Free Camping Experience - please post yours below!
Over 1100 British Columbia Recreation Sites have been created throughout B.C. These campsites, many of which are free campsites are located near great hiking and fishing areas. 373 Forest Recreation sites, now simply called “Recreation Sites”, and 200 trails are managed through service contracts or partnership agreements. The Agreements are administrated through the BC provincial government division – RSTBC (Recreation Sites and Trails B.C.) in partnership with recreation groups, First Nations, forest companies, regional districts, private organizations and other entities. Of course, many TracksAndTrails.ca visitors and other groups volunteer their time and services to help maintain recreation sites, trails and facilities across British Columbia.
There are three types of recreation sites:
The Joys of Camping For Free in British Columbia
- Managed with fees,
- Managed without fees, and
- User maintained.
The following document lists all BC Forest Rec Sites
PDF List of British Columbia Free Forest Recreation Sites
Interactive Online Map – Free Camping sites.
Campin at Damer Lake
It is best to use both the online map and pdf list of Rec. Sites to help find a location for your next free camping trip in British Columbia!
Map of Kelowna’s Free Forest Recreation Camp Sites
Camp for Free on Crown Land.
Crown Land – administered by each province
Camping in Canada on Crown Land is always free.
(Yes this is True…Free Camping – one reason why I love Canada!)
When camping on Crown Land your power source is always close – just plug into the nearest current bush 
…or just get one of those nifty solar panels that you can plug into!
The way to camp on crown land is to drive to a place you can safely park at. A good area to park is usually on some logging road. Try not to park on highways as your car may get damaged and more importantly could actually be a danger to other motorists. Once you have found a parking area just backpack to a vista or nice secret fishing hole and enjoy the great outdoors. …and bears…and cougars…bugs…etc (Don’t forget the toilet paper. Oh …and always flush!)
23 responses to Camp for Free in B.C.
Interesting.
I’ve actually just recently come into a body of fascinating rights that I was never aware I had. Canada is freakin’ awesome.
Dan, what are you talking about?
How can I find a map of crown lands?
Hey Nathan,
Here is a good link to start with. It will keep you busy as you go through the various levels in the online government mapping system. If you email the goverment via this link – they should answer any crown land questions – they have always answered me quickly. http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/clad/tenure_programs/programs/sitemaps/index.html
Hi Clayton–
That link takes me nowhere. Any other suggestions? I too am interested.
Hello Rose, if the link you are speaking of is the British Columbia crown land link in the comment above, I have now updated it and have pased it here as well http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/clad/tenure_programs/programs/sitemaps/index.html Thank you very much for pointing out the problem!
Wunderbar!
Thank you so much for your help!
Free Camping in the Fraser Valley and Okanagan? I haven’t been to free camping areas in the Fraser Valley like I have been in the Okanagan so when a Tracks and Trails visitor asked about Free Camping that you could get to without a 4X4 in the lower mainland and Okanagan I figured I would post the question here and hope for some help.
I will ask that the areas could be narrowed down as I know of many spots in the Okanagan and I be there are zillions in the Fraser Valley?
i use http://www.sitesandtrailsbc.ca/ too. it’s directed me to some pretty cool spots. good info. thanks clayton.
A local company that makes gps based trail maps for South Chilcotin, Chilliwack East and West.
http://www.trailventuresbc.com/
b
Great. This is one of the few sites that I keep visiting. The articles are very educational and wholesome. Keep on maintaining this site. You are doing a very good job.
I think more camping sites should be free. Local governments would increase nature awareness if they lowered the barrier to actually going camping.
well as my question applies
a small group of us are considering a 1 year hiatus camping fishing etc.
1 member is status treaty of the nisgaa coastal tribal nation in BC they will be with us, so from what i understand with that we are covered for fishing etc is there a specific time limit as per camping law on crown land etc..of course i understand no permanent structure is allowed etc so its 50% living on the boat n 50% on land ..is there a requirement to place site at tourism etc, we are plannning on going by boat along the coast in the spring any thing other that could be relevant or you could think of please let me know thanks..
I wanna go fishin….so I’ll be lookin thru you info till I find
the best spot….Thanks Clayton (Son)
Wap Lake is a beautiful place. The fish are smart and seem to know how to evaid your hook. But some people have caught Nice fish there. Dad
Wap Creek running South from Wap Lake into Adams Lake has a very strong current in it. It can be very dangerous. Mom
Thanks Mom and Dad! You are the best! Hey Mom, does Dad mind if that story goes public…:-) tell it all right here if he doesn’t! PS – Dad – I think I will be canoeing at Oyama Lake – you can come down from Lumby over the Aberdeen Plateau and meet Suzanne, the boys and I there on the weekend! Bring yer hooks mr!
lol, your parents are the cutest
Thanks Steph.
Yeah Mom and Dad are pretty great!:-)
So the story of Dad in Wap Lake is just a short story. Maybe they can add to this, but Dad was in his little flat bottom boat and was fishing at the end of the lake where the creek runs out – whoosh – off he went down the creek as Mom was watching. The boat flipped – Dad lost a bunch of nice fishing tackle as he tumbled down the creek. He finally gathered himself together, found the boat and pulled it back up with my brothers help. ….I think he sold boat hahaha
Nepal is the ultimate destination for you, if you have hunger for a thrilling experience of trekking around the breath taking mountain range, beautiful villages, monasteries, flora and fauna.
Happy New Year Clayton:
I am a retired handicapped senior ( Gentleman I hope )who likes to dry
camp ( boondock ). I have a 4 x 4 truck and camper. Due to limited
income I need free camping.
B.C., the Yukon and Alberta are on my list. And soon hopefuly
Montana.
Any information would be appreciated.
Thank you
Good Day Sir! Thank you for the Happy New Years wish. Tracks And Trails is roaring in 2012 with the most traffic it has ever had for a cold slow Jan – now at over 6000 visits in the last 30 days.
I hope this page and the links provided will provide some answers but I must tell you that I am working get each and every free camping post for each individual campsite upgraded with better information. My goal is to document each with video and pictures as well as hiking trail info about the area. However for now I am working on getting a map based search that will show you every campsite near a given town or city. I already have a sort of prototype working at http://www.tracksandtrails.ca/free-camping-in-british-columbia-and-canada/ or you can access it via the tabs at the top of the page – just mouse over “Camping” and then click the one that says Free Camping Map
the most common question is “Where can I camp?” This new Free Camping Map will be available to use on smart phones so if a person has cell reception you will be able to find free camping in many areas.
Hi Clayton
The camp site by Trout Creek is used quite often by my self and a few of my friends in the Quad clubs. I have never been ale to catch any fish there though.
We normally cross over the road then head up in to the hills.
There is a black bear population in the area. We some times see a bear actually walk across the bridge.
I have not been back there recently ( the last three years ) due to my spinal surgery.
The land above and to the right is private and gated about a mile in. This is directly across the creek on the same side.
Larry
Frantic, I’ve been looking for an answer to my soon to be homeless life. I am losing my home of 17 years. I did manage to buy a motorhome, it’s older and not very big, but has all I need in it to sustain life.
I cannot afford to pay for camping, CPP disability doesn’t pay much and I cannot work anymore.
Crown Land, …. How do, and can I, settle on a piece of Crown land? I’m in Canada, Lower Mainland and have 2 months left before they put me out.
I’ve read all of the posts, looked at the links, but need a little more advice/help.. I do not want, nor could afford to go from campsite to campsite and becoming very worried as renting is just too expensive..
Any input would be so very much appreciated.
Hi PJ! Thank you very much for bringing this discussion to the table. I could go on and on about several options – none of which are great – but one of the things I would suggest is: Get a Prospectors license and find an unclaimed area with a few flakes of gold and stake your claim. You are allowed to have some simple buildings on your claim.
Having said that, I really feel for your position man, Canada is a great place but still far from perfect in ensuring that all our citizens are adequately cared for.
Thanks for replying so quickly Clayton:
I’m a female but regardless of my gendre, I’m sure if I found those few pieces of gold, they would not care and probably allow me a Prospectors license. This information is new to me.
I used to head up to Barkerville and just loved it, camped (tent) at Bowron Lake and I noticed quite a few people had staked claims just outside of Wells, but at the time did not know for what reason.
That’s a long way to go and lots of snow in the winter, but land is land and I dread the thought of truck stops or Wallmart on a full time basis. Although, I must add, thank goodness for them in hard times.
Thank you for the information, your help is much appreciated, and so is your site.
I’ll be b a c k …lol and let you know what, if anything I have found.
You have made me feel a little better and I thank you for that.
Leave a reply to Camp for Free in B.C.