Camping in Canada, where should I go (or not go)?

[Trbo323]

Calling all Canadians *moose call*

There's a chance I may be doing some camping in Canada this summer. Figured I better figure out where. West Coast, was thinking Vancouver area (ironic because I live in Vancouver WA) but was curious if anyone has any suggestions in that ballpark. Pop up camper, 25ish feet long. Electricity and water would be nice but not needed we dry camp just fine. I have 2 littles so something for them to do is a plus

Cdn_Cuda does Mortimer have any family in the area?

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[RichM]

Lots of options, a few questions to narrow it down:
- how far from Vancouver are you willing to travel?
- how many days would you like to camp?
- what kind of activities are your focus? (fishing, hiking, etc.)
- do you have a boat/watercraft?
- are you willing to take a ferry?

[Cdn_Cuda]

Camping here is almost a competitive sport as you need to book super early to get a spot. Private places are easier to book with and with a pop-up you can easily get into any place. My family camped up at Blue Lake Resort last summer and it was great. Playground and little petting zoo for the kids. Nice lake for a good paddle lots of fish. There were little toads everywhere at night when my family was there and my kids were thrilled. Place wasn't too rowdy either. So would suggest that! You get to drive the Fraser Canyon which is a fun road. Was a big deal in the 70s and then a new road took away most of the traffic so lots of old places to stop by and see.

My parents have an RV sport in Harrison Hotsprings and there's a few camping spots around there, some provincial and some private. There's a heritage place called Kilby nearby that is fun for the kids. Has some farm animals and historical buildings. They do fun demonstrations and have have good ice cream! My kids love it there. There are a few small lakes like Hicks and Deer lake just past Harrison with nice camping spots and are restricted lakes so no motor boats. We have some inflatable kayaks we used there and it was fun.

Costs more, but Vancouver Island is also really nice to camp. Great beaches for exploring with the kids. We'd often stay in Parksville which has a huge playground for kids, a couple mini golf places and Goats on the Roof in Coombs is a fun place to stop by. Going up Island there are lots of really nice places to camp. Cost a bit more due to the ferries to get there though.

Again on the Island, my wife wants to go to Port Renfrew which looks amazing. On the bucket list.

[Trbo323]

The more I'm looking at the ferry I think anything with a ferry might be out. I can't see the price without making a reservation but it's more than $88 one way, I'm expecting over $100.

So $200 round trip for just the ferry ride on top of gas prices really hurts. I'll reply more later at work right now

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[Cdn_Cuda]

Yes, the Ferry is expensive and time consuming! Golden Ears is a more local camping spot. Haven't been up there in years though. But for the kids I would definitely look around the Harrison area. 2.5 hours or so outside of Vancouver.

https://tourismharrison.com/experien...ampgrounds-rv/

And here is Kilby:
https://kilby.ca

[Jimmydee]

Fox creek Alberta Canada..

[fat-50-]

Dinosaur national park Alberta!!!

[Jordan]

The more I'm looking at the ferry I think anything with a ferry might be out. I can't see the price without making a reservation but it's more than $88 one way, I'm expecting over $100.

So $200 round trip for just the ferry ride on top of gas prices really hurts. I'll reply more later at work right now

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That's Canadian funds though, I would assume... your dollar will go pretty far over on this side of the border.

Our gas is still more expensive though, even after exchange.

[Trbo323]

Lots of options, a few questions to narrow it down:
- how far from Vancouver are you willing to travel?
- how many days would you like to camp?
- what kind of activities are your focus? (fishing, hiking, etc.)
- do you have a boat/watercraft?
- are you willing to take a ferry?

Probably not too far outside Vancouver more to keep the gas bill down over anything

Up to 6 days. Budget will likely be the deciding factor

Don't really have any specific activities in mind, maybe a mix? Some nature oriented some activities in town?

No water vehicles

Willing yes, budget constraints I think have already ruled them out though. We could extend our stay by multiple days just by not taking the ferry

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[Cdn_Cuda]

In town activities to consider with the kids:
Downtown Vancouver: Science World and Vancouver Aquarium/Stanley Park , Bloedel Conservatory (great if kids like birds!) and Queen Elizabeth Park
Burnaby: Heritage Village - has a classic wood carousel, Deer Lake Park which you can rent boats and paddle the small lake, lots of wildlife. Can also walk around the lake. Burnaby Lake Park, large lake with lots of trails. Beavers frequent the area near the rowing pavilion.
Richmond: Steveston Village and Terra Nova Park - awesome outdoor park for kids, great walk along the water. Lot of birds and wildlife. Reifel Bird Sanctuary fun place to bird watch and walk
Langley/Abbotsford: GVRD Zoo. Lots of animals to see, can bike the whole way around. Otter Coop "The Outdoor Experience" is a giant awesome pool with slides and playground and all sorts of fun things for the kids.

[RichM]

Ok, based on your reply I'll assume a max driving time of around 4ish hours. That basically gives you two options. Option 1 is to go through the 'Sea to Sky' corridor which takes you up Howe Sound and through Squamish up towards Whistler. It's beautiful country and postcard 'BC', but not as many opportunities for a pop-up camper. Option 2 is east of Vancouver through the Fraser Valley and then either north up the Fraser Canyon or further east into Manning Provincial park. Lots of options but they can get crowded quickly in summer. I think at that time of year you will have better luck booking at a private campground/resort rather than a provincial park campground, as Cdn_Cuda mentioned those spots get snapped up in the online booking system as soon as they become available. Whatever option you choose I would suggest making your booking as far ahead of time as you can. Here are some options in either direction, plus some 'extras' if you feel like a bit more driving. This is by no means an exhaustive list, lots of other options if you poke around Google. Good luck, feel free to pm if you have questions about any potential spots.

Sea to Sky

Whistler RV Park and Campground - https://whistlerrvpark.com/
Close to Whistler, this would make a great 'base camp' to go explore Whister and Squamish. There is a ton of stuff to do for the whole family in and around that area, and some real wilderness too if you are inclined to get off the beaten path. Plus, there's a paintball park next door! https://avalanchepaintball.com/

Klahanie Campground - https://www.klahaniecampground.com/
Just before you get into Squamish, along Howe Sound.

Mamquam River Campground - https://mamquamrivercampground.ca/
Right in Squamish, not exactly wilderness but a nice spot right by the Mamquam river. Would make a good base camp.

Sqamish Valley Campground - https://www.campsquamish.com/index.html
This is a short drive along the Squamish river. It's a pretty cool area, true wilderness very close to the city. Not much for amenities but you're close to Squamish.

Alice Lake Campground - https://bcparks.ca/alice-lake-park/ https://camping.bcparks.ca/
This is a provincial park campground. Very nice area but will be crowded in the summer.

Riverside Campground - https://www.parkbridge.com/en/resort...xoC8HUQAvD_BwE
This is right in Whistler, probably a bit pricier but worth a look.

Fraser Valley

Lots of options in the valley close to vancouver so I'll just bang off a list:

Edgewater Bar - https://metrovancouver.org/services/...er-bar-camping
Rolley Lake - https://bcparks.ca/rolley-lake-park/
Fort Camping - https://www.fortcamping.com/
Golden Ears Park - https://bcparks.ca/golden-ears-park/
Cultus Lake - https://www.cultuslake.bc.ca/sunnyside-campground/
Cultus Lake - https://bcparks.ca/cultus-lake-park/
Vedder River Campground - https://www.fvrd.ca/EN/main/parks-re...ampground.html
Chilliwack Lake Campground - check the provincial parks website
Chehalis River Campground - https://www.westharrisonreservations...er-campground/
Harrison River Campground - https://www.harrisonriverrv.com/
Coquihalla Campground - https://www.coquihallacampground.ca/

Manning Park - https://bcparks.ca/ec-manning-park/
A bit of a drive, but it gets you into some spectacular wilderness.

Blue Lake Resort - https://www.bluelakeresort.ca/
As per Cdn_Cuda's post, this might be a nice option.

Other Options - longer drive or ferry ride

Timberline RV park - https://www.timberlinecamping.ca/
Beautiful area on the BC Coast. Shorter and cheaper ferry ride than to Vancouver Island.

Hotel Lake Campground - https://www.facebook.com/Lakeside.on.Hotel.Lake/
I have stayed here with my kids... great spot, beautiful area with lots to explore on the BC coast. Shorter and cheaper ferry ride than to Vancouver Island.

Kentucky-Alleyne Lakes - https://bcparks.ca/kentucky-alleyne-park/
Spectacular water

Otter Lake - https://bcparks.ca/otter-lake-park/
Nice country

Lac La Jeune - https://bcparks.ca/lac-le-jeune-park/
In the heart of BC's trout fishing interior

[Trbo323]

Lots to look though here when I have the time thanks guys. I was looking at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver and it definitely looks interesting, there's something there for every member of my family. So that may be a day trip onto Vancouver proper for us.

The reservation system for the provisional parks is actually the exact same as state of Washington uses for state parks. And yeah the campsites here get snatched up quick as well for certain weeks. I'm pretty good at getting them though, you just have to know when that spot opens up for reservations and have your finger on the button.

The only real difference is it looks like BC only allows reservations 3 months in advance which in this case works to my favor.

We try to go to the Washington State international kite festival every year but Cape disappointment state park is doing some construction and things are getting messed with. We won't know until May 1 if we get our spot or not this year but if we don't the plan is to go experience BC and I can't make those reservations until July if we do a provisional park so that timing works

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[RichM]

Yeah summer is a nice time to poke around up here. Queen Elizabeth park is a nice place to spend some time, lots of space and some nice walks, if you're there it's worth checking out the Bloedel Conservatory ( https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreatio...servatory.aspx ). A few other good spots for day trips in Vancouver area:

Stanley Park and downtown Vancouver waterfront - this is the 'heart' of Vancouver and definitely needs a full day to get through it, take your time, walk the seawall and trails, have a picnic, and go to the aquarium ( https://www.vanaqua.org/ ).

Spanish Banks Beach - good spot to spend an afternoon on the beach, especially when the tide goes out ( https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreatio...ank-beach.aspx )

University of British Columbia - just up from Spanish Banks is the UBC campus. It's huge and has a large section of coastal rainforest that buffers it with tons of hiking trails. Go for a hike along the trails and then go check out the UBC bookstore, grab some lunch, and have a walk around the campus. Lots of museums and gardens to visit on campus, and it's ringed by beaches that have trail access through the rainforest, including Wreck beach... it's a nude beach, if you're up for it! lol

Capilano River Regional Park - this is a really nice park to spend an afternoon hiking through, trails follow the river canyon through the forest with spur trails taking you to various river pools. There is a salmon hatchery with viewing areas at just off the parking area, there will be salmon in river and the hatchery in the summer. ( https://metrovancouver.org/services/...-regional-park ). Avoid the Capilano Suspension Bridge, it's expensive and one of the bigger tourist traps in town.

Steveston and Fisherman's Wharf, Britannia Shipyards - ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/HAfJJHMmQhFzWPUAA ) Steveston is a community that developed from a fishing village and still supports a lot of commercial fishing, it's right on the confluence of the Fraser River and the ocean. Fisherman's wharf is fun because commercial fishing boats sell their catch right at the wharf, can get some good seafood or just walk around and check it out. Lot's of good places to eat, there's a huge park nearby ( https://www.richmond.ca/parks-recrea...ark.aspx?ID=17 ) and the historical Britannia Shipyards ( https://stevestonheritage.ca/visit/b...historic-site/ ).

Centennial Beach - this is great spot for an afternoon with the kids. It is a huge tidal flat, when the tide is out you can walk a huge distance on the tidal flats. If you can time your visit for when the tide is about half-way back in, the water that comes back in gets warmed up by the sand that has been exposed to the sun, and it's actually warm to swim in. ( https://metrovancouver.org/services/...-regional-park )