Random Camping in Alberta

[Calskin]

TLR I live in Calgary and work in an office and want to get away from people for a weekend with a couple friends. Where should I go? Extra points for fishing and a view!

I'm planning on going camping this weekend with a couple of friends of mine.

Two of us will be in my hammocks, but my third friend doesn't have one, so he'll probably be in a tent.

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions on where we should go?

I would love to be far away from anyone else camping if possible, so I'm thinking random camping is the way to go. Only thing is, I've never actually done it before (other than on my own property when I lived on an acreage), so I don't know the rules/etiquette of random camping.

I don't mind hiking a bit. Ideally, we'd be by the car because the other guys I'm with aren't equipped for backpacking, but if that's not reasonable, I don't mind walking in a couple hundred yards.

I'll have a sawyer water filter with us, so access to a creek or spring or whatever would be wonderful. I'd also love to do some fishing, but that's not a must.

I've been looking at public land use areas, specifically the Ghost one , but my concern is a bunch of drunken off-roaders making a pile of noise and possibly wrecking my car.

Also, we'll be leaving Friday after work, and one friend is driving down from Edmonton, so something close (within an hour and a half) will be a must so that we're not setting up in the dark.

Any thoughts?

[chimpac]

There is a nice tree covered hillside north across the river from downtown Calgary.

You might have to share with the homeless guys.

I tried out my hammock there in the late fall and had the hill to myself. The view to downtown at night is great.

[Calskin]

Haha. That's a block from my place

[chimpac]

There are rules that ban random camping in what they call Kananaskis(sp) country last time I checked.

South and north of this there is lots of forest reserve where you can camp where you want with some restrictions about how far from a stream or road. Just get a map and maybe phone the Forestry guys.
I like the Cat creek area south of kananaskis from there you can hike to alpine lakes with fish like Pickle jar, Canarvan, lake of the horns.

[Rubijeep]

For random camping in waiprous or McLean creek area, you need to be 1km off the road. Now saying that there are lots of spots that are closer to the road then that but you risk having esrd seeing/visiting you. You could try the powder face trail ( west of the McLean creek turn off, end off hi way 66) on the gravel road. Not too many 4x4 out there, mostly mountain biking. There is a river but it's far from some of the camping spots.
You can pick up a map of the kananaskis fluz/pluz as you head into the area at the day use areas, McLean creek trail heads, McLean store. You can find them for waiprous as well, but you have to get them out there but they are harder to find, maybe the campground has them...?
You can also download them from the esrd site.