Cancellations and refunds

If your reservation is cancelled before your scheduled arrival, you will normally get an automatic refund. In other situations, you must request a refund. This section provides information on:

• Getting an automatic refund for a cancelled reservation
• Requesting a refund after you arrive at the park
• Applying for a refund if you have not arrived at the park

Getting an automatic refund for a cancelled reservation

You will normally get a full or partial refund automatically if:

1. You cancel before your arrival date (subject to the cancellation window)
2. BC Parks closes your campground before you arrive, due to an emergency

1. If you cancel any part of your trip before your arrival date, eligible camping fees are refunded automatically. Cancel via camping.bcparks.ca or by calling 1-800-689-9025 (1-519-858-6161 internationally) and eligible fees are refunded.

Only eligible camping fees are refunded when you cancel a reservation (see deductions for more details on eligibility). Camping fees pay for your campsite and other services.

Transaction fees are not refunded. Transaction fees pay for use of the reservation service. To learn more about camping fees and transaction fees, see the camping fees page.

2. If we close your campground before you arrive, camping fees and transaction fees are automatically refunded to your card. You do not need to cancel your reservation or apply for a refund. There is no cancellation fee. 

Deductions

If you cancel, there will be a small amount deducted from your refund because:

• There is a $6 (plus tax) transaction fee per cancellation, per campsite
• The cancellation window for your booking may affect your refund

Changing your arrival date is considered a cancellation. If you change your booking to arrive two nights later, you effectively cancel your first two nights.

Cancellation windows

Each type of reservation (frontcountry, backcountry, group) has a ‘cancellation window’. This determines how much you are refunded, based on when you cancel. To learn more, visit the cancellation windows page.

At most parks, you cannot change a reservation after 8 pm two days before your arrival date.

Requesting or applying for an additional refund

In certain circumstances, you may need to request or apply for a refund of unused camping fees. For example, if a road closure stops you reaching your campsite, you may not receive an automatic refund.

In some cases, you may be able to apply for a refund of fees deducted from a previous refund. For example, if you can show documentation that you cancelled a reservation for medical reasons, deducted fees may be refunded.

Requesting a refund after you arrive at the park

If you need to request a refund after you arrive, you must contact the park operator directly. You cannot apply through our online application form. To get the email address or phone number for your park operator, find the park’s webpage.

After you have arrived at the park, the grounds for a refund outlined on this page do not apply. Refunds are entirely at the park operator’s discretion.

Applying for a refund if you have not arrived at the park

If you have not arrived at the park, you can apply for a refund with our online application form. You must apply within three months of your scheduled arrival and show you meet all three of the following conditions. You:

• Cancelled or attempted to cancel your reservation
• Checked the park webpage for updates that may have affected your trip
• Have grounds for a refund according to the policies outlined below

Apply for a refund 

Even if you apply before your scheduled arrival, you are not guaranteed a refund. Your application is assessed by our team, based on criteria outlined in grounds for a refund, below.

If you receive a refund, only camping fees are refunded. Transaction fees cannot be refunded under any of the circumstances outlined below. Transaction fees are only refunded if we cancel your reservation (due to a park closure or similar).

Incorrect charges

On very rare occasions, the reservation service experiences technical problems that cause incorrect charges. In these cases, you are eligible for a refund of any extra fees the system charged you in error.

Park conditions that prevent access or cause evacuations

If you cannot enter or approach a park because of an ongoing emergency, you may be eligible for a refund. It is your responsibility to check the park’s webpage for updates on any closures and evacuations.

Poor air quality

Air quality may be considered grounds for a refund. Any decision is based on data from the air quality station closest to your park, on your cancellation date. The rating must be seven or more on the BC Air Quality Health Index.

Serious medical issue

You may be eligible for a refund if a serious and unexpected medical issue requires you to cancel your trip. You must still attempt to cancel your reservation in advance, if possible.

You must provide official proof that a registered member of your party had an issue that stopped you using your reservation. Acceptable proof includes hospital documentation or a doctor’s note on clinic letterhead.

Death in the family

We will refund camping fees if a death in your immediate family requires you to cancel a trip. You must provide a death certificate or obituary, dated near your arrival date, that demonstrates your relationship to the deceased. 

An immediate family member is defined as: a parent, spouse, child, grandchild, grandparent, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, or any other relative permanently living in your household. 

Serious motor vehicle accident

If a serious car accident prevents your party from using your reservation, we will consider a refund. An accident report, dated near your arrival date is required to support the application.

Apply for a refund

Leaving early

If you voluntarily vacate your campsite early, you are not eligible to receive a refund. You are only eligible if you meet one of the criteria outlined in grounds for a refund, above.

Wildlife

Wild animals, including bears, squirrels, and raccoons, coming into the campground is not grounds for a refund. The presence of insects in the campground is also not grounds for a refund.

You will receive a refund if the presence of wild animals causes the park to be closed for safety reasons. It is your responsibility to check the park’s webpage for closures or evacuations.

Weather and environmental conditions

Bad weather, including cold, rain, wind, hail, snow, heat, and flooding, is not grounds for a refund. This is the case even when a weather warning has been issued. It is your responsibility to check the park’s webpage for alerts related to extreme weather.  

Wildfire smoke is only grounds for a refund when the BC Air Quality Health Index rating is seven or more. See poor air quality, above, to learn more.

Smoke from nearby wildfires that results in less than seven on the BC Air Quality Health Index is not grounds for a refund. It is your responsibility to check the park’s webpage for alerts related to wildfires.  

Park conditions and customer service

Applications for refunds related to park conditions or customer service cannot be considered. Any complaints should be addressed directly to the individual park operator. For contact information, check the park’s webpage.

General illness or pre-existing conditions

Illness that does not require medical attention and pre-existing conditions triggered by the park environment are not grounds for a refund. We can only issue medical refunds under circumstances outlined in grounds for a refund, above.

Error making a reservation

Refunds cannot be given for errors that customers make on their reservations. However, if a technical problem in our reservation system causes an error, a refund application may be considered.

Vehicle breakdown, issues related to equipment, or change of plans

We cannot give refunds for cancellations related to vehicle breakdowns or other equipment failure. Changes in personal circumstances, like getting called into work or childcare arrangements falling through, are not grounds for a refund.

Cancellation window

The cancellation window for the type of reservation you have booked may also prevent you from being eligible for a refund. For full information, see the cancellation windows webpage.

For full details of our cancellation and refund policies, download the reservation services policies and terms [PDF].