We’ve tried a few times to camp at the Point backcountry campground and never had much success. But one day the stars aligned and we managed to finally get out there. I’d walked the Kananaskis Upper Lakes loop before and stopped in to explore the campground but a few years ago they made some big changes and wow is it a spot not to miss now.
If you are looking for a backcountry spot that isn’t too far Point backcountry campground has your back. With fairly easy access options and often being snow free earlier than a lot of other backcountry spots, this is a perfect early summer option. With the added bonus that it’s fairly empty midweek in the early summer. When we visited under half the tent pads were occupied, we didn’t hear other people for a full 24 hours besides in the communal cooking area.
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Where Is The Point Backcountry Campground
Located on the shore of the Upper Kananaskis Lake the Point backcountry campground is perfectly located for anyone visiting from Calgary or Banff.
If you are driving from Calgary, the Upper Kananaskis Lake is around 140 kilometres via Highway 1 West, followed by Highway 40 South. Coming from Banff, it is around 120 kilometres, again via Highway 1, this time heading East, before heading south on Highway 40.
Once on Highway 40 follow signs for Peter Lougheed Provincial Park which is around 45 kilometres down Highway 40. Once you have turned off for Peter Lougheed Park, follow the winding road almost to the end to reach the Upper Kananaskis Lake day use area, which is clearly signposted.
Accessing The Point Backcountry Campground
When it comes to getting to the Point backcountry campground, you have three options, two trail options and one via water!
We opted to park at the Upper Kananaskis Lake parking area where they have the boat launch and paddle the length of the Upper Kananaskis Lake to reach the Point backcountry campground. This is a great option for experienced paddlers as it allows you to tale nroe stuff if you wish. That being said, the lake is in fact a reservoir, the water levels can fluctuate but more worrisome is the wind which can affect the lake.
The wind can come from nowhere and make for treacherous paddling conditions, always stick close to the shore! For a shorter paddle it is also possible to put in at the Interlakes day use area, however water access isn’t quite as easy. Once paddling on the lake the Point backcountry campground is located on the North shore of the Upper Kananaskis Lake, so if you are setting off from the Upper Kananaskis Lake day use area in is the shore directly opposite at the back of the lake.
The Point backcountry campground sits just to the left of the rock slide area, paddling the shore from the rock slide area you’ll see the campground and the safest place to dock is by going round the far end of the Point and tucking into the water behind. From here you’ll see a sign and one of the cooking areas. Pull out here and make sure to leave your boat above the high water mark just in case!
If you are more interested in hiking the Point backcountry campground, the easiest route is from the Interlakes parking area, from here it is a 3.4km hike round the lake with 25m of elevation gain. This is one of the reasons backpacking to Point campground is known to be so family friendly. There are few options for such a short and flat trail to a backcountry campground in the area.
You can also hike in from the Upper Kananaskis day use area, following the upper lake look either way, they are very similar in distance and again, have very little elevation gain, however you are looking at closer to a 10km hike in from this point, so most people choose to backpack in from Interlakes. If you have a few days at Point Campground you can easily complete the Upper Lakes loop with a day pack in a few hours.
The Point Backcountry Campground
The Point backcountry campground might be one of the most private backcountry campgrounds I’ve ever stayed at! All 20 tent pads are clearly signposted and easily accessible and most offer superb privacy with gorgeous mountain or lake views. The tent pads are well defined with gravel bases and there are plenty of trees around most sites if you want or need to string up a tarp. Weather on mountain lakes has a habit of changing frequently and we definitely made use of our tarp when an unforecast thunderstorm came through.
Prior to the updating of the Point backcountry campground, there were fire pits located throughout the site, these have been removed and fires are no longer permitted at the campground.
There are new and clean outhouses raised off the ground which is always a pleasant treat at a backcountry campground.
The highlight of the point backcountry campground is now the two cooking and as they call them ‘group hang out’ areas. The cooking areas have benches and food lockers. There are also obvious grey water disposal areas. The group hang out areas consist of three large seating benches which offer gorgeous views of the mountains. It’s nice at such a large backcountry campground to have an alternative spot to hang out rather than taking up cooking benches when you are done eating.
Anyone wishing to stay at the Point backcountry campground must have a reservation, this can easily be done online. You will also need a Kananaskis Conservation Pass to recreate in the area, again this can be purchased online and is tied to your vehicle license plate.
Another great paddling trip in Kananaskis is across Barrier Lake to the Jewell Bay campground.
Things I Like To Bring On Canoe Trips
When I go canoe camping there are a few essentials I always like to bring with me. The first up is my Chaco sandals, I literally wore nothing else on my feet for the whole trip. These are great for the water but also perform excellent around camp and on shorter, easy trails.
I always use dry bags for all our gear, oftentimes you may feel like you don’t need them but when we paddled in and the lake was rough, our gear definitely would have gotten wet if it wasn’t for the dry bags. They also came in super useful when we got to camp in the rain!
A lightweight chair, this isn’t something I typically take backpacking but it is a nice treat when you aren’t so concerned about weight. It is nice to be able to sit at your site, in your chair and read a book or look out over the lake as the sunsets.