Mount Kidd RV Park: A Visitor’s Guide

Having done most of our Rocky Mountain camping in the national park campgrounds of Banff and Lake Louise, we weren’t sure what to expect from our stay in the hugely popular Mount Kidd RV Park. Located on the east side of this epic mountain range not far from Banff National Park, it is in Kananaskis Country, which is not part of any national park but is made up of several gorgeous, protected wilderness areas, Mount Kidd RV Park is known for its fabulous scenery and ideal location.

And with the eponymous Mount Kidd looming directly over Mt Kidd RV Park, the scenery is phenomenal from everywhere in the campground. Kananaskis River also runs directly between the campground and the mountain, offering up some picturesque spots to watch wildlife or simply get away from other people for a little while (of particular interest to those on large family camping trips, I assume).

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Very close to Kananaskis Village with its many restaurants and shops, world-famous Kananaskis Country Golf Course, several national parks and a bevy of outstanding hikes, Mount Kidd RV Park is the perfect base for those looking to take advantage of the amazing Alberta mountains. There is also a fantastic Camper Center and a surprising variety of amenities, games and specialty features.

We have personally spent a lot of time hiking in Kananaskis, including a full month-long stay at one point, and can definitely vouch for the variety and quality of the trails in the area. In fact, here we are, around 30 hikes in and it still looks like we’ve barely dented our list…

Anyway, back to the camping:

Mount Kidd RV Park is privately owned, features 229 sites spread out through 6 sections (A-F) with a wide variety of levels from fully-serviced (with all the bells and whistles) to absolutely no services (where we stayed, of course). Mind you, we were pretty lucky to get a site at all since we only booked our site 3 days in advance (in July!) after our Floe Lake backcountry adventure got cancelled because of too much snow (in July!). Obviously we snuck in after a last minute cancellation so, yeah, no complaints here. We were just happy to have our first Kananaskis camping adventure.

And, because this is Canada where we aren’t big believers in public transportation, you’re going to need a vehicle. And with so many great sights, hikes and lakes in the area, even if you’re planning to spend most of your time in the campground you’ll want to be able to get around. If you don’t have your own wheels and need to rent, Discover Cars usually has the best deals in the area.

Mount Kidd RV Park Map

Mount Kidd RV Park Campground

All the sites in Mount Kidd RV Park have gravel pads, picnic tables and fire pits. Meanwhile, each section features a different kind of site, with different levels of amenities and lot sizes. In F, where we stayed, it was mostly tents and just a few small campers. The large RVs tend to stay in the fully serviced areas.

There is a set of pit toilets for each loop that were clean and well-maintained but, rather bafflingly, had no lighting of any kind, not even a skylight. Bring your phone, I guess, although it goes without saying you’ll want to be careful with it around “the pit”… If you feel the need for a flush toilet, you can head over to the Camper Center.

There is a potable water tap at the end of every road, which was very convenient. Although the ornery 2-year old staying right next to our tap was finding our water usage extremely suspicious, to the point it seemed to be affecting his enjoyment of smacking random things with sticks.

Each section has its own trash bins and there are recycling bins in the main parking lot.

As for recreation, there are a pair of tennis/pickleball courts, a fairly impressive playground, horseshoe pits and even a big, grassy field perfect for playing soccer, football, frisbee or, my personal favourite, aimless cavorting. It helps if you have jaunty 80’s music for the montage but it is probably still fine with just the sound of birds and kids.

There is a wading pool behind the Camper Center but it was closed when we visited, and apparently had been for 3 years running. Although our source on that was an imperious 7-year-old lecturing his younger brother so, you know grain of salt. However, I have to admit, based on the condition of the pool, his info seemed to check out.

Finally, there is a large amphitheatre where shows and interpretive programs are held throughout the summer.

The Fortress Junction service station is just a 10-minute drive to the south if you need gas, or you can head north to the Stoney Nakoda station (20 min).

Mount Kidd RV Park Camper Center

First of all, yes, for some reason they use the American spelling of “center”. Borderline unpatriotic but we’ll let it go for now, mainly because the Mount Kidd RV Park Camper Center pretty much kicks ass in every other way. I mean, this place has just about anything you can think of. A check-in counter, obviously, but also a general store with firewood, ice, groceries, camp supplies, drinks, junk food.

Then there is a snack shop selling, well, snacks, but mostly ice cream, and even a comfortable lounge with good couches, electrical outlets, a pool table, ping pong, foosball, board games and a book exchange, some regular tables outside (with more outlets), a small arcade with coin-operated video games and a laundry room with coin-operated machines.

There is also a full set of modern bathrooms (i.e. flush toilets) with very good showers. There are 4 stalls per gender and you get 10 minutes for just $2 with change and token machines located on the wall just outside.

And, get this, there is even a payphone, although I honestly can’t remember how to work those any more so we didn’t try it out. Luckily the entire campground has a pretty good phone signal so as long as you have a phone of your own you should be fine. And if you don’t, well, I assume you are pretty unconcerned with technology in general.

Mount Kidd RV Park Rates

$39 no services

$49 power

$52 power/water

$57 power/water/sani dump/cable

$13 per extra tent

Mount Kidd RV Park Reservations

Sites can be reserved online up to 90 days in advance:

https://reserve.mountkiddrv.com/guided-reserve

If you have questions or just crave the sound of a stranger’s voice, you can call 403-591-7700 or stop in at the Camper Center between 9 am and 5 pm. For less urgent queries, you can email them at camp@mountkiddrv.com.

Mount Kidd RV Park Hikes

The Mount Kidd Trail runs through and around the entire campground, while a nice paved path leads across under the highway to Wedge Pond. This tiny, man-made lake is very popular with day-trippers on the weekend but is typically empty early in the morning when you can get some insane reflection photos of Mount Kidd.

In addition, there are many more superb hikes very close to Mount Kidd RV Park, from short, easy strolls to intense (but spectacular) day summits. Some of the standout easy hikes are Rawson Lake (more great reflections), Elbow Lake (with an optional glacier add-on) and Ptarmigan Cirque (especially in larch season).

If you’re looking for something a little more challenging with big view payoffs, consider adding Sarrail Ridge to the Rawson Lake hike, or dedicate an entire day to Tent Ridge Horseshoe, Smutwood Peak or Wasootch Ridge.

For a more thorough look at the Kananaskis trails, check out our specific hiking posts:

Best Hikes Near Canmore

Best Easy Hikes Around Canmore

Best Larch Hikes in the Rockies

Mount Kidd RV Park Summary

With stunning mountain scenery, a beautiful wilderness setting and a truly impressive set of amenities, Mount Kidd RV Park is one of the best campgrounds in the Canadian Rockies. Throw in close proximity to dozens of hiking and biking trails, plus a horseshoe pit, and, well, it’s hard to go wrong. Just try to plan ahead and make your reservation early.

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