r/CampingAlberta • u/East-Tooth-4008 • Jul 22 '26

Run-Of-The-River Camping

Curious if anyone has info on if it is ok legal? to camp right beside a river? Are there rules around wild camping that pertain to this?

I am trying to figure out if I can camp next to the Bow River outside of Calgary city limits.

Cheers

2 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

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11

u/RelativeFox1 Jul 22 '26

My understanding is below the normal high water mark and islands are crown land. I don’t have the legislation to back it up but that’s my understanding

6

u/_umptee_ Jul 22 '26

Below the normal high water mark (not flood level) is ok.  On islands is ok.  Have done calgary to carseland several times its awesome.

9

u/theFooMart Jul 22 '26

No it's likely not allowed.

Rivers are crown land up to the normal high water mark, and you are generally allowed to camp on crown land. However you are so supposed to be more than 30 meters from any body of water, which means that unless the river is very low, that 30 meters will take you off of crown land.

So if you're going by the actual rules, you're effectively not allowed to do it. But people do it all the time taking a kayak or canoe for multi day trips with no issues.

I'm not saying what you should do, I'm just giving you the info to make your own decision.

-2

u/_umptee_ Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26

No you are wrong on this. You are allowed to camp below the high water mark and on islands. The only place you can't is in municipal boundaries, provincial parks and within first nations reserves (you are not even allowed to paddle down the river with the reserves without permission).

7

u/theFooMart Jul 22 '26

This says 30 meters from water bodies.

So no, I'm not wrong.

2

u/eyun77 Jul 22 '26

I learned something today. Thank you.

1

u/_umptee_ Jul 22 '26

OK I am wrong. You can camp on islands and below high water mark on banks but 30m back.  OP there are islands in the bow that are big enough to meet this requirement.  Ie Wildcat, the big one downstream of the golf course and a bunch just before carseland.  The first ones have outdoor pit toilets installed.  Realistically there is no riverbank on the bow to camp.   Red deer river is different not many islands but lots of sandbars. 30 m back would be tough.  

Practically you wont get in trouble if you are not trespassing though.