Mosquito Creek Hostel, Alberta
Cheap Accomodation 30 km North of Lake Louise in Banff National Park
Sep 1, 2008
While not entirely true, the sign on the manager’s cabin says it all: there is no electricity, no showers and no phones. The private cabins do have LED lighting that runs off solar power, and there is a rudimentary outdoor shower by the sauna, but the point remains: Mosquito Creek Hostel offers simplicity. The name of the location deceives slightly as well as there are very few flies and mosquitoes on site or near the creek.
Hostel near Lake Louise
The placement of the hostel is ideal for travelers and families who want to enjoy the natural beauty of the outdoors. Lake Louise is less than a 30 minute drive south and here gas and groceries can be purchased. Calgary, the nearest major city which also has an international airport is 2 hours south and east.
Being in Banff National Park, a pass is required to travel along the stunningly scenic highway 93. Passes cost $10.00 CDN per person per day, and are worth every cent. Arriving at the hostel itself, sleeping arrangements consist of two dorm style rooms that comfortably sleep twelve people each, and two private cabins that both sleep up to 5.
Dorm accommodations cost $27 per person or $23 with a Hostelling International member card that is available at most locations or online, and based on double occupancy the private cabins cost $68 or $60 with the member card. The rooms are quite tidy and the manager provides clean linens, blankets and pillow cases daily.
Cheap Accommodations in Banff National Park
The one amenity the hostel does offer is a sauna where weary travelers can relax sore muscles after long hikes, climbs or days of skiing. Even the sauna feels unaffected by the distant city life as it is wood heated and has no thermostat.
The bathrooms are separate from the sleeping quarters and have no running water but do have hand sanitizer. The common areas consist of a kitchen and lounge area with reading material and board games where people can read and relax.
In keeping with the simple theme of the hostel, the kitchen is rustic. There are two large wooden tables that seat about 8 each, two stoves, two fridges, a tap that provides running water and communal dishes. The lounge area is comfortable, has a wood stove for heat and seats more people than the accommodations have sleeping arrangements for.
Check in time is between 8-10am, and 5-10pm daily, and travelers are asked to respect these hours as the manager keeps busy throughout the day doing general upkeep and maintenance around the site. Check out is 11 am the following day, however the manager is very easy going and incredibly friendly and late check outs are usually no problem.
Call Ahead and Check Availability
The Mosquito Creek Hostel is open most of the year but does close for 1 month every fall around mid October, and every spring around mid April for one month each season. Travelers can check availability, make reservations and ensure that the hostel is open by calling HI at 1-866-762-4122.
Throughout the summer and winter weekends are busiest at the hostel while weekdays are much less so especially in the winter. One of the biggest attractions of the Mosquito Creek Hostel is its proximity to Lake Louise where accommodations can easily cost 10 times as much money.
See Also: Rampart Creek Hostel, Banff, Canada
