# Where else to camp near Vancouver when BC Parks is full

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

About half of BC Parks' 10,700 campsites cannot be reserved at all, and there are 1,505 rec sites, a BC Hydro campground and a handful of regional campgrounds that never show up in the booking site. What to try, in order:

1. **Watch the park you wanted.** In our first 8 days a booked site night came back 16,551 times, and half of the ones taken again were gone within 4 h 39 min. A watch emails the official booking link the moment a site opens: https://parksopen.ca/find?wknd=1&near=Vancouver
2. **Take the nearest BC Parks park with space.** As of Wed 14 Oct 22:20 PT, 3 of 20 campgrounds within 2½ hours of Vancouver have a site open for Fri 16–Sun 18, both nights. Live list: https://parksopen.ca/near/vancouver
3. **Try a first come, first served campground.** Stawamus Chief (109 sites), Skihist (58 sites), Emory Creek (35 sites), Roberts Creek (21 sites) take no reservations at all; Skagit Valley, Manning, Porpoise Bay and Alice Lake keep a share of first come sites (list below).
4. **Try a rec site.** 1,505 Recreation Sites and Trails BC campsites on Crown land: outhouse, fire ring, no water, free or $15 to $25 cash, 14 nights at most, and by rule nobody can hold a site for you. The site pages say to come early on Friday for a long weekend (table below).
5. **A regional or BC Hydro campground.** Jones Lake (BC Hydro, 55 sites, free, first come, 1 May to 31 Oct, 14 nights a season); Edgewater Bar, Derby Reach (Metro Vancouver, 38 sites, $35, online, 1 Mar to 31 Oct); Vedder River campground in Chilliwack and Sunnyside campground in Cultus Lake book on their own sites.
6. **Walk in with a backcountry permit.** Permits for Sx̱ótsaqel/Chilliwack Lake (Lindeman, Greendrop, Flora and Radium), parts of Golden Ears and parts of E.C. Manning cannot sell out. Register from 14 days ahead until 8 pm on the day: https://bcparks.ca/reservations/backcountry-camping/permit-registration/

## Rec sites within reach of Vancouver (status read 10 Sep 2026)
No drive times on purpose: most sit at the end of a forest service road and a straight-line estimate would be wrong by an hour. 6 of 22 were closed on the read date; check the site page the morning you leave. Fees are cash at the site.

### 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

## BC Parks campgrounds with first come sites (park data read 10 Sep 2026)
- [Stawamus Chief](https://bcparks.ca/stawamus-chief-park/) — 109 sites, all first come (52 drive-in and 57 walk-in, nothing reservable)
- [Skihist](https://bcparks.ca/skihist-park/) — 58 sites, all first come (nothing reservable)
- [Emory Creek](https://bcparks.ca/emory-creek-park/) — 35 sites, all first come (nothing reservable)
- [Roberts Creek](https://bcparks.ca/roberts-creek-park/) — 21 sites, all first come (nothing reservable)
- [Skagit Valley, Ross Lake](https://bcparks.ca/skagit-valley-park/) — 44 of 88 first come
- [E.C. Manning, Hampton](https://bcparks.ca/ec-manning-park/frontcountry-camping/) — 20 of 100 first come
- [E.C. Manning, Coldspring](https://bcparks.ca/ec-manning-park/frontcountry-camping/) — 13 of 66 first come
- [Porpoise Bay](https://bcparks.ca/porpoise-bay-park/) — 12 of 84 first come (plus 10 cyclist walk-in)
- [Alice Lake](https://bcparks.ca/alice-lake-park/) — 12 of 107 first come (the walk-in sites)
Golden Ears is reservation only: its new sites were first come until 30 June 2026 and need a reservation since 1 July. There is no official list; each park page says which loops are reservable.

## Regional and BC Hydro campgrounds
- [Jones Lake](https://www.bchydro.com/community/recreation_areas/jones_lake.html) — BC Hydro, Hope, signed Wahleach Lake, 55 sites, free, first come, 1 May to 31 Oct, 14 nights a season
- [Edgewater Bar, Derby Reach](https://metrovancouver.org/services/regional-parks/facility/edgewater-bar-camping) — Metro Vancouver, Langley, 38 sites, $35, online, 1 Mar to 31 Oct
- [Vedder River campground](https://www.fvrd.ca/EN/main/parks-recreation/vedder-river-campground.html) — Fraser Valley Regional District, Chilliwack, books on its own site
- [Sunnyside campground](https://www.cultuslake.bc.ca/sunnyside-campground/) — Cultus Lake Park, Cultus Lake, books on its own site

## BC Parks near Vancouver right now
- [Alice Lake Provincial Park](https://parksopen.ca/bc/parks/alice-lake-provincial-park?start=2026-10-16&nights=2) — about 58 min — 2 sites left · both nights (as of Wed 14 Oct 22:20 PT)
- [Cultus Lake Provincial Park](https://parksopen.ca/bc/parks/cultus-lake-provincial-park?start=2026-10-16&nights=2) — about 1 h 25 min — 30 sites · both nights (as of Wed 14 Oct 22:20 PT)
- [Sx̱ótsaqel / Chilliwack Lake Park](https://parksopen.ca/bc/parks/sx-tsaqel-chilliwack-lake-park?start=2026-10-16&nights=2) — about 1 h 55 min — 24 sites · both nights (as of Wed 14 Oct 22:20 PT)

Related: https://parksopen.ca/guides/rec-sites · https://parksopen.ca/guides/camping-terms · https://parksopen.ca/reports/bc-parks-reopenings-2026-09
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Page: https://parksopen.ca/guides/where-else-to-camp-near-vancouver · 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