Camping fees

To stay at a BC Parks campground, you may have to pay: 

• Camping fees, which pay for your campsite and other facilities
• Transaction fees, which pay for use of the reservation service

Taxes are included in camping fees. Taxes are added to any transaction fees you pay.

Camping fees

Camping fees help us maintain park facilities. They include:

• The base camping fee that pays for your campsite
• Additional camping fees for extra goods and services

Base camping fee

The base camping fee pays for the use of your campsite. This per-night fee varies between campgrounds and is based on the number of people staying at the site. Campgrounds with more services and facilities have higher base camping fees.

The base camping fee also pays for one parking spot. You can usually pay extra to park an additional vehicle if a space is available. See parking, below, for information on parking additional vehicles.

Additional camping fees

On top of the base camping fee, you may be charged for services like: 

• Electrical hook-up 
• Sani-station use

At some marine parks, we also charge:

• Docking and moorage fees for boats and other marine vessels
• Annual fees for leaving a vessel moored at the park

In some cases, paying additional camping fees may be a required part of your booking. For example, if your campsite has electrical hook-up, you must pay for that service, even if you do not use it.

At many campgrounds, you can additionally buy products like wood for campfires and ice. Some campgrounds have concession stands, where a range of items can be purchased or rented.

Camping fees vary by park. Visit camping.bcparks.ca or download the camping fees and information supplement [PDF] for specific fees.

Transaction fees

Transaction fees help us maintain the reservation service (camping.bcparks.ca and the call centre). These fees apply only to reservations. There are no transaction fees for first come, first served camping.

When booking through the reservation service, you will be charged a transaction fee in addition to your camping fees. There are additional fees for booking by phone or changing a reservation (see reservations, below, for details).

The table below shows the charges for common transaction fees.

Tax is added to transaction fees. While it may be possible to get a refund on camping fees, transaction fees are non-refundable in most cases.

To help you plan your outdoor adventures, we offer advance booking on many frontcountry campgrounds, and some in the backcountry. This section provides information on fees you pay when making a reservation.

• To secure a frontcountry or backcountry camping reservation, you must pay all camping fees and transaction fees in advance
• You pay these fees when making your reservation at camping.bcparks.ca or by calling 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally)
• You can pay all your fees using Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Visa Debit, or Mastercard Debit

Camping fees vary by park. Visit camping.bcparks.ca or download the camping fees and information supplement [PDF] for specific fees.

• Transaction fees are $6 per campsite or tent pad per night, up to a maximum of $18 per site (plus tax)
• There is a $5 surcharge (plus tax) for reservations, cancellations, or changes made via the call centre
• If you modify or cancel your reservation, there may be an extra $6 transaction fee (for information, see cancellations and refunds)

Non-reservable campsites are available on a first come, first served basis. Reservable sites that have not been booked may also become first come, first served. This section has information on paying fees when you do not have a reservation.

• When camping on a first come, first served basis, you pay camping fees onsite, directly to the park operator
• To get park operator contact details for the campground you are visiting, find the park’s webpage

Park operators can provide camping fee details by phone, but cannot guarantee the availability of first, come first served camping.

• Fees can be paid in cash in Canadian currency or, where the facilities exist, by credit or debit card (park operators cannot accept cheques)
• At some campgrounds, a drop box is provided where you can self-register for camping and deposit your cash payment
• There are no transaction fees for first come, first served camping (transaction fees are only charged when you make a reservation)

Camping fees vary by park. Visit camping.bcparks.ca or download the camping fees and information supplement [PDF] for specific fees.

While regular campsites accommodate a maximum of eight people, many campgrounds offer reservable groupsites for larger parties. This section provides information on fees for regular group camping and youth group camping.

For more information on groupsite reservations, please visit the group camping page. Camping fees and maximum party sizes for groupsites vary between parks. See camping.bcparks.ca for information on a specific park.

Regular group camping

There is a nightly base camping fee for regular group camping. This fee varies by park, so see camping.bcparks.ca for details. On top of this nightly base camping fee, there is a nightly per-person fee with a minimum charge of $75 per party.

Per-person camping fees for regular group camping

Per-person fees for a regular group camping reservation are a minimum nightly amount of $75 per party (at $5 per person). This is in addition to the nightly base camping fee.

Youth group camping

We offer special camping rates for youth groups with at least 12 people. To see if your group qualifies, visit the group camping page. There is no nightly base camping fee for youth groups, just a minimum nightly per-person fee of $50. 

Per-person camping fees for youth group camping 

There is a $50 minimum and $150 maximum nightly camping fee for any youth group reservation.

Parking for one vehicle is included in your base camping fee. For an additional fee, you may be allowed to park an extra vehicle, if there is room. This section provides information on camping fees charged for parking extra vehicles.

Cars

You will be charged an extra 50 percent of your camping fee for each additional vehicle you park. This fee has a maximum overall charge of $12 per night for each of your additional vehicles.

Example: If your camping fee is $20 per night, the fee for a second vehicle is $10 per night (half of the $20 camping fee). So, you pay $30 per night to camp and park two vehicles. This is the $20 camping fee, which includes parking for one vehicle, plus the $10 parking fee for the second vehicle.

If you stay for three nights, your overall camping fee is $90. This includes:

• $60 camping fee (three nights at $20 per night) 
• $30 parking fee (three nights at $10 per night)

Trailers and RVs 

There are different rules for towed-in vehicles and recreational vehicles (RVs). For details of camping fees for trailers and RVs, download the camping fees and information supplement [PDF].

To see if extra parking spaces are available at a campground, check the site details on camping.bcparks.ca or ask the park operator. For park operator contact details, find the park’s webpage.

We offer some reduced camping fees for winter visitors, BC seniors, and people with disabilities who are receiving income assistance. This section provides basic information on, winter rates, the BC Senior Camping Discount, and the Social Services Camping Fee Exemption.

These discounts can be applied to reservations and first come, first served camping. For reservations, choose the BC Senior Camping Discount or the Social Services Camping Fee Exemption at the time of booking. These discounts cannot be applied later.

Winter rates

Many BC Parks offer reduced camping fees during the winter. Reduced rates are generally offered if a park has fewer services in winter. For example, water may be turned off to prevent freezing pipes, or there may be fewer staff on site.

To find out if a park offers winter rates, download the camping fees and information supplement [PDF].

BC Senior Camping Discount

The BC Senior Camping Discount gives B.C. residents 65 and over a half-price rate on frontcountry camping fees. It applies to both reservations and first come, first served camping.

The discount only applies from the day after Labour Day until June 14. For the 2023-2024 season, the BC Senior Camping Discount is available from September 5, 2023, to June 14, 2024.

If you qualify, the discount can be applied to any frontcountry stay during this period. The discount does not apply to transactions fees or additional services offered by the park operator (such as firewood and electrical hook-up.)

To learn more about this discount and see if you qualify, visit the BC Senior Camping Discount page.

Social Services Camping Fee Exemption

The Social Services Camping Fee Exemption is available to people with disabilities who are receiving income assistance. If you qualify, you do not have to pay the base camping fee. When booking ahead, you still pay transaction fees.

When you arrive at the campground, you will need to show proof that you are eligible for the exemption. Therefore, you must make sure you have the required proof before your trip.

To learn more about the exemption and how to prove your eligibility, visit the Social Services Camping Fee Exemption page.