New feature makes it easier to book BC Parks campsites

BC Parks is introducing a new feature to its camping reservation service that will provide email notifications when a previously booked campsite becomes available at a specific campground.

With the new “notify me” feature, people can sign up to receive as many as five alerts for any reservable campgrounds and dates. If a campsite becomes available for the desired date and location, people will receive an email notifying them that it is reservable.

“British Columbians have told us how disappointed they are when a campsite in their favourite campground is not available, and we — and they — also know there are thousands of cancelled camping reservations each year,” George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, said. “We’ve worked hard to find a fair way to give people a second chance at their first choices. Receiving a notification email does not guarantee a campsite, but it does provide a simple way for people to keep track of desired camping opportunities when cancellations occur.”

The new feature is part of broader, ongoing improvements to BC Parks’ digital services to improve the visitor experience from computer to campground.

In 2022, more than 317,000 reservations were made with the new reservation service, setting a new record for BC Parks. There were also more than 60,000 cancellations, with the largest number occurring within two weeks of the arrival date.

For the 2023 season, campsites can be booked four months in advance of the arrival date. In addition, based on demand, eight campgrounds that were previously not reservable have been added to the reservation service, including Gwillim Lake Park near Chetwynd, Yahk Park near the Kingsgate border crossing and Allison Lake Park near Princeton. These campgrounds also have first-come, first-served sites.

To book a BC Parks campsite, visit: https://camping.bcparks.ca/