Securing a BC Parks camping reservation can feel like a bit of a lottery.
Demand exceeds supply at popular campgrounds to such an extent that reservations for summer weekends disappear in minutes.
This post will explain how the BC Parks’ camping reservation system works and what important dates you need to know.
You’ll also find helpful tips and advice to provide you the best chance of securing a BC Parks camping reservation.
To cover every aspect, I’ve also included all the details you need about BC’s provincial park campgrounds and the contrasting national park reservation system.
Here’s what to expect:
- Camping reservations – tips and advice
- Useful camping terms
- BC Parks camping reservations
- National Park camping reservations
This post features affiliate links. If you make a purchase via these links, we may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
Camping necessities
- First time camping? Read my Car Camping 101 Guide
- Always bring the 10 Essentials
- Know how to stay safe
- Remember to Leave No Trace to help keep nature beautiful
- Understand how to avoid negative bear encounters
- Need a camping packing list? Sign up to our newsletter for a free one!
Camping reservations in BC – tips and advice
- The busiest reservation periods for vehicle accessible campgrounds are July and August, with weekends (especially holiday weekends) being reserved first
- Weekday reservations (Sunday night to Thursday night) are less popular but availability can still be low in the most popular parks
- If you want to secure a campsite for a specific time period, you must be prepared to try as soon as the reservation system launches or the dates become available
- I’d highly recommend getting familiar with reservation systems and creating an account prior to the launch date
- Keep a few different options in mind for dates and locations. The more flexible you are, the better!
- The reservation system requires campers to reserve a specific campsite. If you have a large RV or trailer, I’d suggest researching individual sites first to see which you will be able to reserve
- It is easier to book online than it is to get through on the phone lines, though the reservation system websites can suffer from overload and may freeze or have server errors
- The online system holds reservations for 15 minutes. So if you find all the sites gone at 7.01am, wait 15-20 minutes and you’ll likely see some spots open up
What to do if you don’t manage to secure a camping reservation
Reservations do get cancelled all the time. It is definitely worth regularly checking the reservation system for cancellations.
You can check for cancellations in person, on the day. It would, however, be very wise to have a back up plan.
Also remember that not all provincial park and national park campgrounds in BC are reservable.
Some campgrounds exclusively use first come first serve systems. Others have have a mix of reservation and first come first serve sites.
Around 45% of all BC Parks’ frontcountry campsites are available on a first come first service system.
Check out How to go Camping in BC Without a Reservation for more info and tips.
Some camping terms you should know
If you’re new to the world of park camping, welcome! Before continuing on, I thought it would be useful to share some key camping terms to help with your reservation process.
Frontcountry camping – Also known as ‘car camping.’ This means you can drive your vehicle right to your site. Frontcountry campgrounds typically have toilets (outhouses or flush toilet buildings), picnic tables, campfire pits and water taps at a minimum. There may also be playgrounds and showers.
Backcountry camping – Backcountry campgrounds are only accessible on foot, by boat or horse only. There is no vehicle access. Backcountry campgrounds are more rustic than frontcountry campgrounds but usually have outhouses and clear tent spaces at a minimum. Some have picnic tables.
Double site (BC Parks only) – This refers to an individual campsite that is located very close to another campsite. This enables two camping groups to camp very close to one another. Double sites must be reserved together.
Group sites – These are for large, organised groups wanting to camp together.
First come, first serve – Campsites are not reservable and are assigned on the basis of who arrived first
Walk-in camping – Frontcountry camping that is accessible by foot only, designed for campers who are tenting only.
Serviced campsites – Designed for RV and trailers, these campsites will have electrical, water or sewer hook-ups (or a combination of).
Unserviced campsites – No hook-up services (as above), suitable for all campers not wanting or needing electrical, water or sewer facilities direct to their campsite
Pull-through campsites – Designed for campers using large RVs or long trailers to drive through and park with minimal manoeuvring
BC Provincial Park camping in BC
BC Parks is the third largest park system in North America. There are over 644 provincial parks with 10,000 vehicle accessible campsites and 2000 walk-in/backcountry campsites.
If you’re already impressed by the scale, you’re going to be even more inspired by the beautiful locations in which these campsites are set!
BC Parks frontcountry camping reservations
There are 100+ parks listed within the BC Parks’ camping reservation system.
If you don’t know where to start, I’d recommend using the map tool on the BC Parks website.
For inspiration, buy the relevant Backroad Mapbook for your intended destination region. All provincial campgrounds are listed with details of facilities, number of campsites and nearby attractions.
To check how many campsites within the campground are reservable, check the individual park pages on the BC Parks website – look under the ‘Dates of Operation’ tab. You can also check the reservable dates in this section.
When to reserve
BC Parks uses a four-month rolling window for campground reservations.
This four-month window means that you can only book arrival dates within the four month window. It is a gradual release system.
In 2025, the reservation system launched on 8th January at 7am. At this time, it was possible to reserve campsites for arrival dates of 8th May or earlier.
The four-month rolling reservation window means that not all summer dates sell out at once. Anyone wanting to camp in August will need to wait until April to reserve.
Specific examples:
- 12th July will become available on 12th March
- 15th August will become available on 15th April
On top of this, each provincial park campground has specific reservation dates.
Many campgrounds only allow reservations for dates between mid May and early September (sometimes early October).
To find out what the operating dates are at your preferred campgrounds, check the ‘dates of operation’ section at the top of the park’s webpage.
Please note that reservations for remote/smaller campgrounds can only be made until 8pm two days before your arrival date. After this time, the sites become first come, first serve only.
This policy is usually in force due to a lack of internet access in remote campgrounds – it eliminates the risk of accidental double bookings.
How to reserve
BC Parks’ reservation system is refreshed with new dates at 7am each day.
On April 10th at 7am, for example, it will be possible to book August 10th as an arrival date. Please note multi-day exception below.
To make a reservation on the BC Parks website, you’ll need:
- Preferred arrival and departure dates
- Preferred park and campground
- Equipment details (number of tents, van/camper, approx RV length)
If you have a preference for walk-in campsites, double sites or electricity, there is a filter for these options.
Frontcountry (vehicle accessible) camping reservations are made on the ‘campsite’ tab, which is actually selected upon arrival to the website.
Waiting room system
BC Parks uses a virtual waiting room system on reservation lanch day.
When the waiting room system is operational, all users arriving on the BC Parks’ Camping website from 6am (ish) onwards are automatically redirected to a waiting room.
The waiting room screen shows a time countdown to 7am. At the 7am reservation launch time, all users in the waiting room are randomly allocated a place in line. This process can take up to 60 seconds.
The screen will automatically refresh and your number will appear at the bottom of the screen with the estimated wait time.
Do not refresh your screen yourself – if you do, you will be allocated a place at the back of the line.
When you are at the front of the queue, the page will automatically refresh to the website’s main landing page. It’s your time to make a reservation!
This waiting room system helps prevent server overload.
Multi-day reservations
Confused what ‘arrival date’ refers to? This is the day you physically arrive in the provincial park to start your reservation.
The majority of BC Parks’ campgrounds allow bookings up to 14 days (13 nights).
When a campsite becomes available to book via the four-month rolling reservation system, it is possible to book additional nights (to a maximum of 13 nights) right away.
So if you want to go camping at Gold Creek campground in Golden Ears Provincial Park from 10th to 18th August, you will be able to book the entire trip on 10th April as one booking.
There is no need to wait for each individual day to be released onto the system if you are staying in the same campsite at the same park.
Understanding availability
The BC Parks’ reservation system uses a colour indicator system to show availability. Understanding this system is crucial to making successful reservations.
- Green means that the site available for all selected dates
- Red indicates that the site is unavailable for all selected dates
- Purple shows partial availability – the site is available for some of the selected dates (not applicable for one night searches)
- Black indicates that the site is closed – this could be due to damage
If a campsite is highlighted orange, however, this can mean a number of different things:
- The site may operate on a first come, first serve only and hence no reservations are allowed (also shown as stars)
- Alternatively, that site may only work on a first come, first serve basis for that selected period
- Your selected equipment (tent, RV etc.) may not fit on that particular site
- Your selected preferences (electricity, walk-in, double site) may not match that site
In the case of the latter two examples, click on the specific campsite and then carefully look at the details on the right hand side of the screen. The allowed equipment and type of campsite will be listed there.
See the below screenshot for an example. This is Coldspring Campground in E.C. Manning Provincial Park. There are a number of orange campsites (stars) on this screen that cannot be booked. The breakdown looks like this:
- Campsites 1-10 are always first come, first serve
- Campsites 11-25 are first come, first serve during the selected period (early June)
- Campsites 40, 92 and 93 are walk-in only and will not fit the selected equipment (RV)
Reservation and camping fees
BC Parks’ reservation fee is $6/night per campsite, per night, to a maximum of $18.
The reservation fee for one night of camping is therefore $6. A two-night stay is $12. A four-night stay would be the same as a three-night stay – $18.
Reservations can also be made by phone. These incur a $5 call centre surcharge per booking.
Camping fees vary between campgrounds, starting at $14/night per camping party*. Fees are listed on individual park pages. Campsites with electrical hook ups are more expensive than standard, unserviced campsites.
*8 people total, with up to 4 people being 16 years or older.
Please head to the BC Parks’ website for the more details on fees for charging and cancelling reservations.
Reservation tips
- If you don’t already have one, create a new account prior to the date you plan to make a booking
- Pick your preferred parks, campgrounds and campsites in advance
- Practice making a reservation so you know exactly what to do on the day
- Have alternative dates to hand in case your preferred dates are already booked up
- Plan to navigate to the BC Parks reservation website before 7am
- If the waiting room system is being used, keep in mind that place allocation is completely random
- Use a laptop or desktop computer if you can (over a mobile device) – the system is better formatted for this type of device
- Be sure to select your preferred park before clicking ‘search.’ If you leave it blank, the website will display a map of British Columbia and it will take longer to locate your preferred park and campground
- Want to camp on a holiday weekend? You must book a minimum of three nights (if the holiday falls on a Monday, the reservation must include the preceding Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
BC Parks’ backcountry camping reservations
The majority of BC Parks’ backcountry campgrounds are allocated on a first-come, first-serve system, with no reservation system in place.
There are, however, a handful of parks in which backcountry camping reservations are mandatory:
- Mount Robson Provincial Park (Berg Lake Trail)
- Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park (Magog and Og Lake)
- Garibaldi Provincial Park (ten campgrounds)
- Joffre Lakes Provincial Park (Upper Joffre Lake campground)
- Bowron Lake Provincial Park (Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit)
- E.C. Manning Provincial Park (Buckhorn, Kicking Horse and Frosty Creek campgrounds only)
These provincial parks also use BC Parks’ camping website for reservations.
Assiniboine, Garibaldi, Buckhorn and Joffre Lakes have a four-month rolling booking window.
Reservations for Bowron Lakes and the Berg Lake Trail are usually available on a specific launch date, on which it is possible to reserve any date during the entire operating season.
Reservations for Bowron Lakes’ 2025 paddling season opened on November 5th at 7am PT.
As confirmed in March 2025, the Berg Lake Trail will fully reopen on 26th June 2025. Reservations for the full hiking season will launch on 2nd April at 7am.
I’ve written a whole post detailing the process for reserving these BC Parks backcountry campgrounds so I’d recommend checking that out via the link below.
Read Next: How to Reserve Backcountry Camping in BC: Essential Details and Dates
National Park camping in BC
Although this post is primarily focused on BC Parks’ camping reservations, I wanted to include a brief overview of how camping works in national parks too.
British Columbia has five National Parks:
- Pacific Rim National Park located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island
- Mount Revelstoke National Park located adjacent to Revelstoke
- Glacier National Park located between Revelstoke and Golden
- Yoho National Park located between Golden and the Alberta border
- Kootenay National Park located between Radium and the Alberta border
In addition to this, there is the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and two National Historic Sites – Fort Langley and Fort Rodd Hill.
Administrated by Parks Canada, these National Parks charge daily admission fees.
Campground reservations are made through Parks Canada’s reservation system (separate from BC Parks’).
National Park frontcountry camping reservations
There are 12 vehicle-accessible campgrounds in British Columbia’s National Parks and National Park Reserve:
- Green Point Campground, Pacific Rim (114 sites, 100% reservable, $28-33)
- Snowforest Campground, Mount Revelstoke (62 sites, most reservable, $28-33)
- Illecillewaet in Glacier (60 sites, first come first serve, $22)
- Loop Brook in Glacier (20 sites, 100% reservable, $22)
- Kicking Horse in Yoho (88 sites, 100% reservable, $28)
- Monarch in Yoho (44 sites, first come first serve, $18)
- Hoodoo Creek in Yoho (30 sites, first come first serve, $16.05)
- Redstreak in Kootenay (232 sites, 100% reservable, $28-39)
- Marble Canyon in Kootenay (61 sites, 100% reservable, $22)
- McLeod Meadows in Kootenay (80 sites, 100% reservable, $22)
- SMONEĆTEN (McDonald) in the Gulf Islands (49 sites, 96% reservable, $18)
- Prior Centennial Campground in the Gulf Islands (17 sites, 100% reservable, $18)
There are oTENTik ‘ready to camp’ facilities at Fort Rodd Hill and Fort Langley.
Yoho National Park also has a walk-in campground at Takkakkaw Falls. It is a very short and flat 400m from the parking lot and features 35 first come first serve campsites ($18), some with incredible views of the waterfall itself.
When to reserve
Parks Canada usually launches their frontcountry camping reservation system in January each year. The specific date varies between parks.
It is possible to reserve dates for the rest of the calendar year on the following launch dates:
- Pacific Rim National Park – 17th January 2025 at 8am PT
- Mount Revelstoke National Park – 17th January 2025 at 8am PT
- Glacier National Park – 17th January 2025 at 8am PT
- Yoho National Park – 21st January 2025 at 8am MT
- Kootenay National Park – 21st January 2025 at 8am MT
- Gulf Islands National Park Reserve – 17th January 2025 at 8am PT
Please note the different time zones.
How to reserve
National park campgrounds can be reserved via Parks Canada’s reservation system, online or by phone 1-877-737-3783 (8am to 6pm local park time).
On launch day, log in to the reservation system prior to the opening time. The system should refresh at the exact second of the launch.
Prior to 2025, Parks Canada used a virtual waiting room system (random place allocation) for all reservation launch dates to prevent server overland. Now, they only use the waiting room system for the ‘busiest’ parks and trails.
For reservation launches without the virtual waiting room system (Queue-it), you can line up your desired campgrounds and then hit ‘Reserve’ at exactly 8am.
Reservation and camping fees
Reservations cost $11.50 online and $13.50 by phone. This is a non-refundable fee.
Camping fees vary between campgrounds, as previously listed here. The fee is charged per camping group (usually up to 6 people). All campers must also have a National Park pass.
National park campgrounds charge an additional $11.00 permit fee for campfires (where and when allowed).
National Park backcountry reservations
British Columbia’s five national parks have extensive opportunities for backcountry camping.
The majority of the National Park backcountry campgrounds use a reservation system, with just a handful operating on a first-come, first serve basis.
The reservation system for backcountry camping uses the same system as the one for frontcountry camping – on the launch date, the entire operating season is available to book at that time.
The most in-demand backcountry areas within BC’s national parks are:
- Lake O’Hara in Yoho NP
- Yoho Valley in Yoho NP
- The Rockwall Trail in Kootenay NP
- The West Coast Trail in Pacific Rim NP (no waiting room system)
- Broken Island Group in Pacific Rim NP (no waiting room system)
As soon as the reservation system opens, availability disappears for these backcountry areas very quickly.
Read our dedicated article to discover how to reserve backcountry campgrounds in BC’s national parks.
Looking for some camping trip inspiration?
25+ of the Best Campgrounds on Vancouver Island, BC
What To Do in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia
Car Camping 101: A Beginner’s Guide
How to Go Camping in BC Without a Reservation
Beyond the Beaten Path Vancouver Island Road Trips
How to Camp for Free in British Columbia
One half of the Canadian/British couple behind Off Track Travel, Gemma is happiest when hiking on the trail or planning the next big travel adventure. JR and Gemma are currently based in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. Consider buying us a coffee if you have find any of our guides helpful!
If you are camping at a gov’t camp site can visitors come and join you for a day of your stay.
Hi Rick,
Yes, you can have day visitors. During the pandemic, however, maximum occupancy of a campsite is 8 people including day visitors.
I am having trouble becoming a client. I forgot my password and when I hit the recovery button nothing happens even though the site says it is sending me an email. I also found that I could not use an alternative personal email address to try to set up as a new Client.
Thank you so much for this – I have never booked camping before and am a total “newb” to all of this. Have heard through the grape vine that the system can be challenging, particularly with so many people now booking during Covid! Really appreciate the thoughtful breakdown, I feel much more prepared to get in there and give it a go now!
Thank you so much Serena! I’m so glad you found this helpful and took the time to tell me. I appreciate it.
Thank you for putting this all together. It’s very nice to have so much information on one page.
can we drive to a first come first service camp ground a pay for a site we are not going to use for a few days prior to arrival?
Hi Audrey,
BC Parks’ occupancy rules state that campsite permit holders ‘must immediately occupy the campsite with their camping unit.’ Personally, I think it is bad form to pay for a campsite and then not use it. This is not allowed at Recreation Sites run by the Ministry of Forests.
Thank you for your website. I’m planning a first time RV trip on the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island. This information is very useful. Thanks again.
Thanks for the support Khaison! Hope you have a wonderful trip.
Great Article – really useful to prepare for 2023. I want to stay at Greenpoint this year, in September. GP is 100% reservable – what is the best way to be alert for cancellations? Watch the reservation system like a hawk? Show up each morning? Thanks!
Hi Dorrie,
Cancellations show up almost immediately when they happen (not at a specific time of day), so regularly checking is the way to go. Alternatively, you can set up an availability scan via CampNab (for example). This option comes with a fee.
Hi there, will an RV fit in a ‘standard non-electrical campsite’ pitch? We are hiring one which may be anything from 22 to 27 feet length. I’ve booked a few campgrounds using the ‘van/camper’ filter, but am now noticing some campgrounds have options for ‘RVs up to/over 32 feet’… now I’m worried I will turn up to the pitches I have booked and be told my vehicle is too large!
Hi Jack,
Good question! I’d recommend going back onto the reservation service website (as if you’re making another reservation) and then finding the specific campsite you have booked. On desktop, the right sidebar lists the ‘allowed equipment’ for each specific campsite. 22 to 27 feet is usually fine for most standard campsites, but not all.
What is the minimum age someone can be to hold a camp site? And use it for a weekend?
A great question! Camping parties at BC Parks campgrounds must have at least one adult aged 16 and above.
Great Website, thank you. If a camper shows up at a provincial park and a double site is open with no reservations for the week, can that camper stay in half the site and pay only for 1 site or will they have to pay for both sites??
Great question! No, at this point, the camper would only pay for half the double site.
Hi! Thanks for the article!
Found available spot for a long weekend, in less than 2 days. Website says:
This type of reservation can only be made up to 8:00:00 p.m. 2 days before arrival.
Is that a thing or a glitch?
Hi Sam,
No, that sounds normal for remote parks. Due to the lack of phone signal/internet at remote parks, they usually have a cut-off time for reservations to make sure that the list of reservations can be passed to the park hosts before the actual reservation date. Otherwise you’d have the confusion of people saying they’d booked online and then the park host wouldn’t be able to check whether this is true or not.
@Gemma, I’m dealing with this right now. I found a site I can’t book it because the date is less than 2 days out, but I desperately need it. Since it’s not reservable, can I just show up as a walk-in? It’s supposedly not a walk-in site but it’s not reservable either. I’m so confused. It will just sit empty then? Seems like a huge waste. Any experience on your end booking these types of sites as a walk-in?
Hi Jody,
All reservable sites that are not reserved are also available as first come, first serve sites. So yes, you could just show up and see if it is available. Of course, it may have already been taken by someone else.
We have hit a big issue with BC parks: you are unable to reserve a site after 8pm 2 days before your first (intended) night. That means that unless you have booked earlier than this, you have to take your chances as a first come, first served happy camper!
Hi Peter,
That is true for remote and/or smaller BC Parks campgrounds. I had another comment about this recently. Due to the lack of phone signal/internet at remote parks, this cut-off time is in place to make it possible for the list of reservations be communicated to the park hosts before the actual reservation date. Otherwise you’d have the confusion of people saying they’d booked online and then the park host wouldn’t be able to check whether this is true or not.
As mentioned in this post, I used to work for a BC Parks campground operator on Vancouver Island. Reservations for remote parks were communicated by radio. It would have been difficult to update the park hosts continuously with new reservations as well as changes/cancellations. Hence the early cut-off time.
Larger campgrounds located in or close to urban areas have internet access and therefore do not have this restriction. For example, I can go onto the reservation website right now, check the availability and potentially book a site at Rathtrevor Beach or Miracle Beach on Vancouver Island (two urban parks with dedicated gatehouse staff and internet access).
Hope that clears it up for you!
Hi Gemma
Do you happen to know if you need to book two campsites if we’re traveling with two RVs or if we could for one?
Best
Tim
Hi Tim,
BC Parks allows one RV per site, so if your group has two RVs, you’ll need two campsites.
What’s the reasoning behind the rule mandating either Monday or Friday only arrivals for reserving a campspot? I understand the logic behind barring arrivals on Wednesday or Thursday to cut down on no-shows, but if I want to attempt a Saturday or even Sunday arrival (given the odds are pretty good for failure) why should the system prevent that?
Also, the campgrounds I’ve been looking at are showing star symbols instead of the triangle for first come-first serve sites. Your example shows the triangles which is the same as the reservable sites, unless I am missing something.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for letting me know that I had an older screenshot in the post – I have updated it.
I’m not aware of a Monday/Friday arrivals rule – please let me know which park/source you have seen that? Perhaps I am misunderstanding or have communciated something poorly in this post. Are you trying to book for a holiday weekend? In that case, there is a holiday weekend restriction that means you have to reserve three nights minimum. If the holiday is on a Monday, then you have to book the preceding Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But you have the option to book the Thursday as well or even the Wednesday (many people do this).