Rain lashed the rig and drummed a rat-a-pan on the lid of the barbeque as I struggled to secure our campsite. The plastic tablecloth flapped in the gale, hurling clamps against the rig with metallic pings, but stayed on the picnic table until I managed to grab it. While I was stowing the wet tablecloth, the wind got under the rug, tearing out the spikes that were supposed to hold it down. Chairs rolled like tumbleweed towards the cliff overlooking the river and I dashed madly in pursuit.
Finally I had everything fastened down. Yet even as I stood dripping and gasping inside the relative calm of our fifth wheel, the thunder stilled and the rain ended, leaving only the fierce wind to bat at the rig like a cat playing with a toy in the sudden sunshine. The prairie thunderstorm had moved away almost as quickly as it had come.
We were camped in the upper campground at Lundbreck Falls Provincial Recreation Area in southern Alberta's Crowsnest Pass. Since all the riverside lots in the lower campground were full, we had taken an upper site with a splendid view of the river and distant foothills. Unfortunately, when the storm boiled up, we were exposed, and the view was shrouded by rain.
The windmill across the valley was a tip-off. Power companies build windmills in areas where there's wind. Lots of wind.
Lundbreck Falls Provincial Recreation Area (PRA)
Lundbreck Falls PRA on the Crowsnest River is a popular spot for RVers and tenters, both for overnight stops on the route between Alberta and BC and for longer stays for fishermen, kayakers, and campers.
Part of the popularity is its accessiblity off Highway 3, the main east-west corridor linking southern Alberta with British Columbia. Highway 3A is a little siding to the PRA and back to Hwy 3 so travellers lose little time or distance in stopping off at the Falls.
Lundbreck PRA Campgrounds for RVing and Tenting
There are two camping areas, the main or lower campground (Area A) and the upper campground (Area B), as well as a sort of over-flow and day area on the south shore overlooking the falls. According to Alberta Parks, there are 65 sites of which 30 have power, but on-site inspection suggests that this figure is for the lower campground only.
- Area A is on the flats adjacent to the river, with some 30 well-treed RV sites and a dozen well-sheltered (almost concealed) tent-sites. The half-dozen riverfront RV sites are popular and always fill first. Our walk-through inspection suggested that most of these sites have power. See the onsite camp host for non-power sites and firewood (fee).
- Area B is on the bluffs overlooking the lower site. It appears to be a relatively new addition. These sites are open (only the few sites on the northeast corner have trees) but some offer good views of the river (which you pay for by wind exposure). All these sites have power as far as we could tell.
The PRA is open to camping from May 1 - October 11 with fees at $24 (power), $20 (unpowered) and $17 (tent). The camp is privately operated by Rocky Mountain Camping, 403-563-5395.
Recreation Activities at Lundbreck Falls PRA
Where most Alberta PRAs have extensive area with recreational opportunity for off-road activities such as snowmobiling and ATVing, Lundbreck Falls PRA is a long narrow strip of land sandwiched between Highway 3A and the Crowsnest River. As a result, most activities here are water-based.
- Kayaking – You may be lucky enough to see kayakers shooting Lundbreck Falls. If not, there are several You-Tube videos of kayakers dropping the falls, most on the left side (as you face downriver) but some on the right.
- Swimming – The current is pretty strong, though there are some sheltered spots where the current is reduced.
- Fishing – "The Crowsnest River is one of North America's premier trout fisheries," according to Alberta Parks. Brook , Brown , Bull , Cutthroat, Rainbow and Lake Trout are taken from the river, as well as Chub, Lake Whitefish, Longnose Dace, Longnose Sucker, Mountain Whitefish, and White Sucker.
- Hiking – A path leads from the falls under the bridge, through the lower campground, up the bluff, and for about half a mile east along the river. Side trips down to the river make this a pleasant afternoon's walk.
The wind slapped at the trailer all night, keeping us awake, but it may not have been much better in the lower campground. We awoke to bright sunshine. Across the road from our site, a tree was down. Better there than on our side! A tree had also come down across the road to the lower campground.
But the sun was shining, the morning was fresh, and the wind was a cheerful companion (because it blew away the mosquitoes!), so we took a morning hike to the bridge and along the riverside trail.
Next year, perhaps in calmer weather we'll return to Lundbreck Falls.
Sources:
- Government of Alberta, Dept. of Tourism, Parks & Recreation. Web site, sampled July 10, 2011.
- Rocky Mountain Camping, Web site sampled July 10, 2011.
Thomas Alan Gray - Tom has been writing for over 30 years; curiosity leads him to dig into a wide variety of topics.
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