Vancouver

Five Places to Pitch A Tent Near Vancouver

While we sympathize with the city-loving folks whose idea of camping is a cabin and a warm bed, it's a shame to let the gorgeous Vancouver outdoors go unused. We just can't pass up lush forests, crackling fires, serene alpine lakes, whooshing rivers and roaring waterfalls; they're like nature's soundtrack. Together they make up one of our favourite ways to experience Vancouver and the surrounding region, and you can get it all via a campsite.

Here are five guaranteed beautiful spots to pitch a tent in provincial parks close to Vancouver; some allow you to drive in, while others require a backcountry hike to reach them. Remember that some of these campgrounds are very popular, so reserve well in advance through www.discovercamping.ca, the province of BC’s online reservations system. 

Alice Lake Provincial Park

Best Campground: Alice Lake Campground  
Type: Car camping  Highlights: Mountains, forest, open clearings and beautiful scenic lakes along the Four Lakes Trail are  just a few of the features of this park, just north of Squamish on the way up to Whistler. Popular with  families, the Alice Lake campground features a swimming area and a lovely trail around the lake for  evening strolls and a lively atmosphere.  
Amenities: Playground, fire pits, hot and cold running water, electrical hook-ups, firewood, recycling  bins, double sites, sani-station, pit and flush toilets, wheelchair accessible sites, free hot showers.  

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Golden Ears Provincial Park

Best Campground: Gold Creek Campground
Type: Car camping
Highlights: Gold Creek Campground, north-east of Vancouver, is the Four Seasons of campgrounds,  complete with luxurious amenities (for the outdoors, that is) and easily hikeable trails. Take the Gold  Creek Falls Trail to glimpse views of the Alouette, Blanchard and Edge mountains, and spend an  afternoon lazing about at Gold Creek Falls, a scenic area perfect for picnicking. For the hard-core  enthusiast, this campground is also open for winter camping.   
Amenities: Fire pits, cold running water, firewood, on-site camping host, recycling bins, double sites, pit  and flush toilets, sani-station, boat rentals, wheelchair accessible sites, free hot showers. 

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Garibaldi Provincial Park

Best Campground: Garibaldi Lake
Type: Backcountry
Highlights: You just can't beat this kind of wilderness—alpine flowers, turquoise waters of a glacial lake,  volcanic rock and monumental mountains bursting out of the ground. Plus, it's backcountry all the way,  so those who are searching for that corner of peace and quiet, you'll get nearly 200,000 hectares (4,942  acres) of it.
Amenities: Pit toilets and nature (no drinking water, pack your garbage out, Leave No Trace practices)

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Say Nuth Khaw Yum Provincial Park [aka Indian Arm Park]

Best Campground: Granite Falls  
Type: Backcountry/Float Trip  
Highlights: Who said the only way to get to a campsite was on foot? Kayakers have been doing overnight  trips along Indian Arm for decades, and few spots are better for camping than Granite Falls (there's no  road access to the campground, by the way). The site sits beneath a 50-metre waterfall, a reward for  paddling the 18 kilometres (11 miles) up Indian Arm. During spawning season, visitors can see some  60,000 salmon work their way up the inlet for a not-your-everyday experience.
Amenities: Pit toilets, campfires forbidden, backcountry rules apply (Leave No Trace practices)

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Juan de Fuca Provincial Park

Best Campground: China Beach
Type: Car Camping  
Highlights: Sunset Magazine voted China Beach campground one of the top 19 sites in the Northwest,  and who are we to argue? It’s a lot further afield that the other campgrounds on this list, but still  accessible for a weekend away. Situated right on the coastline of Vancouver Island, the campground is  the gateway to trails that lead to scenic beaches and a wide-open sea. Better yet, camping on the beach  is permissible, and there's nothing like sleeping to the smell of saltwater and waking up to hear the  lapping of the ocean.  
Amenities: Fire pits, cold running water, firewood, recycling bins, double sites, pit toilets, wheelchair- accessible accommodations

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