Summer holiday planning officially gets underway Sunday, March 15 as the province’s camping reservation system opens for business at 9 a.m.
Campers can go online or call in to make a reservations for a campsite in many provincial parks, up to three months in advance through the Discover Camping website (DiscoverCamping.ca).
Bookings can also be made through the call centre at 1-800-689-9025.
Reservations to your favourite sites will cost more this year as the provincial government announced fee increases ranging from $2 to $5.
Golden Ears Provincial Park will now cost $35 a night, up from $30 last year.
According to the Ministry of Environment, this is the first province-wide increase in camping fees since 2010.
The varied rate increases take into account local demand and economic conditions, as well as private camping availability.
The province collected about $17 million from its park and recreation fees last year, while spending $22 million on direct park operating costs.
Meanwhile, campsite use is on the rise in B.C. since the introduction of an online reservation service.
Discover Camping handled 133,000 reservations last year, nearly a 10 per cent increase over 2013.
Up to three reservations can be made in one transaction.
New for the 2015 camping season, families can now reserve campsites in Summit Lake, Juniper Lake, Whiskers Point and Kootenay Lake provincial parks. More campsites are also available in Mount Robson and Kentucky Alleyne provincial parks.
The interactive reservation website covers 115 campgrounds in 99 provincial parks.
Camping Facts
• Some campgrounds on the reservation system are 100 per cent reservable, while
others offer first-come, first-served sites.
• Bookings for group sites are available up to 12 months in advance of the arrival date.
• In 2014, more than 133,000 reservations were made through Discover
Camping - an increase of almost 10 per cent from 2013. A total of 75 per cent of bookings made in 2014 were placed by British Columbians.
• The non-refundable reservation charge is $6 per night, up to a maximum of $18 (plus tax) per party, per campsite.
• Reservations can be made through the call centre at 1-800-689-9025 for a surcharge of $5 (plus tax).
• Parking is free in all provincial parks.