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A camping or RV trip to Vancouver Island is the perfect way to explore all the islands’ nooks and crannies. Where do you go when there are over 150 provincial parks, two national parks, hundreds of recreation sites, and dozens of private campgrounds to choose from? Check out our Campground and RV partners below, or … Continued
- Camping on Vancouver Island
- The Best Time to Go Camping on Vancouver Island
- Camping on Vancouver Island: Essential Info
- The Best Campgrounds on Vancouver Island
- Provincial Park Campgrounds – Vehicle Accessible
- Provincial Park Campgrounds – Walk-In and Backcountry
- National Parks
- Regional/Municipal Campgrounds
- Private Campgrounds
- Recreation Sites
This post will feature what I believe to be the best places to go camping on Vancouver Island, plus essential information about when to go, free camping options, what NOT to do and insider tips to help you secure your perfect campsite. My partner and I have spent more than 130+ nights camping on Vancouver Island, visiting each one of these recommen...
Vancouver Island has some of the most pleasant year round weather in Canada, with mild (but wet) winters and sunny, usually hot, summers. 1. The main Vancouver Island camping season is mid-May to early October.Most provincial park, private and municipal campgrounds will be open for the full length of this season 2. Peak season is generally consider...
When camping on Vancouver Island (or anywhere else!), it is SO important to leave no trace of your visit.This means camping on established sites, packing out everything you brought with you, only u...Keep a BARE campsite at all times to avoid attracting wildlife (including bears).ALL food and food related items should be in your vehicle or storage lockers/caches when not in use. This includes i...Be sure to check for any campfire restrictions before heading out. The BC Wildfire Service websitehas all of the latest updates. Keep campfires small (0.5m x 0.5m), never leave a campfire unattende...If potable (drinking) water is not available, be sure to treat any natural sources of water before using. For large amounts of water, we like to use a gravity water filter system. For smaller amoun...And finally, here is the list –over 25 of my favourite places to go camping on Vancouver Island.These campgrounds range from tiny to huge and are found across the island. I’ve separated the campgrounds by category, starting with provincial parks and ending with recreation sites. I have made my shortlist with a focus on tent and small van friendly c...
There is no doubt that provincial parks are the favoured place to go camping on Vancouver Island. In 2024, it is possible to make a reservation up to four months in advance for provincial park campgrounds (based on your arrival date). 1. BC’s provincial park campgrounds always feature well spaced, clean and maintained campsites with a good level of...
Vehicle accessible campgrounds in provincial parks are known to be in the ‘frontcountry.’ Provincial park areas accessible only by water or foot are accordingly called ‘backcountry’ and offer many more camping opportunities for adventurous self-sufficient campers. Most of the backcountry campsites on Vancouver Island operate on a first come, first ...
Vancouver Island is home to Pacific Rim National Park. The park consists of three areas (or ‘units’) – Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands and the West Coast Trail. Long Beach has a vehicle accessible campground (Green Point) while the other the Broken Group and West Coast Trail offer backcountry camping only. Reservations open for all Pacific Rim...
These campgrounds offer a mix of provincial park maintenance with recreation site casualness. My top picks (listed below) both use a first come, first serve system for allocating campsites, which is very helpful for spontaneous campers or anyone who is just travelling through the area.
Being privately owned, private campgrounds operate a bit differently than provincial or national park campgrounds. They usually have more emphasis on RV owners, who are more likely to want more serviced campsites with power, water and sewer hookups. Campsites are usually smaller and located closer together. Private campgrounds typically offer more ...
British Columbia has an amazing Recreation Site system offering low cost (and often FREE!) rustic camping opportunities. There is a large network of these on Vancouver Island, especially in the northern region. Recreation Sites operate a little differently than their provincial park counterparts: 1. The majority of Recreation Site campgrounds opera...
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Mar 12, 2023 · The Sooke River Campground is one of the best private campgrounds on Vancouver Island which is ideal to explore the eastern region, Victoria and Sooke. It offers 70 shady campsites right next to the peaceful Sooke River. It’s a few minutes drive away from Sooke, so shops and restaurants are close. Victoria is 45 minutes drive away.
Pitch a tent, or just hike in for the day – on Vancouver Island you can see nature as it was meant to be seen, in all its breathtaking glory. British Columbia has over 700 national and provincial parks, plus many regional parks. Of the provincial parks, 175 offer camping facilities, some of which permit reservations.
- Goldstream Provincial Park. Goldstream Provincial Park is a must-visit campground located just outside of Victoria. It’s home to towering 600-year old Douglas Fir trees, rare wildflowers, and other flora and fauna endemic to southern Vancouver Island.
- China Beach Campground in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park. China Beach in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park is a spectacular campground located on the coast of southern Vancouver Island.
- Gordon Bay Provincial Park. One of the top interior Vancouver Island campgrounds is Gordon Bay Provincial Park. It’s located on Lake Cowichan, north of the city of Duncan, in an area known for its mild temperatures and sunny summers.
- Englishman River Falls Provincial Park. Located 45 minutes northwest of Nanaimo, Englishman River Falls Provincial Park is a central Vancouver Island camping paradise.
Mar 2, 2023 · One of the best campgrounds on Vancouver Island is the Living Forest Oceanside Campsite & RV Park. This is a great campground located only 5 kilometers from Nanaimo city center. Our nice shady forest camp spot had a fire pit and picnic table. The toilet facilities were clean and the hot showers cost $1 for 5 minutes.
The Living Forest features miles of walking on paved roads or quiet trails, bicycling, paddling, swimming in the amazing Nanaimo River, birding, basketball, bocce, a games room, beach volleyball, and more. We offer truly incredible camping, naturally! Nanaimo and area has a population of over 100,000 and the park is in the perfect location on ...
