A major draw of Vancouver, British Columbia's biggest city, is the proximity of alluring outdoor areas. Two of the province's best campgrounds are actually within Greater Vancouver: Indian Arm Provincial Park and Whistler. At Indian Arm, you can camp alongside a fjord rimmed by high peaks. Access the primitive campgrounds of North Bishop, South Bishop, North Granite Falls and North Twin by canoe, kayak or by foot. These remote campgrounds are ideal if you're seeking isolation and quietude. If you need to rent a kayak or canoe, you can do so in nearby Deep Cove.
Though Whistler is known as a premier ski resort, you can also camp in the area year-round in an RV, tent or yurt at Riverside Resort. You'll be near both backcountry and groomed trails for skiing and extensive hiking trails in summer. Snow-capped Whistler and Blackcomb mountains are your ever-present backdrops. You can also fish in summer along Fitzsimmons Creek, which runs alongside the campground. Whistler Village offers a year-round shuttle service connecting the campground to shops and restaurants in town.
British Columbia's rugged coast is flecked with islands, many of which remain untouched by human hands. On Vancouver Island, the China Beach Campground sits on the remote west coast and consists of 78 campsites for tents or RVs, though there are no RV hookups. You can camp here from mid-May to mid-September. From here, you can access trails to secluded Second Beach, for beach combing and whale watching.
On the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, in the town of Nanaimo, is Living Forest Oceanside Campground. You can camp here in a tent or RV. The campground faces the Strait of Georgia, and hiking trails lead you to the beach and to the forest along the Nanaimo River. You can rent canoes and kayaks at the campground, and you'll also have access to basketball and beach volleyball courts and a swimming beach.
Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park occupies an island north of Nanaimo. The rugged island has tent sites on its southern end, in walking distance of the ferry dock. You can rent kayaks on the island or, if you sail here on your own boat, dock at Mark Bay or Newcastle Island Docks. The lush forests and abundance of wildlife -- like eagles, whales and sea stars -- are memorable here.
Pacific Rim National Park protects a swath of coastline along western Vancouver Island. Two campgrounds here make the list: Green Point Campground and Broken Group Islands. At Green Point, near Tofino, you can camp in a tent or an RV, though no hookups are available. The beach is a favorite of surfers, beach combers and fishers. Broken Group Islands is a group of more than 100 islands, and seven (Dodd, Hand, Willis, Turret, Clarke, Gilbert and Gibraltar) are open for camping. You can reach these spots only by canoe or kayak, as they're in the most isolated part of the park. Here, you'll enjoy stunning sunsets, tide pools and solitude. You must pack out all garbage and waste.
Prince Rupert, a thinly populated island on the province's North Coast, is home to Prince Rupert RV Campground. Here, you can explore old-growth rainforest, visit the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, fish for salmon just off the coast, and view orcas, gray and humpback whales. The campground is open year-round to tents and RVs. Campsites are within walking distance of the BC Ferries terminal, and close to downtown Prince Rupert's shops and restaurants.
The Canadian Rockies form the southeastern edge of British Columbia. At Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park, there are five campgrounds worth visiting: Inlet Creek, Packrat, Alces, White River and Home Basin. Each offers RV and tent camping and are open from early May to mid-October; Inlet Creek campground stays open year-round. Backcountry campers can head to Cave Creek Campground, which is open year-round for primitive camping; it's accessible by kayak, canoe or on foot. Camping here allows close access to Whiteswan and Alces Lakes for fishing, plus numerous hiking trails that head deep into the mountainous wilderness.
The Okanagan is British Columbia's wine country, sandwiched between the Coast Range and the Canadian Rockies. You can camp at Okanagan Lake Provincial Park's South Park campground, along the water. Here, red-brown hills rise from the shore, a sharp contrast to the cobalt lake. From the park, you're close to area wineries and hiking in the hills. You can camp here with a tent or RV from late March to mid-October.
