Long Term Camping in Alberta

What is Long Term Camping?

Campgrounds that cater exclusively to short-stay or rubber-time campers may have maximum stay rules, typically 14 days. In Alberta Parks’ campgrounds the maximum is 16 consecutive days. After this period you must leave the campground for a minimum of 24 hours. In the provincial group campgrounds the maximum is 5 consecutive nights.

In this context, we might think of long-term as more than 2 weeks. For campers searching for an extended stay, a monthly rate might be what they are looking for. Here at Riverbend we do offer one and two month rentals at a reduced rate when compared to our daily rate. We also offer additional discounts for those looking for a stay of a three months or longer.  In addition to various monthly options we also offer seasonal camping which we will cover in more detail in a future post.

Woodpecker at suet feeder
Long term campers can add some personal touches such as bird feeders.

Why People Choose Long Term Camping

There are a couple of things that cause people to look at long term RV camping. We had an example very close to home a few years ago, when the Town of High River just south of us experience major flooding. The entire town was impacted and a number of the displaced residents were able to make their RV a temporary home.

We also see people that are having a major renovation underway at their principal residence and find relocating to a campground is a pleasant solution. Another common reason is temporary work relocation. A short term work assignment or project brings the worker to our area. People find this a pleasant and affordable alternative to living in a hotel. In some cases these employees are able to bring family to enjoy an extended vacation while they go off to work every day.

Another life event that makes long-term camping in Calgary a solution is when residents of a smaller community have a family member that has to come to the city for medical treatment. The family members want to support their loved one during an extended hospital stay. Staying in a campground is affordable and the natural setting can be calming.

Full-Time RVing

Another group that chooses monthly camping is “full-timers.” These are usually retired people that give up their permanent address. Although most are retired there are some full-timers that have a job that can be done from anywhere with Internet access. These folks can spend summers with us at Riverbend and winter away from our cold winters. Of course the border closer between Canada and the United States due to the pandemic has impacted these folks this year. There have been recent stories in the news about snowbirds shipping their RV’s to a US destination and flying down to avoid the border closure.

Wintering in Canada

There are a few options for living in your RV while staying in Canada over winter. Hearty folks can stay here. Others are choosing a location with less snow and milder temperatures. Two of the destinations are the Okanagan Valley in BC and Vancouver Island. This second option does cause campers to deal with cold and damp which could result in mold.

Conclusion

If a life circumstance or a lifestyle choice ever causes you to search for a long-term camping opportunity we encourage you to check out Riverbend Campground. You can find long term rental rate information here. And Call the office at 403-938-2017 to check on availability.