Backcountry shelters

Elfin Lakes Shelter is in the backcountry of Garibaldi Park near Whistler, in the Sea to Sky region. The shelter is next to Elfin Lakes Campground in the Diamond Head area of the park.

Elfin Lakes Shelter is extremely popular, so we require reservations year-round. For detailed information on making a reservation, see Elfin Lakes Shelter reservations, below.

The shelter is equipped with bunks for 33 people (11 double bunks, 11 single bunks). It offers a range of facilities for use by campers who have made a reservation. These facilities include:

• A propane heater 
• Four propane burners (propane is supplied by BC Parks)
• Counters with two wash sinks
• Solar-powered lights
• Four picnic tables
• Pit toilets

This is a user-maintained shelter. We ask all visitors to be considerate and help keep the hut clean and safe. Before your trip, please review the shelter etiquette rules on the Garibaldi Park page.

Review the information in this section before booking an Elfin Lakes Shelter reservation. Look below for information on:

• Making a reservation
• Fees
• Changes and cancellations
• Check-in

Making a reservation

How to book

• Anyone 16 years of age or older can make an Elfin Lakes Shelter reservation at camping.bcparks.ca
• Reservations can also be made by calling 1-800-689-9025 toll-free from Canada and the US or 1-519-858-6161 internationally
• You can reserve up to six bunk spaces at one time, for a maximum total camping party of six people

After booking, you receive a confirmation email. This includes a camping permit. Print out two copies of the permit and bring them on your trip.

When to book

• An Elfin Lakes Shelter reservation can be booked in full up to four months before your desired arrival date
• You can make your reservation starting at 7 am Pacific Time on the first day of this booking period

Example: If you want to arrive on July 25 and stay four nights, you can reserve all four nights starting at 7 am on March 25

• You can make a reservation up until 5 pm Pacific Time on your scheduled arrival date, if space is available

Example: If you want to arrive on July 25 and stay for four nights, you can book all four nights up until 5 pm on July 25

School groups

Elfin Lakes Shelter can accommodate school groups. School groups should fill out the registration form well in advance of any trip, in addition to making a reservation.

Named occupant

• When booking your reservation, you must specify the ‘named occupant’ who is your official reservation holder
• This can be yourself or another person, but they must be present when your party arrives and throughout your stay
• If they cannot be present throughout your stay, cancel your reservation and rebook with an occupant who can be present 
• The named occupant may be asked to show ID during your stay to keep your reservation valid.

Fees

All fees must be paid in full when you make your reservation. There are two types of fees:

• Camping fees, which pay for your bunk and the use of other facilities
• Transaction fees, which help us maintain the reservation service

Elfin Lakes Shelter nightly fees

We charge a maximum transaction fee of $18 per reservation. There is a $5 surcharge per transaction made via the call centre. Tax is included in camping fees, but tax is added to transaction fees. If you change or cancel your reservation, there will be additional fees (see changes and cancellations, below).

For more information about camping fees and transaction fees, see the camping fees page.

Changes and cancellations

• You can change or cancel your reservation at camping.bcparks.ca or by calling 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally)
• There is a $6 transaction fee per reservation for any cancellations or changes you make
• You cannot make changes to your reservation itinerary after you arrive at the park
• Reservations cannot be transferred or sold to another party, and attempting to do so leads to cancellation without refund
• If you cancel before arriving, camping fees may be refunded, subject to policies outlined on the cancellations and refunds page
• All transaction fees, including change and cancellation fees and call centre surcharges, are non-refundable

For more information on getting a refund, see the cancellations and refunds page. For full details of our cancellation and refund policies, download the reservation services policies and terms [PDF].

Check-in

• Making a reservation guarantees you a spot, but does not assign you a specific bunk space
• You must select your bunk space when you arrive, on a first come, first served basis
• There are eleven double bunks, and you may need to share one with someone not in your party

Bring two copies of the camping permit you received with your confirmation email. Keep one with you and fix the other to your bunk.

Look in this section for information on other reservable camping and day-use shelters in BC Parks, including:

• Privately operated backcountry shelters
• Frontcountry shelters
• Picnic shelters

Privately operated backcountry shelters

Private backcountry shelters can be reserved in parks across British Columbia. Private shelters are not operated by BC Parks and cannot be booked through our reservation service. The table below lists some of these, with links to where you can book them.

Private shelters in BC Parks

To see if a park not mentioned here has camping shelters, use our find a park tool to visit its webpage.

Frontcountry shelters

Camping shelters are also available in the frontcountry (areas within 1 km of a highway or park road). For information on booking a frontcountry shelter, see the frontcountry camping page. 

Picnic shelters

Many BC Parks also offer picnic shelters for day-use by larger groups. These cannot be used for overnight camping. Some picnic shelters must be booked in advance. For information on making a reservation, see the picnic shelters page.

Other resources