vangirlyuka

Beautiful spot. Made it with a 2wd Ford transit with decent oversized off road tires. Drove around a few puddles in the ditch at a big angle adding some tension to the drive.

July 31st, 2021 by peaceandgodbless

Pros: Great spot. No big rigs, but I brought my small pop-up. On a long weekend we were alone. My dog ran free. Beautiful Athabaska River a few steps away. Clean but cold (glacier fed). Fire pits. 3 bars on cell phone.

Cons: Bad road in, go real slow, completely avoid when rain forecast. This is bear country, and it’s a couple of km in the bush. So watch your garbage and store your food well.

May 31st, 2021 by CsTheUS or TcTheCA

The main route here is very rut-y, so strongly recommended high clearance only. Turn right when you see a sign indicating left for the designated camping area. I'm in a stock Tundra pickup.

I was thinking of turning back early on because the road isn't fun. but my perseverance paid off.

As you can see, this spot is right by the river. You could even launch a boat. It is very tight and a bit sandy, so I highly recommend 4wd or AWD. I had to use it!

Easier, however, and adjacent to his spot, there are 3 or 4 other spots that are very very close and aren't nearly as tight. They are on a slight hill maybe 4 metre high but you can still walk down to the river.

Big rigs, trailers - don't bother, you will have trouble on the main road.