Two Jack Main Campground

Do you enjoy camping in a subdivision where it sounds like your neighbour is in bed with you? Do you like campers beside you having a direct view of your campsite all day/night long with no tree coverage and privacy? Do you like basically no amenities, no shower, playground or anything to see or do for your stay? Do you want to have to drive somewhere to pay for a shower (where!?) because the campsite doesn’t have basic amenities? For any price, this campground is horrible. The fact that we paid over $100 to stay here not shower or be able to sleep is insane to me. But, welcome to Alberta I guess!

The forest the campsite is in is actually beautiful. If you are there around 5-6 pm and the weather is good in summer it is nice to sit out (not too many mosquitoes) and have dinner at the benches they provide. For every camp site group there are flush toilets, hot water in the sinks and even a semi closed dining area where you can also wash your utensils. There are no hot showers (which I don’t get because they have sewage and hot water access) and you are also not allowed to use the Lake Campsite’s hot showers. The staff is helpful and friendly.

Super scenic grounds with a nice view of the mountains!! We saw a lot of wildlife around too, notably heaps of Elk. Lots of noise coming from nearby sites when we were there last week though, and seemed to be a LOT of campsites that had far too many people and excess noise outside of quiet hours so I don't think it's patrolled or policed close enough. Otherwise a dishwashing station and decent toilets. And great location

I thought I was booking an otentik and real bed and I got a canvas tent that doesn’t completely seal at the door and the windows don’t shut completely. It was pouring rain and the Velcro of the window didn’t seal leaving the window open and exposed to elements permanently. The reservation said sleep 6, what we got was 3 tiny camping bunk beds.. not comfortable at all. I would have been better off buying a tent and air mattress. Even the people next to us were shocked at the accommodation. Because there were holes in the tent for the frame, there were spiders inside. Staff were great but not having pictures on the parks Canada accommodations page for the canvas tents is a disgrace considering what you get. Even the Rocky Mountain House trapper tents have real beds with real mattresses. We didn’t stay the night cause there was no way we were going to sleep on those camping cots—literally the worst possible bed you could have put in there.

Two Jack main is a gigantic campground with very little to do aside from go over to the lakeside campground or the day use area of Two Jack Lake. The problem is there is no visitor parking at Lakeside. So you can hike the 2km over to the lake or you can go to the day use area and hope there is parking available there (rare, but possible). The sites have very little privacy and no services. Further, half the sites have stumps of trees that have been cut down, that have been inexplicably left 6 inches tall. I can only assume that Parks Canada has some sort of kickback deal with local tire repair and auto body shops. Seriously, cut the damn trees down flush with the ground, people.

We recently camped at Two Jack Lake and were disappointed with the overall experience. The distance between campsites is extremely close – you can easily hear conversations from neighboring tents, so there’s very little privacy. The officials at the site were also very strict. They drove around the campground multiple times in their vehicles and came directly to our site to ask us to put out the fire right at 11 pm. While we understand the need for rules, it felt overly restrictive and intrusive. We didn’t feel the freedom or relaxation we usually expect from camping. If you’re looking for a more private, laid-back camping experience, this might not be the best choice.

Very basic campground, clean restrooms and sheltered common area to hide out from the rain and washing dishes. No power services, and each campsite is very close with each other so pray you have good neighbours. Park rangers are not strict with quiet time after 11pm, we had neighbour with fire going and loud talking/laughing till about 2am (quiet time/fire out between 11pm - 7am) so it was disappointing. Little to no cellular service which is good for starting close to the nature, but do all your researches and planning for other activities/driving routes before going up the mountain. Easily accessible, clear directions, very close to Banff town in case if your need to pick up anything. Very close to nature and wildlife.

Amazing location, super easy to find the site. Map is easily laid out. Only issue we had was they were basically out of firewood and they didnt want outside wood in their camp, but even that wasn't a big deal.

Two Jack Lake. The most perfect place for a picnic. 5 stars - Early May conditions. The conditions were just right. In early May when all of the other lakes in Banff are still frozen, Two Jack was free flowing with that glacier blue water. Wow! The sun is perfectly placed when you go around noon. Bring a picnic lunch and soak it in. 5 stars - Peaceful setting. I hesitate to share this review with you because this place is not too overcrowded. After a stop at Lake Louise where we felt overwhelmed with the amount of people, we made a stop here and were so happy we did. With less people it felt so peaceful. And everyone here wasn't busy snapping pictures, but just there to enjoy the surrounding beauty of nature. That's what you should come here to do!! I'll be back to enjoy Two Jack Lake again soon!!

I went to Two Jack Lake to see the sunrise on my first day in Banff! This spot is perfect and is not as crowded as some of the more popular lakes. It is beautiful here and very peaceful. If you are in Banff, Two Jack Lake should be on your list! You'll thank me and your friends will too when they live vicariously through your photos. The hiking is easy around here too so go early for sunrise and then take a leisurely stroll around the lake

We adored this campground! Location: In the heart of Banff National Park. An easy coupla right turns off the TransCanada. Up a beautiful mountain road going 50km/h it's a super nice drive. The campground is a few loops that are easy to access but the higher numbers are literally right next to the road with few trees as a barrier (i.e. roads are visible and cars are audible). Campsites: We stayed at site 46...it was a pretty good option but not the best. We were surrounded by a yurt on one side, a campsite on the other and 3 campsites in front of us all perfectly visible because the trees are tall and thin and sparse between the sites. But we had a beautiful view through the trees of this opening where the mountains and Two Jack Lake are visible. Sites 1-13 and 55-74 should be entirely avoided in my opinion....they are visible from the road and from them you can see and hear the road perfectly (almost no obstruction). Sites 14-35 are walk-ins and hit or miss with the choices...some are good choices because of the view of the mountains and lake...others suk cuz they're practically glued to one another with little buffer space. Sites 36-54 are a mixture of sites and yurts (that are so nice we actually ended up regretting not getting one of those despite being avid tent campers) the even numbers are mostly along the trail, mostly with view of mountains and lake, mostly beautiful sites. They are hit and miss because of the privacy (or rather lack thereof) between the sites...but the beautiful view and tranquility for the most part makes it worth it. I really loved site 42 but despite booking the very first possible day in January 2017 for June 2017 we still didn't get even one of the 4 sites we tried to get. Scenery: So pristine. So picturesque. So breathtakingly seriously awesome. And the smell of the mountain air and the pines in the forest oh wow! The brisk mountain air and the turquoise and marine blue lake surrounded by the snow capped moutains that bask in the sun in the almost neverending sun set (10pm still totally bright out!!)...oh wow! Weather: mountain weather... It rained a LOT. It was cold a LOT. It was a bit windy especially when it rained. The clouds swirled and whirled and for the most part you have no idea if it will rainy or be sunny from one minute to the next. And likely will end up being both. BUILD A WIND AND RAIN SHELTER ASAP! Commodities/Accommodations: - DOGS ALLOWED!! - Bathrooms: easily accessible and close at all times, clean, flushable toilets, hot water, those 15-second high pressured hot showers (loved those!), high pressure warm air hand dryer, never waited. - All-You-Can-Burn-Firewood : AYCBF!! There's a pile that they replenish several times through the day, it does get wet when it rains but the wood burned super well despite that (plus we gathered a bunch to keep dry under a tarp so that helped), help yourself to all you can carry there's always plenty!! - Fire pits are short iron rings with attached grills and two side plates...super efficient and perfect. - Picnic tables are gigantic, thick and immovable but usually close enough to the fire anyways so makes for nice dinners but u could still put a kitchen tent up if u wanted - Yurt sites seemed to have electricity access they also apparently came with propane and these kool stove things - Ice NOT AVAILABLE at the campground for purchase?!? No camp store on site. Had to drive to Banff (12 minute drive no biggy) and buy ice at a gas station (4$ per bag yo!!!) - Sites are usually big enough for any type of trailer/RV and / or tents n shelters combinations - there are large kitchen shelter structures u can bring ur firewood and use the wood stove n make a meal in the shelter in the rain, they're big enough for 4-5 familes to use at once but were usually empty. Prices: ~41$ per night June 2017 (National Park entrance fee waived with Parks Canada free entry for Canada's 150th anniversary so I have no idea how much more it woulda been)...seems pretty pricey but firewood included so not so much actually. Activities: Go see Banff and Lake Minnewanka while ur in the area! Each about 10 minutes either direction and both totally worth it!! Can purchase fishing licenses or rent boats from Lake Minnewanka. Plenty of hiking trails ...that make or may not be open due to wildlife... Wildlife: Bears, wolves: we didn't see any but there were sightings in the area prior to our arrival. Plenty of geese. Plenty of ginormous ravens. Herons. A few large mystery birds of prey. Long horn rams at Lake Minnewanka (guaranteed photo ops they're all chillin on the road). Elk (which kept their distance). Saw plenty of lil minnows in the lake but didn't end up buying licenses so didn't fish. A few mini squirrels or long tailed chipmunks...hard to say for sure. Plenty of deer. Very very few insects flying or otherwise...even the bees were awesome but huge (not aggressive or invasive, just hey how are u and fly away)

Great campsite - some sites are a little close, but it's got a super view of the lake. Parking nearby, but not always at your tent site. Shower and washrooms always clean.

Lovely lake and a great place to picnic. Be careful at night around 7 and in the morning before 8am that's when the animals come out. Saw a bear, a big horn sheep, and three Bambi like animals. All in one day around 8pm

We spent two nights at this camp ground, what a great place. Very clean. Has running water. Lots of park employees are very friendly. Banff is only a few minutes away. Loads of hiking and sight seeing. Can only recommend it.

This review is for Two Jack Lakeside campground. There is also the Two Jack Main Campground, but we did not stay there. GREAT campground!! We stayed in 2 different campsites throughout the week. Definitely do the walk-in sites. The ones by the lake are absolutely beautiful- so reserve early, because they book up. Our 2nd site was along the road, and we were worried about the traffic noise at night, but that dies down by ~10pm. Sites are perfectly shaded. Trees provide decent privacy. Campfire fees were charged when we made a reservation, but they provide unlimited wood to use with their fire pits. Bathrooms were relatively clean. By the end of the day there was mud throughout the shower area, but they do clean them daily. Plenty of hot water as well. Staff is helpful but not overly intrusive. Overall a very relaxing stay. There is nothing better than waking up to birds singing over the lake.

Awful regulations. We stayed here a total of 3 nights, the campground that we had was extremely close to the others, we were essentially surrounded by 3 other sites and no trees in between. The first 2 nights, our closest neighbor was a couple with 4 young kids. Each night they were up screaming at each other until at least midnight. The third night, they moved out. And in moved a 7 person family, complete with 2 cars, bikes, and 3 tents. Mind you, on the website it states that these sites are a maximum of 6 person and 2 tents. Washroom was close - too close. The doors were left open, and the lights kept us up all night. The park rangers did nothing to enforce the quiet hours, they did however, give us a formal notice for leaving one empty water bottle out on the picnic table for a couple of hours in the day. I would never stay here again.

Good campground. Not a lot of privacy but the unlimited firewood made up for it. The showers were AWFUL. Both tiny stalls had a fixed showerhead that was pointed way too high and the pressure was very strong, so unless you're 6' or taller, the water is going to hit you right in the face, or in the case of one of the stalls, it'll skip the shower stall and shoot right into the changing room of the stall. You couldn't win with either. I was relieved to have a proper shower in our next stop in Jasper NP. The morning view of the lake was majestic and you can literally sit at the shore for hours. We had site 46 but originally tried to book 44 (AKA the best site in the campground.) The view from 44 was PERFECT, but beware other people will come by and hang out between the site and the lake spoiling the view for you, even though the site is ON THE LAKE SHORE. We had the unfortunate experience of having a large group split in two staying in both sides of us and they kept walking back and forth through our campsite instead of going around.