British Columbia has some of the most well-designed, best-located provincial (state) campgrounds anywhere in North America. We love camping in BC, and have had many camping experiences in our home province. Camping remains the cheapest and most fun family holiday you can have, without crashing at your parents’ cottage – but where’s the freedom in that?. We’re sharing all the goods on where to find the best campgrounds in BC, and tips on how to book the best campgrounds in BC Provincial Parks.
The best camping in BC Provincial Parks
In BC camping is a bit of a way of life. These are some of the best BC Provincial Park campgrounds for camping, and these campsites in BC are nearly all frontcountry camping spots. But before we get started, some helpful tips for beginner campers.
If you’ve never camped before, my best camping tip is to start slowly. The full equipment investment isn’t going to be cheap, so think about borrowing, renting or incrementally buying the must-have items like tents, sleeping bags, and a camp stove.
Not sure how to pitch a tent? You can take a Learn to Camp course, in partnership with MEC and Parks Canada, where you’ll learn everything there is to know about tent camping and provincial campgrounds BC.
Once you feel confident enough, give one or two nights a try at a local, vehicle accessible and well-established campground near your home. That way, if you and your family have an awful time, (doubtful, if you like the outdoors at all), you can drive home in the middle of the night.
Need camping recipes? We’ve got kid-friendly recipe tips and some fun camping hacks to get you started on amazing camp cookery.
Looking for RV sites? Read about the best spots to enjoy RV camping in British Columbia, including recreational vehicle sites on private property. And don’t forget about the top camper van accessories you’ll need to make your van life dreams come true. Wherever you choose to camp in BC, enjoy the great outdoors and happy camping!
Camping in BC: Vancouver
Alice Lake – One hour from Vancouver along the Sea-to-Sky highway, just north of Squamish. Beautiful Alice Lake is a great place to camp. Amenities include; fishing, canoeing, swimming, sandy beach, picnic tables, potable water, bike trails, showers, trail around the lake for walks, more challenging mountain hikes nearby, a kids playground, horseshoe pits, generous camp-sites. Alice Lake is very popular, especially on long weekends and statutory holidays, so book early!
Porteau Cove – This is the closest BC provincial park near me, living in Vancouver. It’s about 30-45 minutes north on the Sea to Sky Highway. The location on the waterfront of Howe Sound Fjord is incredible, and it’s a very popular diving spot. The slight downsides are its size (it’s very small), and that several freight trains pass by the campground during the night. If you can sleep through that and manage to snag a hard-to-book spot, you will love Porteau Cove.
Joffre Lakes Provincial Park – You can only access the 26 backcountry camping site via a moderate 5.5 km hike, so efficient packing is of the essence. It’s worth it as the lakes and region are stunning. You must reserve a camping pad at Joffre Lakes, due to this park’s popularity. You’ll be turned away if you don’t have the necessary permit, so plan ahead.
Camping in BC: the Fraser Valley
Cultus Lake Provincial Park – Located one hour from Vancouver near Chilliwack in the Fraser Valley. Easily accessible from northern Washington. There are four campgrounds to choose from in this well-situated lakefront park. Amenities: Showers, flush toilets, swimming, boating, biking, hiking, fire pits and horseback riding trails. Due to its central location to the Lower Mainland, this is a very popular and very busy campground all summer long.
Golden Ears Provincial Park – One and a half hours east of Vancouver in Maple Ridge. This is one of the largest campgrounds in BC. Three family-friendly campgrounds to choose from, of different sizes (we prefer Gold Creek and the smaller North Beach). Large Alouette Lake is great for swimming, fishing and boating. Kids playground (at Alouette Lake beach), biking and hiking trails (some very challenging), showers and flush toilets.
(EC) Manning Park Provincial Park – Three hours drive east from Vancouver. A vast, wilderness playground of outdoor activities in winter and summer. Five campgrounds to choose from, the largest being Lightning Lake, which also has full-service showers and flush toilets. The lake has a lovely sandy beach. Take a walk around the lake, or go for a swim in beautiful natural surroundings.
You can rent canoes and rowboats to paddle the lake. There are a wide variety of hiking and mountain trails with varying degrees of length and difficulty. Watch for plentiful animal life, including marmots, game birds, eagles, deer and even bears in summer.
Rolley Lake – Located in Mission, just over one hour’s drive from Vancouver, Rolley Lake is a scenic campground of 64 well-landscaped sites amidst second-growth pine trees. It can get a bit ‘party-ish’ on long summer weekends, so keep that in mind if you have young kids and value your sleep.
Camping in BC: Sunshine Coast
Porpoise Bay – In less than 45 minutes, the Langdale Ferry takes you from the Lower Mainland to the Sunshine Coast. Just north of Sechelt is this very popular and good-sized campground. Amenities: a clean air policy is in effect, so there are three communal campfires (meet your site neighbours!), showers and flush toilets, a kids playground in the day-use area, sandy beaches, tidal zones and an isthmus for exploring.
Saltery Bay – Accessible via two ferries from Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast, 25 km south of Powell River. At this small campground, you get a real taste of the rainforest, and are roughing it close to nature. No showers, pit toilets only, lots of wildlife, tidal pools and a rocky beach to explore, with a mermaid beneath the waters! Very popular with day-use scuba-divers, who dive to find the bronze mermaid and admire the abundant sea-life.
Camping in BC: Vancouver Island
Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park – This lovely campground offers great amenities and fun for families. There’s a huge sandy beach, a rocky beach, a large intertidal zone, (crab races!), gorgeous sunsets, and has large, private campsites and group sites.
Other amenities include showers and flush toilets, nature rangers and interpretive programs by the park operator in summer, a kids playground, biking and running trails, kite-flying, and bird-watching. Rathtrevor is very close to Parksville and related town amenities like playgrounds, grocery stores and restaurants. It’s a 15-minute drive to Coombs and 30-minute drive to the stunning old-growth forest at Cathedral Grove.
Miracle Beach Provincial Park – Up-island, between Courtney and Campbell River. Family-friendly large campground on spacious & sandy Miracle Beach. Flush toilets, but only one hot shower facility. Activity options include; walking and biking trails, a kids adventure playground, calm ocean swimming, and an amphitheater and interpretive centre.
Strathcona Provincial Park – The oldest provincial park in British Columbia is on the edge of some rugged, gorgeous wilderness. There are car-accessible sites in the large campground, as well as walk-in sites in the backcountry at Croteau Lake. If you want to go off-grid and hike for days, or just chill in amazing nature, head here.
Looking for more? Check out these camping options on Vancouver Island courtesy of our friends at Travel2Next.
Camping in BC: the Okanagan
sẁiẁs (Haynes Point) Provincial Park – There have been some changes to this popular campground, but the great news is that it is still possible to reserve your own piece of waterfront heaven in warm Lake Osoyoos. Haynes Point is now known as sẁiẁs park. It is managed by the Osoyoos Indian Band as the area is now an archaeological site.
It’s hot and dry in Canada’s only desert climate, but when you’re camping at Haynes Point, cooling off means taking two steps from your tent into the lake because every site is waterfront property. These are some of the best campsites in BC, bar none.
All manner of lake-sports here; swimming, fishing, boating, and water-skiing. There isn’t a built playground, but the kids won’t miss it one bit. Pit toilets and no showers, but swimming every day in the warm lake can count as bathing. Due to its popularity, you can only stay here seven days in a calendar year – it’s that great. Truly one of the best campgrounds in British Columbia.
Shuswap Lake Provincial Park – This large family-friendly campground is located along the shores of beautiful Shuswap Lake, east of Kamloops. Amenities: showers, flush toilets, a kids adventure playground & large grassy area for soccer or ball games, swimming, fishing, boating, canoeing, biking & walking trails, an amphitheater with great nature programs by Park Rangers. Located close to cottage country, houseboating and amenities such as a convenience store, mini-golf centre, and an ice cream parlour. This is one of the best lakes to camp at in BC, especially when camping with kids.
Camping in BC: the Cariboo Chilcotin
Wells Gray Provincial Park – Located in the North Thompson Okanagan region, Wells Gray Provincial Park offers an amazing wilderness camping experience. There is something for everyone and every outdoor interest. There are many campgrounds within this park, and one of the most family (and fishing) friendly is Mahood Lake.
Campers and outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the alpine meadows, waterfalls, mineral springs and glaciers. As well as the excellent birding and wildlife viewing. You’ll find hiking for every ability, ranging from short hikes on level trails to multi-day backcountry tramps where you’ll need a map and compass. You can boat, canoe and kayak, as well as book horseback riding, canoeing, river-rafting, fishing and hiking trips with local outfitters.
Camping in the Kootenay Rockies
Kootenay Lake Provincial Park – The deep and vast Kootenay Lake has several campgrounds dotted along its shores. We camped at Lockhart Beach on our road trip many summers back, and loved its isolation and easy access to the beautiful lake. Lost Ledge is a small and secluded campground on the northwestern shore of the lake.
Moyie Lake Provincial Park – A family friendly campground of 111 campsites located 20 kilometres south of Cranbrook off Highway 3/95. You can easily spend a holiday week exploring the 1,300 metres of developed sandy beach, backed by a large grassy area. There’s swimming, wind surfing, sailing, boating, wildlife and bird viewing and a variety of fishing experiences. Kids will love the adventure playground, and parents will appreciate the hot showers.
Camping in Northern British Columbia
Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park – Road trippers traveling the Alaska Highway will find a warm welcome at this campground. The big attraction is the public hot spring that is the second largest in Canada and open year round. The campground can accommodate RVs and vehicle reservations, as well as frontcountry campers on a walk in basis. The setting in a lush Boreal forest feels otherworldly, a perfect escape from it all.
Lakelse Lake Provincial Park – Wildlife watching opportunities abound at reservable Furlong Bay Campground in Lakelse Lake Provincial Park. There are 156 sites (50 of them with electrical hookups) at this lake campground that features sandy beaches and a roped-off swimming area in the lake. Take a walk on the nature trail loops, where you’ll see some of the 100 bird species and old-growth cedar, hemlock, and Sitka spruce trees. Adventurous visitors can try water skiing, windsurfing, fishing, canoeing, and sailing on the lake.
How to reserve a campsite in BC Provincial Parks
You can reserve a campsite by going onto the BC Parks Reservation site starting in January 2024. Frontcountry and backcountry reservations can be made four months in advance of your trip. Camping fees vary by provincial park campsites and amenities. There are also party size maximums per camping site – no more than four adults, and no more than eight people total per site.
This year, camping reservations to book BC provincial campsites will be open to all Canadian residents at the same time on BC Parks website. Reservations for the 2024 season for the popular Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit in Bowron Lake Provincial Park opened on October 24, 2023, at 7 AM.
Reservations in the summer high season are mandatory for long weekends and campgrounds close to urban areas. You can reserve single and double campsite at those campgrounds with reservable sites (which is not all campgrounds), four months to the date of your arrival.
Circle dates on your calendar four months from your desired camping dates, especially for those peak season long weekends in summer. Here’s a helpful primer on how to book your BC camping reservation.
Do your research. Spend time online checking out maps and locations of campgrounds and sites ahead of time, to ensure you know where and when you want to camp. Many campgrounds may have first-come, first-serve sites, but they are few in number and you’re taking your chances by rolling up expecting a spot on a busy weekend.
Set up a notification alert with BC Parks
For 2024, BC Parks will continue its reservation service that will provide people with e-mail notifications when a campsite becomes available at a specific campground within the four-month booking window.
To sign up for notifications, search for your desired park and dates, then click the “Notify Me” button on the right-hand side of the screen. Then a pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm your details.
If you need to make any changes, exit the pop-up window and search for the park and dates again. If everything looks correct, click the “Save Notification” button. Once you have saved your “Notify Me” alert, you will receive an e-mail notification if a site becomes available at the park and dates you chose. The e-mail is not a guaranteed booking – it will prompt you to go to the reservation service and continue through the reservation process as normal.
You will be able to create up to five different availability notifications, and you can remove them at any time through My Notifications.
Watch the video below to learn more about Notify Me.
Camping at BC’s National Parks
For British Columbia’s seven National Parks, like Pacific Rim in Tofino and Glacier and Yoho in the Rocky Mountains, you need to access Parks Canada’s reservation site, which opens in January this year. Planning your National Parks camping reservations early is very important if you want certain high season weekends. Parks Canada has overhauled their reservation system in 2023, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the new system before using it.
British Columbia’s National Parks are beautifully situated in some of the province’s most iconic landscapes. In addition to vehicle-accessible and walk-in camping pads, Parks Canada sites offer yurts, cabins and other unique types of accommodations.
In Metro Vancouver, an easy option is staying in a Gold Rush-themed oTENTik tent at Fort Langley National Historic Site. All you have to bring is your food and sleeping bags. It’s a good way to ease into the camping lifestyle.
Reservations for some backcountry recreational sites have also become mandatory. Recreation sites are very popular as many are off the beaten path, and hike-in only, like the uber-popular Joffre Lakes. Know before you go, because you will be turned away if you can’t show that you have a confirmed reservation.
It pays to reserve your British Columbia camping holiday in advance during the busy summer months. Be sure to review any recent reservation changes by BC Parks online or call at 1-800-689-9025.
For information about free campsites and free camping areas on crown land, visit Recreation Sites and Trails B.C.
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Photo credit: C. Laroye, Lancer Fan
Have you camped in beautiful British Columbia? What are some of your favorite places to get back to nature? Share your comment below.
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