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McArthur Creek Campground in Yoho National Park

Campground · Yoho National Park

McArthur Creek Campground

A riverside camp reached by a two-day Ottertail Valley trip.

Type
Campground
Nearest trail
7.3 km
DirectionsMap
Parkwolf audio tour35 stories across Yoho’s roads

Overview

About McArthur Creek Campground

Why stop

  • A riverside overnight near the meeting of the Ottertail River and McArthur Creek.

Heads up

  • A 32.4 km round trip and mandatory backcountry permit require serious planning.

Map

Where it is

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CampgroundMcArthur Creek Campground51.27591, -116.38827
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Plan your stop

Before you go

5 active Yoho alerts

  • ClosureYoho Valley Road closed for avalanche seasonYoho Valley Road is closed to vehicles from mid-October to mid-June because of avalanche risk. - Parks Canada’s current trail report lists no vehicle access to trails in the Yoho Valley.Official details
  • CautionWatercraft and angling prohibited in YohoWatercraft use and angling are prohibited on all waterbodies in Yoho National Park until March 31, 2027, to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species, including whirling disease.Official details
See all 5 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Yoho Tour Guide

Your drive to McArthur Creek Campground, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yoho National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

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  • 35 audio storiesacross Yoho’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Mountain Goat, Black Bear, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 58 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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Guide

More about McArthur Creek Campground

A remote river campMcArthur Creek is a designated backcountry campground on the Ottertail River, reached along the…

McArthur Creek is a designated backcountry campground on the Ottertail River, reached along the Ottertail Valley route to its meeting with McArthur Creek. This is an overnight objective, not a roadside stop: the round trip is 32.4 km over about two days, with 285 m of elevation gain. Start at the Ottertail parking lot, 8.3 km west of Field on the south side of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Plan the overnightA backcountry permit is mandatory.

A backcountry permit is mandatory. Advance reservations are needed for most backcountry sites in July, August and September, so check the current booking rules for McArthur Creek before you go. The main hiking season is June to October; higher trails can remain snowbound until late June.

Prepare for the valleyThe route passes through sensitive and important wildlife habitat; watch for bears, wolves and…

The route passes through sensitive and important wildlife habitat; watch for bears, wolves and goats. Treat all surface water before drinking—boil, filter or chemically treat it. Plan for a self-sufficient backcountry overnight; site-specific facility details are not confirmed.

backcountrycampingriverhiking

Wildlife

Wildlife in Yoho

All Yoho wildlife maps
Grizzly Bear21 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapMountain Goat55 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapBlack Bear61 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapElk66 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapMoose26 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapBald Eagle10 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yoho. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near McArthur Creek Campground

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ChallengingGreat Divide Trail: Yoho Traverse72.4 km · 1.5 days · 7.3 km awayGoodsir Pass to Amiskwi Pass through Yoho’s remote valleys

More stops nearby

Sight · 7.2 km awayLake McArthurA blue alpine lake reached through larch forest and over a pass.

Parkwolf’s Yoho ranking

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