Here’s a practical breakdown of the best tools for each part of the job:

Organizing the Big Picture

Trello or Asana

•             Great for creating boards like Food, Activities, Travel, Budget, and Volunteers

•             Lets you assign tasks to family members

•             Visual, simple, and perfect for group collaboration

Notion

•             A flexible all‑in‑one workspace

•             You can build pages for schedules, packing lists, menus, and contact lists

•             Ideal if you want everything in one place

Scheduling & Availability

Doodle

•             Helps you find the best date for everyone

•             No sign‑in required for participants

Google Calendar

•             Share the event date, reminders, and activity schedule

•             Syncs easily across devices

Communication & Announcements

Facebook Groups

•             Still one of the easiest ways to keep a large family updated

•             Great for posting photos, polls, and reminders

WhatsApp or GroupMe

•             Perfect for quick updates and group chats

•             Works well for families spread across countries

Sign‑Ups & Coordination

SignUpGenius

•             Ideal for potlucks, volunteer roles, activity sign-ups

•             Prevents duplicate dishes or forgotten supplies

Google Forms

•             Collect RSVPs, dietary restrictions, T‑shirt sizes, or activity preferences

•             Automatically organizes responses into a spreadsheet

Budgeting & Payments

Splitwise

•             Track shared expenses (food, rentals, cabins, etc.)

•             Avoids awkward money conversations

PayPal, Venmo, or e‑Transfer

•             Easy ways for family members to contribute to shared costs

Travel & Location Planning

Google Maps

•             Create a custom map with cabins, campsites, restaurants, and activity spots

Creative Extras (your specialty!)

Canva

•             Make invitations, itineraries, name tags, T‑shirts, and social media graphics

•             Tons of templates for family events

PhotoCircleto

•             A private shared photo album for everyone at the reunion

•             Great for collecting memories without posting publicly

Summary

Using technology can help organize information and help keep track of details. For more, be sure to check out our Family Reunion Planning Guide, which you can access here.

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Mental health professionals tell us, stress is a natural part of life. Managing it effectively is key to maintaining mental and physical well-being. Some leading causes of stress are financial challenges, work-related issues, relationship issues, family responsibilities, life changes, and health concerns.

When stress levels are increasing, new strategies for dealing with things might make sense. This Staycation theme is to uncover a new approach that works for you and/or your family.

If you are interested in exploring other staycation ideas check out our page for planning information and other themes.

Spending Time Outdoors

Camping is a great start. First, it’s getting away and a change of environment is good.  In addition to being away, spending time close to nature has a profound effect on how we handle high stress. When you immerse yourself in a natural setting, your brain gets a break from the constant barrage of loud noises, digital screens, and urban demands. This disconnect can help reset your sympathetic nervous system—the part responsible for the “fight or flight” response—leading to lowered blood pressure, reduced heart rate, and a drop in stress hormones like cortisol.

A Day at the Spa

Planning a spa day is an excellent way to unwind and alleviate stress. Choose a spa nearby so you get the most of your time away, and book treatments that target your concerns; deep-tissue massages for those trail-weary legs or a hydrating facial to restore your skin after sun exposure. If you’re camping with friends or family, turn it into a shared experience and plan a mini spa retreat together. It’s a great way to connect and unwind after outdoor excursions. Most spas can accommodate groups if you book with enough notice, so be sure to book ahead.

Many spas offer amenities that campers will love: cozy robes to change into, sandals, fruit-infused water, and specialty teas to name a few. Book this experience at Cactus Club Salon & Spa in Okotoks. click here for their website.

Equine-Assisted Learning

Equine-assisted learning offers an effective way to manage stress. This can be particularly beneficial if you are dealing with a serious health issue or personal loss. Interacting with horses, such as grooming or leading them, promotes mindfulness and emotional regulation. Horses are intuitive creatures that respond to human emotions, helping individuals focus on the present moment. Additionally, the physical activity involved in equine-assisted learning releases endorphins, enhancing overall well-being. It’s a unique and calming approach that combines emotional healing with physical benefits. Start by contacting Unhaltered Hope to learn more, their website is here.

Music Therapy

Music therapy can help you manage your stress and promote relaxation while also having fun! It uses the soothing and uplifting properties of music to promote relaxation and emotional well-being. Guided imagery, incorporating the sounds around you while listening or singing, can reduce your cortisol levels or enhance your connection with your family. Playing instruments or drumming lets you release any pent-up emotions. There are so many ways to incorporate music into your staycation. Begin your discovery with MasterworX Music Therapy, their website is here.

Aroma therapy

Aromatherapy is a gentle, safe approach for altering our day, using plant properties related to scent, to interact with our nervous system. This system is a complex collection of organs, nerves, and your brain which then use hormones and expand their effects through the entirety of your body. Scents most often associated with calming include lavender, frankincense, chamomile, clove, cinnamon, and sage Learn about common diffusers to release the scent into the air. Begin this discovery at Okotoks Natural Foods. Their website is here.

Conclusion

Everyone’s experience with stress is unique, and discovering a way of dealing with it will also be specific to you. Perhaps getting away, and spending time camping is just the tonic you need. We encourage you to explore some of the other options here to help manage stress.

Begin by booking your camping here.

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A fun aspect of vacation travel is learning about local history. This pursuit can still be great fun even when you are taking a staycation. A staycation means you are close to home, but there is still so much to explore for history buffs.

Long-time residents of a community will already know much of the history of their particular community. But there is always more to learn. Planning a History Buff Staycation can uncover fascinating stories in your backyard. And how much do you actually know about the small communities within an easy drive?

Small-Town Museums

Your History Buff Staycation will focus on visiting small-town museums within a one hour drive of the campground. This is a much different experience compared to visiting a big city museums which tends to be well funded with support from the government as well as donations and sponsorship sales. They also often have revenue from admission and gift shop sales.

Pioneer Life, Energy and Aviation

In Calgary, the Glenbow Museum is currently undergoing a major renovation. This is an ideal time to shift your focus to alternatives. Each of our small-town museums tells the rich history of that community. Learn about their pioneers, farming, and ranching. For the curious, you can learn more about the iconic grain elevators seen throughout the West. An important part of our regional history is the military training in the area during World War II. Some of these small museums have displays recognizing the many feature films and television productions that have been shot in the area. Discover all of this and so much more.

There are several things to keep in mind. The collections are much smaller and focused on their unique local history or a particular theme. Admission will likely be free, nominal, or by donation. The museum collection will be a labor of love by local residents and you just might meet a local senior in residence only too happy to answer questions. We encourage you to plan to take in other attractions in each of the communities.

Okotoks

Okotoks Museum and Archives: This museum showcases the rich heritage of Okotoks, featuring exhibits on local history, culture, and artifacts. They also assemble exhibits with a theme that tells a piece of the region’s history. These are constantly changing. At this writing, they have “One Room Schools of the Foothills” and “Snow Much Fun – Winter on the Prairies.” They also have programs for visitors of all ages. Check out their website for current information.
https://www.okotoks.ca/your-community/amenities/cultural-heritage-facilities/museum-archives

For more things to do in Okotoks check out our blog post “A Day in Okotoks.”
https://riverbendcampground.ca/blog/a-day-in-okotoks/

High River

Museum of the Highwood: Located in the historic train station, this museum has faced a lot of adversity and continues to serve the community members and visitors. The current generation has faced a fire, the major flood of 2013, and the Pandemic. A very popular collection is the history of movie and television production in the area including the popular CBC Television series “Heartland.” The museum also serves as the High River Visitor Information Centre. Check out their website here:
https://www.museumofthehighwood.com/

For more things to do in High River check out our blog post “A Day in High River.”
https://riverbendcampground.ca/blog/a-day-in-high-river/

Vulcan

Vulcan & District Museum: This museum offers a glimpse into Vulcan’s history. It’s housed in historic buildings. The old Alberta Government building has been connected to an old schoolhouse. Interactive displays and exhibits feature old telephone equipment. The kids might have an opportunity to listen to a lesson in the one-room school. The museum has artifacts and stories from the RCAF airport used for training during the war. During the last century, there were nine grain elevators here. Locally they are known as “Nine in a Line.”
https://www.historyofvulcan.com/

Vulcan welcomes Star Trek fans. Mr. Spock’s home planet was Vulcan, and the enterprising citizens of the southern Alberta Town embraced this coincidence. Don’t miss a visit to the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station.
https://www.vulcantourism.com/

Nanton

Bomber Command Museum of Canada: Dedicated to Canada’s aviation heritage during World War II, this museum features historic aircraft, including the rare Lancaster bomber. Aviation buffs will enjoy the opportunity to enter this famous bomber.

Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre: Grain farming shaped the West and every fall, farmers brought their harvest to the local grain elevator. These huge wooden structures stood along the rail lines in almost every town and village. Sadly, most of these elevators are gone, victims of progress but Nanton has preserved three of them. The Discovery Centre tells of the history of farming in Alberta.

Claresholm

Claresholm & District Museum: This museum is located in a historic sandstone railway station. It was part of the C.P.R.s train station in downtown Calgary. The impressive museum collections showcase the history and culture of Claresholm and the surrounding area.
https://www.claresholm.ca/visitors/see-the-sights/claresholm-district-museum

Diamond Valley

Energy development is an important part of our history. It began with the 1914 discovery of oil when Dingman #1 well blew. An integral part of the area’s energy story involves the Turner Valley Gas Plant. During the Second World War, the demand for energy increased significantly and the Turner Valley gas plant played a crucial role This is now a National and Provincial Historic Site
https://turnervalleygasplant.ca/

Conclusion

With this information, we hope you have a good place to begin planning a History Buff Staycation. Your next step should be to book your one-week stay at Riverbend Campground.

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New from RV Manufacturers

Entering a new year, we like to look at industry trends. Looking ahead gives us an idea of what we might see at the upcoming RV Show. It was known as the Calgary RV Expo & Sale. This year, the RV Dealers Association is calling it the Calgary RV Adventure Sale & Show. We’re scratching our heads because it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but maybe it’s just us. This year’s show information can be found here. Read on for some industry trends to watch for.

Designer Interiors

RV interiors have been mostly beige and brown. RV manufacturers were asked why they limit production to these colors. They respond by saying, it’s what the dealers order. RV dealers say they choose these colors because they don’t show dirt when they are on display at the dealership. So the trend in the past wasn’t based on consumer choices. It seems some are moving beyond that with a trend toward fresh color schemes, new floor plans, and residential-style lighting fixtures inspired by interior designers. We’ll also see more pet-friendly features like D-rings to secure your pooch.

Goodbye Propane Ovens

Many RV owners never use the propane oven in their RV. They are small, don’t heat evenly, and can significantly heat up an RV interior, which is a problem during hot weather. An air fryer oven or a combo air fryer/convection microwave oven is the new alternative.

Office Spaces

With the shift to more remote work, manufacturers are including dedicated areas for a desk and office supplies/equipment.

Bathrooms

You can expect to see more spacious bathrooms with roomier showers, upscale vanities, and improved storage for linens and medicine/grooming items.

Solar-Power Systems

For campers interested in boondocking or camping in unserviced sites, more RVs will come with Integrated solar power systems.

Concealed Storage

A big design trend in 2025 RVs is secret storage. Keeping valuables secure is an issue. Look for dressers and cabinets featuring tops with concealed hinges that let them flip up to access invisible storage areas. Some fifth-wheels even have concealed walk-in pantries.

Conclusion

As your RV lifestyle needs change, shopping for a new RV will be in the cards. Manufacturers are innovating to bring you into a showroom to shop for new. With rising costs, there is only so much trimming that can be done to keep prices down. RV manufacturers have done the research and are adding features hoping to entice you into an RV dealer’s showroom. Happy shopping.

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Food Trucks for Family Events

A wedding reception includes food. Food Truck weddings are a very popular trend. A family reunion is more casual and guests’ expectations are different. With a reunion, you might opt for a pot luck dinner but if you do choose to have food provided, food trucks are a good way to go.

Why Choose a Food Truck to Cater Your Family Event?

Renting a food truck for your campground event is an excellent option because it:

• Provides affordable food service
• Offers a wide range of cuisine options
• Gives you the option to hire multiple trucks allows multiple food options
• Allows for more creativity for event theme
• Provides for fun photo opportunities
• Means easy personalization
• Timelines for booking might be less

Food Truck Tips

Food trucks are fun and require no set up, cutlery, utensils, power, or clean up! It’s a fast, easy and fun way to serve your crowd. Food, alcohol, and/or desert, and almost any cuisine. If you have a small event, check with the food truck operators as they might have a minimum spend. It can vary depending on the the individual truck and the menu chosen.

If you have a large guest list, you can go with multiple trucks, An individual truck can serve from around 75 up to perhaps 100 guests. Multiple trucks can serve the same menu or you can arrange multiple trucks serving multiple food choices. Multiple trucks also reduce wait times. A few other ideas to provide speedier service are to cut down on the number of items on the menu, have food set up for a buffet. And you can also hire a team to serve or assist your event attendees

Aside from a main meal, there may be other times where food and/or beverage serve would add to your event. For weddings, perhaps arrange a rehearsal dinner that can supported by this service. For a reunion, you might want to include something like a sunrise breakfast.

YYC Food Trucks

Over the past few years, Riverbend Campground has partnered with YYC Food Trucks for fun food options on long weekends. You can check out their website here.

Family Event Planning Resources

We have some addition resources to help in your event planning. For general event planning check out this page. Family planning a reunion will find helpful information here. And for a summer wedding be sure to check out our content here.

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Be Prepared

In the past we occasionally had travelers with limited knowledge of Canada arrive with snow tires strapped on their roof and even extra gas cans on board. Today’s campers are much more knowledgeable. Today’s tourist has a better understanding of what they will encounter in Western Canada. Continue your research to avoid issue. For example, American travelers need to be familiar with the laws regarding entering Canada. Although we are very close and friendly neighbors Canada is a foreign country. Take time to become familiar with what you can and cannot bring into Canada. If you are planning this adventure, we encourage you to check our page “Americans Travelling to Canada” here and also read on for information.

Alaska Highway History

The impetus for construction was a desire on the part of the United States government to connect the state of Alaska to the lower 48. This plan became a priority following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Construction began in spring 1942. When it was opened it was 2700 kilometers (1,678 miles) and was not paved. Traveling the Highway in those days was challenging, with some rough challenging sections. Improvements have been made. Rebuilding some original sections has shortened the distance by 470 kilometers (290 miles) and the route is now paved. To learn more about the history visit Wikipedia here.

Entering Canada

Driving to Alaska requires driving through Western Canada. A popular point of entry is the Coutts, Alberta border crossing. This point of entry is 120 miles north of Great Falls Montana. In Canada, distances are measured in kilometers and speeds are in kilometers per hour. When refueling, your gas/diesel is measured in liters.

Camping at Riverbend

Riverbend Campground is located 275 kilometers (170 miles) north of Coutts. Many travelers find that this is a comfortable distance which makes our facility a popular way point. After entering at Coutts, you will drive north to the city of Lethbridge. From here travel west on Highway 3 to Fort Macleod. A short distance west of Fort Macleod you connect with Alberta Highway #2, dubbed the Queen Elizabeth II or simply QE2. Riverbend Campground is 128 kilometers (80 miles) north of Fort Macleod.

Big Rig RVs

Riverbend Campground can accommodate Big Rig RVs. Whether you have a Class A motorhome with a tow vehicle or a 40+ foot long 5th wheel we have sites that will accommodate. It is important to book in advance as we have a limited number available.

Continuing North to Alaska

From Riverbend Campground, the easier route is to continue north on the QE2 through Calgary and on to the City of Edmonton. From Edmonton head west on Highway 16 and then north on Highway 43 to Dawson Creek. This town is the site of “Mile 0” of the Alaska Highway.

Communities and points of interest are identified by the historic milepost system. For example, Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon Territory is at historic Milepost 918. A great resource with information for this part of your adventure is a guide published each year called The Milepost. Their website is here.

Conclusion

If you are dreaming of experiencing the land of the midnight sun soon we applaud. We hope this gives you some basic information. We would love to be a stop on your epic adventure. When you have your dates secured, book your stay with us online. Start by clicking the BOOK NOW button below.

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A camping staycation has become an extremely popular way to continue creating family memories. Adding a theme can enhance enjoyment of the great outdoors. In previous posts we have this guide for Planning a Staycation as well as Birdwatching Staycation, Fishing Staycation, and Introduction to Horses Staycation. In this post we offer information on our “Indigenous Tourism Staycation.”

Dunbow Residential School

We offer some basic information and resource here and if you are more experienced feel free to jump ahead to see recommended destinations. We give you the distance to reach the destination with a brief description.

The Okotoks Museum and Archives recently had an exhibit called “Little Moccasins.” This exhibit features a short documentary film, released in 2014, titled “Little Moccasins.” The film examines the history of the St. Joseph’s Residential School. The facility was renamed the Dunbow Industrial School. The school was located northeast of town near Dunbow Road on the banks of the Highwood River. The School operated from 1884 until 1922. Sadly, 73 Indigenous children died there. The film seeks to honour these children. Some of the shoes in the exhibit at the Museum are from the 215 children that died at the Kamloops Residential School.

Tsuut’ina Nation Culture/Museum

The closest First Nation Reservation to Riverbend Campground is the Tsuut’ina Nation which is on the western edge of Calgary. This is a wonderful facility to start you exploration into Indigenous Tourism. This museum presents an opportunity to learn some of their rich history and culture. On June 28th, 2017 the museum opened to the public. Attached to the museum is a small gift shop. If you go, plan ahead. They are not open on weekends and be aware they don’t allow photos inside the museum display area as many of the artifacts are considered sacred. Click here for the museum website.

Stoney Nakoda

As part of your Indigenous Tourism staycation we recommend a visit to the Chiniki Cultural Centre. Although the facility is not large there is an excellent collection of artifacts with displays explaining their history.

Bar U Ranch

The Bar U Ranch is a National Historic Site which preserves early life in Southern Alberta. The ranch is located on the Pekisko Creek. This name originates from the Blackfoot language and means rolling foothills. The history of Southern Stoney is an integral part of ranching life in the area and a visit to Bar U is an opportunity to learn.

A display featuring a Stoney Nakoda encampment allows visitors to enter a tipi and hear Indigenous interpreters share their history through traditional stories. These interpreters are in Bar U on Saturdays and Sundays through the summer. Access the Bar U Ranch website online here.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Historically Indigenous people in this area were hunters and relied on the buffalo. For nearly 6,000 years, long before guns and horse were introduced to North America, the hunt saw buffalo stampeded over a cliff. This culture experienced years of plenty with good hunts and some years of shortage. Archeologists studying the site have determined the first sign of human activity in the area goes back 9,000 years. Its first use as a buffalo jump was 5,700 years ago which places its origin in time before the pyramids and before Stonehenge. Head-Smashed-In is the world’s largest, oldest and best preserved buffalo jump and has been designated a World Heritage Site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The history and story is well told at the interpretive centre. During your tour, learn how the geography, climate and vegetation influenced the lifestyle of the Plains people by examining the many exhibits. A small theatre presents a ten minute film “In Search of the Buffalo” which features local Blackfoot actors re-enacting activities around the hunt. We have a blog post with more information which you can read here.

Conclusion

Your Indigenous Tourism staycation will be an excellent way to expose your family to the history and culture or various of our first nations friends. Start by booking your stay at Riverbend Campground.

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Tourists travel to the Calgary area to experience the sights and attractions of the city. Over time we have seen the elimination of many camping options in the area but Riverbend Campground continues to be a popular choice because of our great Calgary access. It’s just over ten minutes to the city limits on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway. For more on camping in Calgary check the blog post here.

Getting Around

When visiting the city most of our campers drive because access is fast and easy. And traveling around Calgary is relatively easy. Avenues run east and west, and Streets run north and south.  The city has 4 quadrants, with street numbering starting at Centre Street and avenue numbering starting at the Bow River where it flows under the Centre Street Bridge.

Using Calgary Transit

For attraction in the inner city, you might want to access Calgary Transit.  The C-Trail (light rail transit) can be boarded at the southern most station is Somerset-Bridlewood. This is 30 kms/22 minutes from the Riverbend Campground. Transit fare is $3.60. There is parking at the station and lots of retail close by including a Walmart if you do choose this option.

Bus and Taxi Options

You may want to have someone else drive. Perhaps you are travelling in a motorhome or you have a large tow vehicle and want to avoid driving in an unfamiliar city.  You do have options. Southland Transportation offers a commuter bus service called On-It which is used by Okotoks residents who work in downtown Calgary. As such is leaves very early in the morning and goes right into downtown where they make stops at 6 different locations. It then returns in the afternoon. Their website is https://www.onitregionaltransit.ca/okotoks-commuter/

 Okotoks Taxi is another and perhaps better option. With prior arrangement you can have them drive you to the Calgary Transit station in south Calgary. Campers choosing this option can get a flat rate for the trip. Okotoks Taxi website is: https://okotokstaxi.ca/

Visiting Calgary Stampede

We thought it would be important to share some information on staying at Riverbend Campground and visiting the Calgary Stampede. Stampede Park is inner-city and parking is very limited and can be expensive. Downtown Calgary has some of the highest parking rates in North America. Your best option is to use transit. Parking is available at the stations and C-Train service operates with extended hours during Stampede.

Things to do in Calgary

Be sure to check out the page on our website with 15 things to do in Calgary by clicking here. There are lots of options from the Calgary Zoo to Heritage Park Historical Village and many more. For more to see and do including dining and shopping be sure to visit the Tourism Calgary website here.

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When camping at Riverbend Campground, some guests like to take day trips. For people vacationing in the area, it’s an opportunity to explore. For weekenders that live nearby, it’s a chance to revisit favorite spots or discover something new. There are many options from urban adventures to communing with nature.  One area that should be on your list of top picks is a day trip to Kananaskis Country.

The Beginnings

Kananaskis Country is referred to as Alberta’s Mountain playground. It takes its name from the Kananaskis River which was named by explorer and geographer John Palliser. Kananaskis was the name of a Cree friend of Palliser. Founded in 1978, this year marks the 45^th anniversary of its formation. Its 4,000 square kilometers are best known for its beauty and recreational opportunities but it actually has a variety of land use designations. These range from the many recreational activities to some commercial uses and ecological reserves.

Kananaskis Conservation Pass

In the past, access to Kananaskis Country was free. During the pandemic, many indoor activities were restricted and the beauty of the great outdoors was calling. People flocked to the area putting a strain on services and impacted wildlife and conservation efforts. In June of 2021 the Provincial Government implemented a user fee. The stated objective was to help offset the costs of maintaining the area. Users must purchase either a daily or yearly pass. A day pass is $15.00. These can be purchased online here

Alberta Provincial Parks

It’s interesting to note that Kananaskis Country contains nine Provincial Parks/Wildland Provincial Parks. This number might surprise even some locals. Regular visitors to Kananaskis will have favorite areas. The closest Kananaskis experience to Riverbend Campground is Sheep River Provincial Park/Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park. These two are just a 45-minute drive (52 kms) west from here. The headwaters of the Sheep River, which flows by our campground, are located here.

Kananaskis Country Recreation

Sightseeing

Looking at the recreational opportunities of the entire area, sightseeing is near the top of thew list. A favorite scenic drive is Highway 40 which runs through the heart of some of Alberta’s most beautiful country. This drive travels south from the TransCanada Highway through the Stoney First Nations reserve into Kananaskis. There are many worthwhile stops along the way. Continuing south the road takes you over the Highwood Pass. At an elevation of 2,227 meters (7,306 feet) it is the highest road pass in Canada. For more information on this and other scenic drives check out this site:

Hiking and/or Biking

There are so many options for hiking and mountain biking, at first glance it seems almost limitless. Hiking trails range in difficulty from easy to hard. There are two excellent sites with information on choosing a trail. First is the Canadian Rockies Travel Guide. Their hiking information for Kananaskis is here

Kananaskis Country Hiking (thecanadianrockies.com)

Another great resource is the All-Trails Website. They offer a great deal of user input for their trail rating and trail curating. When using this website for trail information it requires that you enter a more specific region. Their recommendations for trails in Sheep River Provincial Park are here

Best 10 Hikes and Trails in Sheep River Provincial Park | AllTrails

More Recreation

Other popular activities summertime activities in Alberta’s Mountain Playground include birdwatching, fishing and white-water rafting. In an earlier blog post on birdwatching one of our recommended locations was in Kananaskis Country. You can read that here. And our fishing staycation blog post also had recommendations in the area. Find that blog post here.

Conclusion

Putting up your feet here at the campground can be relaxing. If you want to explore and experience some of the beauty of Alberta’s mountains to the west, a Kananaskis Country Daytrip has this in abundance.

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• Roads can get very dusty at times
• better roads
• I would pay an extra $50 a month, for paved roads, in the main roads.
• when it rains the road into and in front of our lot is left with a big puddle (lake) this needs to be filled up
• Road improvements (pothole repairs)
• We’d love the road on the ISLAND to be serviced with gravel. Its a mud pit in the spring, and when it rains

Dust

Keeping speeds down is the first step in reducing dust. Oil on roads is very effective at keeping dust under control. However, this is very bad for the natural habitat that draws wildlife to our campground. Riverbend uses recycled asphalt for most road surfaces. We apply calcium chloride to keep dust to a minimum.

Potholes

Keeping up with potholes is a challenge. The main contributing factor in the formation of a pothole is water. This can be water from below as well as above the road surface. Our property has a very high water table. This means water come up from below. And of course, when it rains, we have water sitting on top of the road. This water acts to loosen the soil and gravel and traffic causes a breakdown of the road surface.

During construction municipal roads are crowned. This allows water to drain off the roadway into a ditch. This is not practical in a campground. We want to avoid having water drain from the road into campsites. If we were to add a ditch for drainage access to our sites is more difficult. In many areas our campsites are higher than the roadway Our roadways actually act as a drainage system. This is especially true of the roads that runs east and west parallel to the river.

Paving

It might surprise you to know that driving from the far west end parallel  to the river and continuing along Riverbend Drive to the far east end is just under a kilometer.  Have a look at our campground map to see the amount of roadway involved. Clicking on this link:
https://riverbendcampground.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Map-_11x17_FINAL_2021.png
Paving this amount of road would be very expensive and would not solve the problem of the deterioration of roads and formation of potholes caused by the high water table.  

Conclusion

We don’t take the condition of our roads lightly. We work on them every year, but here are somethings to keep in mind. The better the road conditions, the more speeding becomes a factor. Potholes can slow traffic. This is not our intention. Speed bumps serve as speed reduction. When you see a pothole, until we have a chance to repair it, hope that it caused a driver to slow down.

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