The Outsider’s Guide: How to Book a Camping Spot in B.C. Like a Pro

Surrey resident and irrepressible camper Shannon Gibbs has been running her blog, Camp That Site, for a decade now, and has filled it with hundreds of recommendations from her journeys into the woods—at first with her two kids and a tent-trailer in tow, now parking in luxury with her husband and a 25-foot RV. (Full disclosure: she’s also the aunt of Vanmag’s editor-in-chief.) With competition for provincial park sites at an all-time high—demand is up 200 percent from 2014—there’s no better person to ask for wisdom about snagging a hot spot to pitch your tent in peace.

Forget the weekends

If you’ve got any flexibility about your dates, Monday to Friday camping is your best bet. “Weekends are almost impossible to book,” says Gibbs. “If you want a weekend, you really have to plan to arrive on a weekday.”

Embrace the path less taken

Provincial campgrounds are the deluxe accommodation option— easily accessible, staffed with caretakers—and highly competitive to book. “Recreational Sites,” meanwhile, are also provincially managed, but are a little more rugged (and a lot less busy). They’re typically first come, first serve, and sometimes even free. Often, though, they’re off the beaten path, so you might need a hardy vehicle (or even a boat!) to get there.

Hop a ferry

“The hidden gems are all on the Island,” says Gibbs. The cost of taking a ferry over can be prohibitive for car or RV campers, so if you’re willing to take the hit, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast offer a smorgasbord of spectacular sites (Bella Pacifica Campground in Tofino, for one).

Pursue private parks

Even if you’re a capitalism-hating  Marxist, you have to admit: sometimes, the free market delivers. Private campgrounds are there to fill in the gaps when provincial parks let you down—like the oceanfront Cluxewe Resort and Campground outside of Port Hardy. “You can usually book private sites a year out, and often get first right of refusal to keep your week, year after year,” adds Gibbs.

Keep it local

Maybe it feels like less of an adventure to camp in the Lower Mainland, but when Osoyoos is all booked up, Langley’s Edgewater Bar Campground—operated by Metro Vancouver—is there for you with a sparkling (though unfortunately un-swimmable) riverside spot.