Glamping in Banff – The oTENTik Experience

I grew up camping in Banff National Park, and I plan to continue camping here with my own family for decades to come. Camping in Banff is an exhilarating outdoor adventure, but sometimes I wish it were a little easier; there is just so much stuff to bring. When we discovered comfort camping with Banff oTENTik tents, we were instantly hooked!

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What is oTENTik camping in Banff?

The easiest way to describe the oTENTik experience is to call it comfort camping or glamping in Banff. A Banff oTENTik is a mash-up of an A-frame and a prospectors tent, built on top of a permanent wooden floor. oTENTiks are basically large permanent canvas tents, which can be rented from Parks Canada in camping season on a per-night basis.

Who Can Stay in an oTENTik in Banff?

Canada’s national parks belong to everyone, so it naturally follows that virtually anyone can stay at an oTENTik in Banff. One of the primary goals of the Parks Canada oTENTik program was to help make the Canadian national parks accessible to everyone, regardless of experience levels.

Examples of people who may be interested in renting a Banff oTENTik include:

• Given most of the major camping equipment is supplied, oTENTiks will naturally appeal to people new to camping in the Rocky Mountains.
  
  
• Given how unique and fun this comfort camping experience is, these prospector tents will appeal to anyone looking to go glamping in Banff National Park.
  
  
• Visitors to to the national park who are looking for a special place to stay in Banff, perhaps even more fun that the the world famous Banff Springs Hotel!

• Kids love camping, no matter what form it takes. Families visiting Banff with kids may find that comfort camping makes the experience much easier and more exciting for children. oTENTiks are especially great for family camping experiences.
  
  
• Even locals (like us), who want a memorable Banff camping experience will love staying in an oTENTik.

The above list is simply an illustration and is by no means exhaustive. Anyone who makes a reservation can stay at an oTENTik in Banff.

What is Included in a Banff oTENTIK?

The Banff National Park oTENTik tents were built and equipped to make camping accessible for virtually everyone. You will still need to bring some camping gear (sleeping bags, etc), but the big, expensive camping equipment has been provided by Parks Canada.

Each Banff oTENTik includes:

• Two queen sized beds, with a slightly smaller double bunk bed above. These beds can comfortably sleep 5 adult campers. The sleeping capacity of a Banff oTENTik can increase to 6 people if two kids share the bunkbed.
  
  
• Thick foam mattresses on each of the beds
  
  
• A few light bulbs, but bring your own rechargeable headlamp if you plan on doing any reading at night.

• An indoor table with chairs (although food is not allowed inside the tent).
  
  
• A small electric heater for those cool Rocky Mountain nights.
  
  
• Two electric outlets.
  
  
• A wooden porch with two Adirondack chairs.
  

• An outdoor fire pit along with a fire permit (which entitles you to free firewood provided at the campground).
  
  
• All amenities already included in the Parks Canada campground, such as showers, parking etc.
  
  
• As food is not allowed in oTENTik tents, a lockable bear box is provided to store your food safely. Please use it every time. A bear that gets used to human food often has to be destroyed.

In addition to the no-food rule, smoking and pets are not allowed inside the tents.

What’s it Like Inside an oTENTik in Banff?

The oTENTik glamping tents are much larger inside than you’d expect. The A-frame structure of them provides nice, high ceilings which gives it an airy, spacious feeling.

Along the back of the oTENTik is the sleeping area, with four beds side-by-side. There’s a short ladder leading to a double-bunk bed above the lower beds, increasing the overall sleeping capacity of an oTENTik to 5 – 6 people. Each of the beds has a thick foam mattress on it, but no bedding.

There’s plenty of sunlight in an oTENTik. The back of the canvas tent has three windows, while the front of the oTENTik has 2 side windows, a large triangular window near the top of the A-frame, plus the large window on the entrance door.

Every window in the big prospector tent has blinds, except for the triangular window near the top of the tent. The blinds make it a little darker, but because the triangular window has no blind, the tent can still stay bright until late in the evening (which can be after 10 pm if you are visiting Banff in the summer).

In addition to the large sleeping area, each oTENTik has a wooden table with 4 chairs, plus a wooden bench which can be pulled up to the table.

In case it gets chilly overnight (as it often does in Banff National Park, especially in May and September), there’s a small space heater to provide some additional warmth.

Rounding out the thoughtful amenities inside a Banff oTENTik are a modest interior light, hooks to hang hats and jackets, a battery powered lantern for inside/outside use, a broom, a fire extinguisher and two power outlets. 

What’s it Like Outside an oTENTik in Banff?

Each oTENTik in Banff has a small wooden deck, with a railing and a short set of stairs down. There are two Adirondack chairs on each wooden deck.

Each oTENTik site also has a picnic table (some with two electric outlets) and a fire pit for cooking hot dogs or making s’mores.

The oTENTik sites are just like any other tenting campsite in Banff. They are usually in a well-treed location surrounded by other oTENTik sites. The oTENTiks are generously spaced apart and rarely feel too close together.

What Do I Need for oTENTIK Camping?   

You don’t need to bring a tent or mattresses to your oTENTik. But, outside of that, you’ll pretty much need to bring the rest of your typical Banff camping gear.

It’s important to note that gas barbeques are no longer available, so if you want to cook hot food, you’ll need to bring your own cooking equipment.

One thing to note is that the provided oTENTik mattresses have a thick plastic cover on them. If you have kids or a partner who tosses and turns all night, the sound of a sleeping bag rubbing against the plastic mattress can get quite noisy (and let’s face it, irritating at 2 am!). Light sleepers should consider bringing a thick blanket to place in-between the mattress and sleeping bag (or ear plugs!).

We have a great post on essential Banff camping gear (coming soon).

Can I Rent Camping Gear in Banff?

Even though Banff oTENTiks include a lot, you’ll still need some of your own supplies. If you’re new to camping or flying into Calgary and don’t want to pack gear, you can rent camping equipment in Banff.

Banff Camping Equipment Rentals

• Backtrax (look for their car camping packages – which do not come with tents)
• Rent-a-Tent

Where are the oTENTiks in Banff National Park?

Parks Canada has installed permanent oTENTik facilities at two popular Banff campgrounds:

• Two Jack Lakeside Campground
• Tunnel Mountain Village II

As of now, there are no oTENTik facilities at the:

• Two Jack Main Campground
• Tunnel Mountain Village I
• Johnston Canyon Campground
• Lake Louise Campground

Tunnel Mountain II Campground oTENTik

The great thing about the Tunnel Mountain campgrounds is that they feel far from town even though they are close to Banff. While most of Tunnel Mountain Village II is cleared for RVs and campers, the oTENTik area is surrounded by forest, helping give that sense of Rocky Mountain outdoor adventure.

We recently stayed at the D4 oTENTik in the Tunnel Mountain II campground. The oTENTik loop in Tunnel Mountain has 21 oTENTik units, which are nicely spaced apart.

The oTENTik loop at Tunnel Mountain Village II has washrooms, a few sinks to clean your dishes, a few eating shelters with tables and firewood piles. 

Everyone’s tastes will be different, but our choices for the best oTENTik campsites at Tunnel Mountain II would be D2, D3, D4, D5, D8, D12, D13 and D14. These sites are on the perimeter of the D loop and will have the most forest nearby.

Two Jack Lakeside Campground oTENTik

Of all the campgrounds in Banff National Park, the most sought after is Two Jack Lakeside Campground. A weekend, lakeside reservation at this beautiful campground on Two Jack Lake is the holy grail of Banff camping. The only thing that could make a stay at Two Jack Lakeside campground even better is to get a reservation at a Two Jack Lake oTENTik.

There are only 10 glamping tents at Two Jack Lakeside, and most of them are prized lakefront campsites. To help set expectations, these campsites are not immediately adjacent to the lake – there is often some trees in-between, but Two Jack Lake is almost always visible from the wooden deck.

We recently stayed at a Two Jack Lakeside oTENTik in site #37. This was an excellent oTENTik site as it is very close to the water. It’s hard to recommend the best oTENTik sites at Two Jack Lake as all 10 of the glamping sites are excellent.

How Much Does an oTENTik Cost?  

As you’d expect, with so many included amenities, a night of glamping in a Banff oTENTik will cost more than a traditional Banff campsite. In fact, the Banff glamping experience will cost 4-5X more than a traditional tent camping site. That sounds bad, but to put it in perspective, the cost is less than half of a stay at the cheapest hotels in Banff during high season.

Please note, that a Banff Park Pass is not included in the cost of an oTENTik and must be purchased separately.

How do I Reserve a Parks Canada oTENTik?

Know the date that Banff camping reservations open each year

Parks Canada opens up their online Banff camping reservation system in the middle of winter, typically at the end of January. They typically post the launch date in early December for the following year. Reservations can be made for the entire season in January, so it’s best to be prepared to book your campsites and oTENTiks then.

Banff oTENTik reservations are highly prized by locals and visitors alike, so most of the weekend oTENTik rentals will be snapped up early. Many non-locals will likely be unaware of this date and may find it hard to secure an oTENTik reservation for weekends. Thankfully, mid-week reservations can be a little easier to obtain.

Visitors can make a Banff oTENTik reservation one of two ways:

1) The Parks Canada’s Online Reservation Service

We make all of our Banff oTENTik reservations using the Parks Canada reservation website. We like how you can see a map of the campsites to help choose the perfect location for your oTENTik. You can also see an availability calendar to help find available dates when the oTENTiks start getting hard to find.

To make an oTENTik reservation in Banff National Park using the Parks Canada’s Online Reservation Service, select:

• Reservation Type: “Parks Canada Accommodations (Equipped Campsites, oTENTiks, Cabins and other roofed accommodations)”, then
  
  
• Park: Banff

2) Reserve an oTENTik Over the Phone

Not everyone likes making reservations over the internet. If this is you, simply call 1-877-RESERVE (1-877-737-3783) to make your Banff oTENTik reservation.

Outside North America, the phone number for Parks Canada reservations is 1-519-826-5391

All the Banff oTENTiks Are Full. What Are My Options?

The secret is out – glamping in Banff with an oTENTik rental is an awesome experience. Sadly, this means that it can be quite difficult to secure a Banff oTENTik reservation.

If you tried to get a reservation, but came up empty, here are some alternatives to renting an oTENTik tent:

• There are many excellent cabins for rent in Banff National Park. This is one step up from glamping in Banff, but at least you’ll still have that outdoor adventure feeling.
  
  
• You could rent a full camping gear package (including a tent) and secure a non-serviced Banff campsite reservation. Alternately, you could try camping in Canmore or camping in Kananaskis, both of which share the same stunning Rocky Mountain scenery as Banff National Park.

• The Redstreak Campground in Kootenay National Park has oTENTik tents for rent. The Redstreak Campground is near Radium and Invermere, BC and is only a 1 hour 40 minute drive from Banff.
  
  
• The Whistlers Campground in Jasper National Park also offers oTENTik rentals. Whistlers Campground is about a 3.5 hour drive from Banff, but most of it is along the Icefields Parkway, one of the most scenic drives in the world.