Clearwater is by far the best base locally, but you may find the
accommodation
options at Blue River and Valemount (a whopping 225km north of Clearwater on Hwy 5) useful.
BLUE RIVER
, a slip of a place 100km north of Clearwater, has far fewer possibilities, with its cheapest option being the
Blue River Motel
with one- and two-bedroom units two blocks off the highway on Spruce Street (tel 673-8387; $40-60). For a few dollars more you could try the
Mountain View Motel
on 3rd Avenue and Spruce Street (tel 673-8366; $40-60) and, top-of-the-pile, but on the highway, is the fine
Venture Lodge
(tel 673-8384; $40-60). The only
campsites
for miles are the
Eleanor Lake Campsite and Trailer Park
on Herb Bilton Way (tel 673-8316; $12-20; May to mid-Oct), with free showers, store and canoe rentals, and the
Blue River Campground and RV Park
, Myrtle Lake Road and Cedar Street (tel 673-8203; $12-18; May to mid-Oct), with showers, canoe rentals and a variety of fishing, canoeing and horse-riding tours.
In
VALEMOUNT
there's a seasonal infocentre at 98 Gorse St on Hwy 5 (mid-May to mid-Sept daily 9am-5pm; tel 566-4846) and around ten motels and two campsites. One block off the highway on 5th Avenue are a bunch of
motels
, of which the cheapest is the
Yellowhead
(tel 566-4411; May-Oct; $60-80); the rest have more facilities, but all are pretty soulless, including the
Best Western Canadian Lodge
(tel 566-8222; $100-125) with a jacuzzi and kitchenettes; the
Canoe Moutain Lodge
(tel 566-9171; $100-125) with duvets on the beds; and the
Chalet Continental
, 1450 5th Ave (tel 566-9787; $80-100) with an indoor pool. On Loseth Road, 1km north of Valemount, is the modern
Irvins Park and Campground
(tel 566-4781; $23-32; April-Oct) with activities including horse riding and ATV tours. Another campsite, the wooded
Valemount Campground
, is off the highway in the north side of town (tel 566-4141; $19; mid-April to mid-Oct).