Located at what locals consider the best beach in Parksville, the Park Sands Beach Resort (parksands.com) offers RV camping within steps of the sand. The beach is wide and flat and has gentle wave action coming in from the Strait of Georgia. During the winter season, from October 1 until the end of March, the property offers fully serviced sites. In summer, campers may also opt for less expensive sites with or without specific services. Daily, weekly and monthly rates are available depending on the time of year.
Community Park, with its horseshoe pits, baseball diamonds and large kite field, is next door to the resort. Parksville holds many of its festivals at this park including the Canada Day celebration, Kitefest, Kidfest and the annual Canadian Open Sand Sculpting Competition and Exhibition. A pedestrian path leads through the park to a beachfront gazebo, perfect for watching sunsets. The shops along Island Highway are only a block away.
Paradise Fun Park (paradisefunpark.net) is a miniature golf venue on steroids. One 18-hole course leads past an oversized Victorian mansion, a lighthouse, a giant shoe and a castle, while the other has you taking shots from the deck of a pirate ship. Bumper boats -- think bumper cars but on the water -- allow you the opportunity to plow into each other in a giant pond. The RV park is on site with space for even the largest Class-A rigs. Some spaces offer Strait of Georgia views and all have full hook-ups and access to hot showers and laundry facilities. Paradise Fun Park is off Island Highway, about a half-mile north of central Parksville.
Fronting the shores of the Englishman River, the Big Tent RV Park and Family Campground (bigtentrvcamping.ca) provides a back-to-nature camping experience. One of the big hits is taking an inner tube to Top Bridge Park, climbing in and letting the river’s current carry you back to your campsite. Big Tent RV Park has campsites with full and partial hook-ups, as well as tent sites. The RV section is open year-round. Sites are shaded and pets on leashes are permitted. The pool is open in July and August, but swimming in the river is available year-round, weather permitting.
Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park (env.gov.bc.ca) is about a half-mile south of Big Tent RV Park and offers hiking and beach access. The provincial park has RV camping for rigs up to 32 feet, but no hook-ups. Reservations are accepted for arrivals between May 15 and September 1 via the BC Parks Discover Camping Reservation Service (secure.camis.com). Camping is allowed during the rest of the year but water, security and other services may not be available. Pets are allowed on leashes and must be kept in your RV at night. This is a wilderness area, home to predators such as eagles, hawks and owls, and even the occasional bear or cougar. During spring and fall, the park is a rest stop for migratory birds heading to and from northern Canada and Alaska.
Open from May 1 until the end of September, Parry’s RV Park (parrysrvpark.com) is a low-keyed, family-oriented park fronting the Englishman River, about a mile south of downtown Parksville and its beachfront Community Park. Most of the campsites are 50-feet long with full or partial hook-ups and surrounded by trees and grassy areas. Tent campers are also welcome. Play basketball, volleyball, horseshoes and even bocce ball, a game like lawn bowling but with attitude. An on-site store offers some basics like ice, soda and milk, but supermarkets and restaurants are only a few blocks away along the Island Highway. The closest is the Park Chevron Self Serve, offering gas and a mini-mart a half-block from the campground.
