Bottrel Campground’s future unclear after redesignation as day-use area

An updated sign for Bottrel Campground after the park was redesignated for day-use only.

The future of a campground off the beaten path is up in the air after Rocky View County turned it into a day-use only area.

The Bottrel Campground, about an hour northwest of Calgary hosted campers for more than 100 years until it was reclassified as a day-use area.

Beverley Guthrie has owned the Bottrel General Store next to the campground for 22 months, as well as four camp sites. She says the store has operated the campground that sits on county-owned land, and revenue from those campers makes up a large part of her business.

“It’s 100 per cent reliant upon the campground in the summertime,” Guthrie said.

“I lose money at the campground, but the revenue that I can make from the campers coming in (the store) is what allows me to keep my doors (open) and lights (on) year round.”

Guthrie has spent her time as store owner learning everything she can about its history and the community it supports. The store, which has a coffee shop and hall that dates back to the early 1900s, is a critical gathering place for locals, she said.

“The relationship between the general store and the actual campground has been around for 134 years,” she said. “It was privately held up until the late 70s, early 80s and the general store owners have always used that space and the Dog Pound Rodeo started off there (on the same site), that’s the oldest rodeo in Alberta.”

Rocky View County owns the land Bottrel Park is on, which is designated as a municipal reserve and held for public recreational purposes since 1967. That means under the Municipal Government Act, any third-party operation use of those lands must be authorized by the County through an appropriate agreement.

“While the Bottrel General Store has intermittently operated campground activities on the site in the past, no formal agreement had been put in place to govern or establish that use,” Rocky View County said in a release.

“The absence of a formal agreement created uncertainty respecting operations, maintenance responsibilities, public access, and risk management concerns.”

The County says it began working with Guthrie after she purchased the store in 2024 to formalize an agreement and explore future options for the site. But while those discussions continue, the County said it won’t allow overnight camping until a final decision is made.

Rocky View says it recognizes the history of Bottrel Park and remains committed to responsible stewardship of the site in alignment with legislative requirements, public interest, council direction and continued community enjoyment.

Guthrie says the campground has a direct effect on whether the store stays viable and open and doesn’t want the community to lose a part of its history.

“It goes all the way back to the 1800s from when it was under the Northwest Territories. The Northwest Mounted Police had a holding tank in our basement for criminals on the way to Calgary,” she said.

“Ranches and farmers out here work hard, they’re the people who produce our food right and they can’t necessarily go into Cochrane or Sundre or Olds because they’re on time crunches, so it’s important to keep the store alive for them.”

Learn more about the Bottrel General Store here.