Provincial campsite reservations for the May long weekend opened this week and to celebrate, we at the Discourse put our collective heads together to create a list of some of the best camping near the Cowichan Valley. This list has it all: something for families, wildlife watchers, paddlers, hikers and every outdoor enthusiast in between.
Eager campers can start booking their provincial sites on Jan. 16 through the B.C. Parks portal to secure a spot before they fill up.
Provincial campsites can be booked within a four-month rolling window, which will open for most May long weekend reservations starting Jan. 16 at 7 a.m. After reservations open, sites will continue to become available following the four-month window. For example, bookings for the weekend of May 23 will be available Jan. 23, and so on.
BC Parks is reminding campers that long weekend reservations require a booking of three nights minimum for front country camping, which includes Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
While many spots in the Cowichan Valley and South Island have been open for winter camping, it’s important to make sure of the facilities that are available before you arrive. You can do so by searching the campground on the BC Parks website. The rules for dogs on beaches often change depending on the season as well.
Since many of us are settlers here in the Cowichan Valley, it’s important to acknowledge how privileged we are to have access to these beautiful campsites. They are on lands that the people of Quw’utsun Nation (Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Lyackson First Nation, Penelakut Tribe and Stz’uminus First Nation), Lyackson First Nation, Ts’uubaa-asatx Nation, Malahat Nation, Ditidaht First Nation and other Coast Salish Peoples have taken care of and been stewards of for millennia.
As visitors, we should respect the land and the people who have cared and continue to care for it, and leave no trace after we are gone. Native Land Digital and The First Peoples Map of BC are both tools campers can use to learn more about the traditional history and place names of the regions these sites are located in. You can also learn how to camp and visit provincial parks responsibly on the BC Parks website.
Read also: The best places to camp near Nanaimo
Gordon Bay Provincial Park
Located 15 minutes west of Lake Cowichan on Ts’uubaa-asatx territory, just outside of Honeymoon Bay, this park boasts not only a large beach for swimming and day use, but also has a beautiful campground nestled in the surrounding second growth Douglas fir stands.
All 126 sites are vehicle accessible and have access to two shower buildings, flush toilets, firewood (in the summer months) and a boat launch for excursions on the water.
Prices for a trip to Gordon Bay Provincial Park range from $35 for front country camping per night to $125 per night for group sites.
Don’t have time for an overnight trip? Picnic sites are also available to rent for $50 per day.
Aspiring or seasoned anglers can also take advantage of Gordon Bay’s incredible fishing year round to catch rainbow, coastal cutthroat and Dolly Varden trout.
Speaking of fishing in the park, anglers aged 16 and under can take part in the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC’s Learn to Fish Program. For more details, check with the park’s operator or the society’s website.
Stoltz Pool Campground
The turn-off to Cowichan River Provincial Park might be easy to miss but it’s worth the quick detour off Highway 18 or up Cowichan Lake Road for this gem of a campsite. The actual sites are located at Stoltz Pool on Quw’utsun and Ts’uubaa-asatx territory, but visitors aren’t far from Mayo Falls, Marie Canyon Falls and Skutz Falls.
Campers looking for a frontcountry site will pay $20 from April to October and $11 the rest of the year.
This is a great spot for people looking to get out on some hikes as the park contains the Skutz/66 Mile Loop Trail, Cowichan River Footpath and Trans Canada Trail.
Stoltz Trail loops around the day use area along the river and through second growth Douglas fir forest. Photo by Eric Richards/The Discourse.
The Stoltz Pool day use area is a popular spot for kayakers from October to June but the river is open for kayaking year round. There are also opportunities to cycle, and bike-packers are a common sight along the Trans Canada Trail.
Visitors in the fall can also view spawning salmon at the fish ladder near Skutz Falls.
Read also: Comox Valley camping: where to go and what to know
Ruckle Provincial Park
Campers looking to venture a bit farther away from the Island need only to take a short ferry ride from Crofton to check out one of the best camping spots on Salt Spring Island.
Ruckle Park is situated on Hul’qumi’num Treaty lands on the edge of Ts’usna’am (Beaver Point/Salt Spring Island), overlooking Sqthaqa’lh (Active Pass) and Swanson Channel.
Here, visitors will find tidal pools teeming with starfish, sculpin, mussels and an excellent place to view grebes, guillemots and eagles. Depending on the time of year, campers might also be treated to a parade of orcas and sea lions if they are lucky. There is also an extensive 15 kilometre trail network offering various options for hikers looking for easy walks or something a bit more difficult.
The park is a mix of grassy meadows, forests and rocky shorelines with many small bays and inlets to explore. According to BC Parks, this is one of the most productive wildlife viewing areas on Salt Spring Island.
Campers will have their choice of 78 first come first served walk-in sites for $20 per night in the summer and $11 per night in the winter. Those bringing a vehicle or RV must book ahead of time for $20 and there are only eight spots available, so planning ahead is advised.
Nitinaht Lake Campground
Located an hour and twenty minutes away from Duncan on the shores of Nitinaht Lake, this campground is surrounded by raw, untouched nature and access to the Caycuse River.
The site is a world renowned wind and kite surfing area, also serving as an entrance to the West Coast Trail for hikers.
It’s been almost 20 years since the Ditidaht First Nation took control of the former Windsurf Nitinaht Lake Campground and since 2019, the campground has expanded to include 120 tent sites and 12 RV sites.
Unlike the provincial campgrounds on this list, this campsite is fully Indigenous run and owned, so bookings are handled through the Nitinaht Lake Campground website. Prices are similar to other provincial parks, coming in $35 per night plus a $5 booking fee. However, extra adults will cost an additional $10 per night which can be paid at the campsite office.
For those interested in the outdoors but would prefer a solid roof over their heads, the campground also offers six one bedroom cabins.
Goldstream Provincial Park
Goldstream park is on Te’mexw Treaty Association lands, which includes the member nations of MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat), Scia’new (Beecher Bay), Songhees, Snaw-aw-as (Nanoose) and T’sou-ke First Nations. The area serves as traditional fishing grounds for the Nations that call the area home.
The park is a popular stop for tourists who want to take in the diverse hiking trails, natural sites and even Vancouver Island’s own version of Niagara Falls.
Campsites with vehicle access can be reserved for $35 per night in the summer and the park offers two groupsites for $120 per night plus $5 per adult. The groupsites each have access to a large lawn area, picnic shelters, woodstoves, electricity and water.
Goldstream Park visitors can also speak with naturalists at the Freeman King Visitor Centre for interpretive programs and lectures on the area’s natural history. In October, the park is the site of an annual salmon spawning run that involves thousands of salmon and their predators, such as bald eagles and bears.
Bamberton Park
Just outside of Mill Bay, adventurers will find this beautiful ocean front campsite nestled in Bamberton Provincial Park . While there isn’t as much hiking as the previous sites, the 125 metre long sandy beach, traditionally called qʷələs, provides opportunities for swimming and lounging in the water.
There are 48 reservable campsites with vehicle access at the park which will run campers $20 per night in the summer and $11 per night in the winter.
Avid paddling enthusiasts can put in at the beach to explore the sheltered inlet that offers great views of the Saanich Peninsula and Mount Baker.
The park is another great spot for bird watchers as eagles and ospreys frequent the surrounding skies.
BC Parks notes it’s a popular spot and June is particularly busy as schools make day trips out to visit its unique inter-tidal zone. The park is also home to an abundance of arbutus trees, a salmon bearing creek and eel-grass beds in the estuary.
Looking for more?
Tourism Cowichan offers an extensive list of campgrounds in the Cowichan Valley, some of which were covered in this list but also others that are privately operated.
