Pilots and guests are welcome to camp on the airfield with camp registration. The site features water from a hand pump, but few other amenities. The campground also has a cookshack which is the centre of soaring camp activities. The camps are entirely a voluntary effort, and everyone on hand is expected to help out in some respect such as taking a shift as time-keeper or field manager out on the flightline. Motel and hotel accommodation is also found nearby. For fly-in visitors, there is avgas available at the nearby Pincher Creek airport and emergency avgas is available (in drums) on the airfield. There is a camp registration fee and common rate for tows to specified release heights. Oxygen is available on-site and is regularly required.

The Alberta Soaring Council runs two major soaring camps at the airfield. The Cowley Summer Camp starts on a Saturday and runs for 10 days ending the Monday of the August long weekend. The Summer Camp has been the largest annual soaring event in Canada. Pilots and families are most welcome with free camping at the airfield campground. On a historical average, wave can be expected on 30% of the days. The Cowley Fall Camp starts on a Saturday and runs for 10 days ending the Monday of the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, which is usually the second weekend of October. At this time of year, this is not a family camping affair except for the hardy – visitors often choose motels in nearby Pincher Creek. The weather is highly variable and at the airfield elevation of 3900 feet prone to freezing at night and a fair chance of the first snowfall of the year. At times the camp has been cancelled at the last minute due to a bad weather forecast, so check ahead by e-mailing the Alberta Soaring Council office before committing to the trip.

To see flights originating from the Cowley Camp, click here. For more information, visit the Alberta Soaring Council website for more details.