Camp, fish, and play at beautiful Lundbreck Falls!
Lundbreck Falls Provincial Recreation Area is known for its picturesque falls and fantastic fishing, but it also makes a good base camp for exploring the Crowsnest Pass area. Situated near the junction of the Cowboy Trail and Highway 3, Lundbreck Falls campground is only 15 minutes from Frank Slide Interpretive Centre and Leitch Collieries. We enjoyed sightseeing and hiking during the day, fishing at dawn and dusk, watching the sunset at the falls, and getting to know our fellow campers. Most were locals who return year after year to fish the Crowsnest River which is teeming with trout.
Disclosure: As an Alberta Parks Ambassador, I received free camping, but all words and opinions are my own.
Lundbreck Falls Campground
Lundbreck Falls campground has 58 campsites that must be reserved in advance:
- Upper Loop: suitable for large trailers and motorhomes; all sites have 15/30 Amp power, no shade
- Lower Loop: suitable for tents and trailers; sites are of varying size, but many on the smaller size. Half the sites have 15/30 Amp power and there are a few riverside sites. Most sites are well shaded by large trees.
- Walk-In Tent Sites: There are 8 walk-in sites near the lower loop and 4 near the upper loop. Sites are small with moderate privacy, but most of the walk-in sites near the lower loop are along the river.
See the campground map for more details.
Know Before You Go
- The campground is now 100% reservable. Book your campsite online at Alberta Parks Reservations.
- Firewood and drinking water are not available onsite. If you need anything, the nearest store is O’bies General Mercantile in Lundbreck.
- Pit Toilets
- No showers
- Trains pass by quite close to the campground, so light sleepers should bring ear plugs.
- There is no cell phone service in the park.
Things to Do at Lundbreck Provincial Recreation Area
Lundbreck Falls: You can walk to beautiful Lundbreck Falls from the campground. Take the footpath along the river past the walk-in tent sites (go to the left if you are facing the river), about 400 metres. Falling 12 metres, Lundbreck Falls is best seen at sunrise or sunset.
Fishing: The Crowsnest River is a legendary trout stream and I witnessed first hand how amazing it was when I landed a beautiful rainbow trout on my first cast! I fished downstream from the falls, from shore, and caught many more rainbows during our stay. Supposedly there are whitefish and cutthroat trout in this section of the river too. Note that you MUST RELEASE trout that are between 30 and 45 cm long! See Alberta Fishing Regulations for more information. Dawn and dusk can get a bit congested along the shoreline near camp, but if you walk downstream a couple minutes, there’s usually no one.
Wading / swimming: Once you get past the bridge downstream of the falls, the Crowsnest River is quite calm with a few deeper pools. Right in front of the campground, there is a small gravel beach for wading and swimming. Keep the kids close as the river is deep towards the middle.
Nearby Things to Do
Frank Slide Interpretive Centre & Frank Slide Trail (1.5 km): The interpretive centre showcases Crowsnest Pass history and illustrates – through exhibits and videos – what the town looked like before, during and after Frank Slide, Canada’s deadliest rock slide. Learn why the rockslide happened and if it will happen again. After, hike the Frank Slide Trail through rubble that fell from Turtle Mountain. There is an admission fee for the interpretive centre, but there is no charge to hike Frank Slide Trail. For more information, see our story: 5 Things to do at Frank Slide Interpretive Centre.
Leitch Collieries is the site of an old coal mine. Take a self-guided tour of the ruins and learn what led to the mine’s demise. Admission by donation.
Chinook Lake Provincial Recreation Area is a fun place to play on a hot day. The lake is calm for stand up paddling or canoeing and is stocked with trout for fishing. Not an ideal swimming beach for children as the shore slopes into the lake, but there’s a small beach at the east end of the lake.
Table Mountain Scramble is a popular early season summit as it has beautiful views and is snow free earlier than many other peaks.
Beauvais Lake Provincial Park has hiking and biking trails, great birding, fishing (lake is stocked), and a campground with 77 sites.
Getting Here
Lundbreck Falls Provincial Recreation Area is about 2 hrs south of Calgary via Hwy 2, or 2 hrs 20 minutes if you take scenic Hwy 22 (Cowboy Trail). Some noteworthy attractions worth a short detour include:
- The Fort at Fort Macleod: The fort is home to the North West Mounted Police Museum, First Nations Interpretive Centre, and NWMP Musical Ride. We loved watching the musical ride, feeding the goats, and exploring the fort. $
- Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre: Learn about Blackfoot culture and how buffalo were hunted at this amazing facility. Allow time to walk to the buffalo jumps after checking out the indoor exhibits and videos. $
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