Last Updated on October 17, 2020
We love unique accommodations. As soon as we saw we could be sleeping under the stars in a tipi during our Alberta adventures, we knew it had to be worth the bit of a detour. And it was. Why sleep in just a tent when you can sleep in a tipi? Not only was it a fun experience for both the adults and kids, but the drive was so beautiful that we were pulling over several times on our way there to snap photos — the scenery was mesmerizing. Kananaskis Country is such a dream!
Sundance Lodges is located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, in Kananaskis Country, just a 45 minute drive from Calgary. Each tipi had its own private, forested site with views of Mount Allen, Mount Lorette, Mount Kidd, and the Kananaskis River a short walk away. It was more comfortable than roughing it on the ground as we had been in tents. The tipi’s had a wood floor, simple beds inside (bring your own sleeping bags etc.) and a picnic table and fire pit outside. The tipi was surprisingly spacious inside and five of us fit comfortably.
Tipi camping sure is rustic, but once you’re set up you really do feel at one with nature. Especially when night comes and it is time for lights out, sleeping under the stars in a tipi is magical. We were treated to a solid night sleep in the darkness as we fell asleep listing to the water rushing in the woods behind us.
It is important to remember that when you’re in the wilderness, you’re in bear country. You always hope you will not be greeted by a bear at the campsite through the night, so make sure you take all of the necessary precautions, especially when you have three kids five and under with you — and a ‘flap door’ that just simply ties in a couple places.
The shower house was very basic — you just couldn’t be under the water when the toilet was flushed, or the water would get really hot. As long as you moved for a minute when you heard a flush, you were able to comfortably get the shower you all needed to freshen up.
It was so fun enjoying our campfire, making s’mores and hearing the kids’ excitement about sleeping in the tipi. Tucking them into bed that night, the girls also were not shy about exclaiming that it was the best. day. ever.
I will never forget standing outside my tipi in the middle of the night, when the kids were asleep, watching the stars in silence with my twin sister while playing around with my new camera lens and capturing that night sky. I will never forget waking up at sunrise, stepping outside my tipi and seeing the new day begin. I may not have slept a lot that night since I was so captivated by the night sky, but it seriously felt like a dream. A great experience to remember.
Check out our fun experience:
