# Rec sites: free or cheap, first come, cash

Parks Open guide · When the park is full · facts checked 10 Sep 2026 against the sources linked below.

Recreation Sites and Trails BC, part of the Ministry of Forests, runs 1,505 recreation sites on Crown land: outhouse, fire ring, no water, no power. None are on the BC Parks booking site; 277 charge a fee and 48 are flagged bookable (sitesandtrailsbc.ca, 10 Sep 2026).

## Rules
- "All sites are first come, first serve"; "no unoccupied trailers, tents, chairs, vehicles may save a site" (https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC1813, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/recreation/camping-hiking/sites-trails/planning/rules)
- 14 consecutive days at most; "potable water and electricity are not available"; pack out garbage; fire bans apply (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions)
- Fees are set by the operator, cash only; seniors and persons with disabilities pay half; an extra vehicle pays half (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/recreation/camping-hiking/sites-trails/planning/fees)
- When to arrive: the Cat Lake page says come early on Fridays for a long weekend; BC Hydro's guide says mid-week greatly improves your chances in summer (https://www.bchydro.com/news/conservation/2026/10-things-rec-site.html)

## Near Vancouver (status read 10 Sep 2026)
No drive times: the road column says how far up a forest road each site is. 6 of 22 were closed on the read date.

### Stave West, Mission
Off Dewdney Trunk Road past Stave Falls dam, then the Florence Lake forest road.

- [Sayres Lake](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC3258) (Mission) — 40, 12 walk-in sites · $25 cash · 12 km gravel · some sites online, the rest first come (https://stavewestcamping.com/) · open
- [Rock Creek](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC257445) (Mission) — 50 sites · $25 cash · 8 km gravel · some sites online, the rest first come (https://stavewestcamping.com/) · open
- [Lower Kearsley](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC257447) (Mission) — 72 sites · $25 cash · 9 km gravel · some sites online, the rest first come (https://stavewestcamping.com/) · open · built for big rigs, on the Stave reservoir

### Chilliwack River valley
Along Chilliwack Lake Road; the biggest sites close to the city, paved to the gate.

- [Tamihi Creek](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0002) (Chilliwack) — 116 sites · $17 cash · paved · some sites online, the rest first come (https://firesidecamping.ca/) · open · the biggest site in the valley; east loop open all year
- [Thurston Meadows](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC3038) (Chilliwack) — 76 sites · $17 cash · paved · some sites online, the rest first come (https://campchilliwackvalley.ca/) · open · gate locked 10 pm to 8 am
- [Riverside](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0013) (Chilliwack) — 15 sites · $17 cash · paved · some sites online, the rest first come (https://campchilliwackvalley.ca/) · open
- [Chipmunk Peninsula](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC3032) (Chilliwack) — 22 sites · $17 cash · gravel · first come (https://firesidecamping.ca/) · closed for the season
- [Rapids](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0024) (Chilliwack) — 28 sites · $17 cash · gravel · first come (https://firesidecamping.ca/) · closed for the season

### Harrison Lake
West side from Harrison Mills, east side from Harrison Hot Springs; long gravel roads.

- [Chehalis River](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0065) (Harrison Mills) — 57 sites · $25 cash · paved · up to 60% online, 30 days ahead; the rest first come (https://www.westharrisonreservations.com/) · open · gate closes at 11 pm
- [Weaver Lake](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0067) (Harrison Mills) — 38 sites · $25 cash · rough forest road, 4x4 required · up to 60% online, 30 days ahead; the rest first come (https://www.westharrisonreservations.com/) · open · $10 cash day-use fee per vehicle
- [Wood Lake](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0073) (West Harrison) — 35 sites · $25 cash · 30 km gravel · up to 60% online, 30 days ahead; the rest first come (https://www.westharrisonreservations.com/) · open · no power boats
- [Twenty Mile Bay](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0078) (West Harrison) — 59 sites · $25 cash · 33 km gravel · up to 60% online, 30 days ahead; the rest first come (https://www.westharrisonreservations.com/) · open · beach on the lake
- [Bear Creek](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0066) (East Harrison) — 40 sites · cash, amount not listed · 14 km gravel · operator site, some first come (https://www.harrisoneastcamping.com/) · open
- [Cogburn Beach](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC3113) (East Harrison) — 25 sites · cash, amount not listed · 20 km gravel · operator site, some first come (https://www.harrisoneastcamping.com/) · open

### Sea to Sky
Squamish to Pemberton on Highway 99, and the Lillooet Lake road beyond.

- [Cat Lake](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0105) (Squamish) — 48, all walk-in sites · $18 cash · 2.5 km gravel · first come only · closed indefinitely, a bear at the site · the page says: come early on Fridays on long weekends
- [Cal-cheak](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0127) (Whistler) — 63 sites · $18 cash · short gravel · first come only, self-register · open · the suspension bridge is closed
- [Owl Creek](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0219) (Pemberton) — 15 sites · $18 cash · paved · first come only · closed until hazard trees are felled
- [Strawberry Point](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0221) (Lillooet Lake) — 27 sites · $18 cash · 6 km forest road, industrial traffic · first come only · closed, wildfire nearby
- [Lizzie Bay](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0225) (Lillooet Lake) — 15 sites · $15 cash · 13 km forest road, industrial traffic · first come only · closed, wildfire nearby

### Sunshine Coast
Ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale, then Highway 101.

- [Homesite Creek](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0123) (Sechelt) — 30 sites · $20 cash · 2 km gravel, after the Langdale ferry · some sites online, the rest first come (https://www.homesitecreekcampground.com/) · open
- [Klein Lake](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0134) (Egmont) — 23 sites · $20 cash · gravel, after the Langdale ferry · first come only · open · host on site; little cell coverage

### Merritt
Up the Coquihalla; further, and usually quieter.

- [Kane Lake](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC1877) (Merritt) — 23 sites · $15 cash · 9 km on Kane Valley Road · first come only · open · host on site; horse sites

## Near Victoria (status read 10 Sep 2026)

### Port Renfrew
West along Highway 14, then the Pacific Marine Circle Route.

- [Fairy Lake](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0268) (Port Renfrew) — 32 sites · $20 cash · paved, 6.5 km from Port Renfrew · some sites online, the rest first come (https://www.vicamping.com/) · open · open 1 May to 1 Oct
- [Lizard Lake](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0269) (Port Renfrew) — 28 sites · $20 cash · paved, 17 km from Port Renfrew · some sites online, the rest first come (https://www.vicamping.com/) · open · open 1 May to 1 Oct

### Cowichan Lake
Highway 18 from Duncan; the south and north shores of the lake.

- [Pine Point](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0205) (Cowichan Lake) — 60 sites · $20 cash · gravel past Youbou · some sites online, the rest first come (https://www.vicamping.com/) · open · open 1 May to 1 Oct
- [Maple Grove](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0206) (Cowichan Lake) — 83 sites · $20 cash · gravel past Youbou · some sites online, the rest first come (https://www.vicamping.com/) · open · open 1 May to 1 Oct
- [Nixon Creek](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0211) (Cowichan Lake) — 62 sites · $20 cash · 32 km on South Shore Road · some sites online, the rest first come (https://nixoncreekcampground.ca/) · open · open 1 May to 30 Sep
- [Bald Mountain](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0208) (Cowichan Lake) — 4 sites · free · boat only, from the weir · first come only · open · tents only

### Port Alberni
Highway 4 from Parksville; forest service roads off the highway.

- [Snow Creek](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC3128) (Sproat Lake) — 30 sites · $20 cash · 10 km forest service road · some sites online, the rest first come (https://westcoastcamping.ca/snow-creek-campground/) · open · open 1 May to 17 Oct
- [Nahmint Lake](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC3068) (Port Alberni) — 12 sites · free · forest service roads, 17 km and more · first come only · open · old-growth hemlock on the lake
- [Arden Creek](https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/resource/REC0214) (Port Alberni) — 6, 2 walk-in sites · free · 22 km forest road, no motorhomes · first come only · open · on Alberni Inlet

Related: https://parksopen.ca/guides/where-else-to-camp-near-vancouver · https://sitesandtrailsbc.ca/search
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Page: https://parksopen.ca/guides/rec-sites · Every number above is read from the official reservation system and stamped with the time it was observed. Parks Open never books on anyone's behalf. Tools for agents: MCP https://parksopen.ca/api/mcp · REST https://parksopen.ca/openapi.json · index https://parksopen.ca/llms.txt