Kelowna 
If booking a campsite lately has felt more competitive, and a little more complicated, you’re not alone. B.C.’s parks are seeing unprecedented demand, and the province is now adjusting how camping is priced in an effort to keep the system running safely and sustainably.
Credit: BC Parks
According to BC Parks, visitation has climbed sharply, driven by a mix of growing interest in outdoor recreation and fewer alternatives during peak seasons. At the same time, extreme weather events like floods and wildfires have damaged trails, campgrounds, and facilities, increasing repair and maintenance costs.
Environment and Parks Minister Tamara Davidson says renewing the parks system is about protecting places people value while making sure they remain accessible over the long term.
Over the past six years, visits to BC Parks have grown by about 30%, now averaging more than 27 million visits annually. That surge has put pressure on aging infrastructure, particularly in the busiest parks. Since 2017, the Province has invested approximately $200 million in campground expansions, accessibility improvements, and upgrades to trails, parking, and facilities. Nearly $27 million more has gone toward repairing damage from severe weather, including work on the Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Park and the Othello Tunnels in Coquihalla Canyon Park.
Those investments are now being paired with changes to camping fees for the first time since 2016, targeting parks with the highest use while leaving most locations untouched.
BC Parks is also introducing a new surcharge for visitors from outside British Columbia. About 15% of BC Parks visitors come from outside the province, many heading to the busiest locations.
What is changing
- New non-resident fee: Starting May 15, 2026, people who do not live in British Columbia will pay a $20 flat fee for frontcountry and backcountry camping, cabin rentals, and the use of mooring buoys and docks. Residency will be determined by the home address provided at booking or arrival. About 15% of visitors come from outside the province, many visiting the most popular parks.
- Fee updates at high-demand parks
Camping fees are increasing at 59 high-use frontcountry parks and four iconic backcountry parks: Garibaldi, Golden Ears, Joffre Lakes, and Mount Assiniboine.
Credit: BC Parks
- Frontcountry camping fee changes
Average increases include 40 cents per night in shoulder season and $13.29 per night in summer, resulting in average nightly rates of $30.81 and $42.91. - Backcountry camping fee changes
Fees will rise by an average of $13.62 per night, with nightly rates ranging from $17 to $25, depending on the park.
Increased fees are in effect from June 15 to Labour Day, 2026. Off-season fees are in effect through shoulder season and winter, until June 14, 2027.
Fees remain unchanged at 388 parks, and there are no increases for sani-stations, picnic shelters, group camping, or certain iconic experiences like the Berg Lake Trail for the 2026 season.
Transaction fees (cancellation, change, and call centre fees) for using the BC Parks camping reservation service are also unchanged.
The province says the goal is fairness across the system, directing more funding to where demand and costs are highest, while keeping a wide range of park experiences affordable. Transaction fees (cancellation, change, and call centre fees) for using the BC Parks camping reservation service are also unchanged.
This year, camping reservations open three months before your planned arrival and are already available for select parks with April camping. Reservations for May, including the May long weekend, will roll out gradually throughout February.
Iconic backcountry parks
1. Garibaldi
2. Golden Ears
3. Joffre Lakes
4. Mount Assiniboine
High-use frontcountry parks
1. Alice Lake Park
2. Bamberton Park
3. Bear Creek Park
4. Blanket Creek Park
5. Bromley Rock Park
6. Cowichan River Park
7. Cultus Lake Park
8. Dry Gulch Park
9. E.C. Manning Park
10. Elk Falls Park
11. Ellison Park
12. Emory Creek Park
13. Englishman River Falls Park
14. Fillongley Park
15. Fintry Park
16. French Beach Park
17. Gladstone Park
18. Golden Ears Park
19. Goldstream Park
20. Gordon Bay Park
21. Herald Park
22. Juan De Fuca Park
23. Juniper Beach Park
24. Kekuli Bay Park
25. Kettle River Recreation Area
26. Kikomun Creek Park
27. Kokanee Creek Park
28. Kootenay Lake Park
29. Little Qualicum Falls Park
30. Loveland Bay Park
31. Mabel Lake Park
32. Martha Creek Park
33. McDonald Creek Park
34. Miracle Beach Park
35. Mount Fernie Park
36. Mount Robson Park
37. Moyie Lake Park
38. Muncho Lake Park
39. Nairn Falls Park
40. North Thompson River Park
41. Okanagan Lake Park
42. Otter Lake Park
43. Porpoise Bay Park
44. Porteau Cove Park
45. Rathtrevor Beach Park
46. Rolley Lake Park
47. Sasquatch Park
48. Shuswap Lake Park
49. Smelt Bay Park
50. Sproat Lake Park
51. Strathcona Park
52. Summit Lake Park
53. Sẁiẁs Park
54. Sx̱ótsaqel/Chilliwack Lake Park
55. Sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ (Formerly Okanagan Falls) Park
56. Syringa Park
57. Tā Ch’ilā
58. Tribune Bay Park
59. Wells Gray Park
