Camping is incredibly popular in BC, especially near Vancouver. The popular campsites require reservations that release 4 months out and being coordinated to plan so far in advance can be a real challenge for people.
Didn’t plan a trip and now you want to go camping this weekend and aren’t sure where to go? I’ve got you covered! It might seem like all the good campsites are booked, but there are lots of great options that don’t require advance bookings.
Welcome to my 2-part series to help you get out camping with minimal advance planning, in any season! Part 1 focuses on permitted campsites (that don’t require reservations) and Part 2 will focus on unpermitted (free) campsites!
Backcountry Registration vs. Reservations
What is the difference between registration and reservations? This is a common question from visitors to BC Parks camping website. Both are different types of permits for backcountry campsites located in provincial parks. Campsites with backcountry reservations have a set number of permits that release 4 months in advance of your trip date. Once all reservations are sold for a specific date, it’s not possible to camp at that site. In contrast, campsites with backcountry registration don’t have a set capacity limit. You still need to purchase a permit, but they only release 2 weeks in advance of your trip date and are unlimited, so you can wait until as late as the day of your trip to purchase. Both types of bookings are made on camping.bcparks.ca.
These permits exist so that BC Parks can monitor how the backcountry is being used and collect fees towards park maintenance. Permits are usually $5 per person, per night, and don’t have the $6 reservation fee. In this post, I’m focusing only on backcountry registration.
Campsites Near Vancouver
Viewpoint Beach / Half Moon Beach
Viewpoint Beach and Half Moon Beach are both located in Golden Ears Provincial Park and have been steadily growing in popularity over the last few years. There are no formal tent pads at either site, but there’s a large open beach where you can fit quite a few tents. It’s a 4km hike along the East Canyon Trail to Viewpoint Beach along easy terrain (great for beginners), whereas it’s another 6km to Half Moon Beach on a more technical trail. Both sites have an outhouse and bear cache.
Lindeman Lake is a popular campsite in Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. The campsite has a limited number of tent pads, but there is room to pitch a tent on the ground (though space is somewhat limited). It’s a gorgeous campsite and only a short hike from the trailhead. It’s under 2km, but it has almost 400m of elevation gain, so it’s a steep trail. There is a bear cache and pit toilet. If you want to avoid the crowds, continue hiking another 5km past Lindeman Lake to the campsite at Greendrop Lake.
Mowich Camp is located on The Skyline II Trail in E.C. Manning Provincial Park. It’s been several years since I visited this campsite, so I’m not sure if it’s been growing in popularity, but I haven’t seen much about it online, so I suspect not (it’s similar to the much more popular Heather Trail, which recently moved to the reservation system). It’s a 13km hike to this campsite through beautiful alpine meadows. You can do it as a there-and-back hike, or you can leave a car in Skagit Valley Provincial Park to do it as a thru hike. There is an outhouse and bear cache at the campground, but the water source is only a small stream that can be unreliable, so plan accordingly.
Alder Flats / Panorama
Alder Flats and Panorama Campsites are both located in Golden Ears Provincial Park, along the West Canyon Trail, which travels to popular Golden Ears Peak. It’s a 6km hike to Alder Flats and another 6km after that to the Panorama Campsite. Over the course of this trail you will gain 1500m in elevation, so it is a very challenging trail and not for beginners. Both sites have pit toilets, but not bear caches, so a bear bin is recommended, especially for Panorama, which is in the alpine.
Campsites on Vancouver Island
Sombrio Beach is located on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park. There are several campsites located along the 47km long marine trail, but as of 2025, the majority of the trail is closed due to impacts to the trail from winter floods. Sombrio Beach is a beautiful beach around the midpoint of the trail that can be accessed a few hundred metres from the car park. There are formal tent pads on both sides of the river and there is an outhouse and bear cache at the site.
Landslide Lake is located in Strathcona Provincial Park along the Elk River Trail. There are two campsites to choose from before Landslide Lake, known as Butterwort Flats and Upper Gravel Bar. Butterwort Flats Campsite is located in the forest 7km along the trail, while Upper Gravel Bar Campsite is located along the banks of the river 9.5km along the trail. Both campsites are ideal for visiting Landslide Lake. I don’t think either site has formal tent pads (I can’t quite remember, sorry) as well as an outhouses and a bear cache.
Bedwell Lake is another backcountry site located in Strathcona Provincial Park. It’s approximately 6km to the campsite at Bedwell Lake, but the trail is quite technical, with several rope sections. If you want a slightly easier hike, you can stop at the Baby Bedwell Campsite. Both sides have an outhouse and bear cache, as well as several formal tent pads. It should be noted that the condition of the access road to the trailhead can vary depend on when it was last graded. Sometimes it’s in good condition, other times I’ve heard that 4×4 is recommended.
San Josef Bay is a popular coastal site located in Cape Scott Provincial Park. It is a remote part of Vancouver Island, located at the end of a 65km gravel road, but it is an incredibly popular site. San Josef Bay is a golden sand beach that has been voted as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It’s a 3.5km hike along very easy, flat terrain, and there are lots of outhouses and bear caches interspersed along the back of the beach.
Winter Campsites
If you’re looking to get into snow camping, Lightning Lakes in E.C. Manning Park is a great place to start! The entire lake freezes over in the winter and you can do wild camping at the end of the lake. You can follow the lakeside trail, or snowshoe over the lake, but always use the trail when crossing between the first and second lakes, as the river usually doesn’t freeze. It’s ~6km round trip to the back of the second lake, but you can continue further to the campsite at Strike Lake. There are no facilities.
Poland Lake is also located in E.C. Manning Provincial Park. The trail is located in simple avalanche terrain and is ~8km each way. You must park at Strawberry Flats overnight and hike along the road to the ski resort. At the ski resort, there is a trail that follows the edge of one of the runs and then branches off to the winter trailhead. You cannot use the summer trail from Strawberry Flats as it passes through the middle of the resort. There are no facilities.
Water Access Campsites
Alouette Lake / Pitt Lake
Alouette Lake and Pitt Lake are both located (partially) in Golden Ears Provincial Park. Alouette Lake is very popular for frontcountry camping, but there are also several marine access campsites in the park. There are several marine sites at the midpoint and far north end of Alouette Lake (well past all the frontcountry sites) and there are two campsites (Raven and Osprey) located on the east side of Pitt Lake. I haven’t had the opportunity to visit any of these campsites yet, but hope to one day!
Rum Island is the only campsite on the list not located in a BC Park. Rum Island is located in the Gulf Islands National Marine Reserve, so permits for this site should be obtained from Parks Canada. You can paddle from Sidney on Vancouver Island, along the edge of several gulf islands to get to Rum Island. It’s a small island with only 3 campsites that are first-come-first-serve, but I went on a long weekend and didn’t have trouble getting a site. You can for the permit on the island, so make sure to bring cash with you. There is an outhouse, but no bear cache since there are no bears on the island.
Desolation Sound / Copeland Islands
Desolation Sound and the Copeland Islands are each their own respective marine reserves managed by BC Parks. There are approximately a dozen marine access campsites spread around the park and it makes for a great multi day trip. I recommend Copeland Islands if you’re looking for a shorter trip, which can be paddled from Lund. If you’d like a longer trip, check out the Curme Islands campsites! There are outhouses at each campsite, but only the mainland campsites have bear caches.
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