BC Parks Reservations Begin April 1 2010

BC Parks Fees Going Up

With B.C. preparing for the upcoming summer season, the Ministry of Environment is taking steps to continue providing quality camping experiences. Starting April 1, campers will be able to reserve specific sites for the first time due to a new reservation system.

Environment Minister Barry Penner also said as a result of increasing operating costs for BC Parks, combined with reduced tax revenues to government, user fees for camping will increase between $1 and $6 for basic camping sites.

The new fee structure will allow BC Parks to maintain high-quality service and is the first increase in two years. BC Parks offers pricing that is generally lower than most private-sector camping opportunities around the province and is competitive with public sector campgrounds in other jurisdictions.

Fee Changes:

• Camping fees for basic and moderate sites will increase by either $1 or $2 per night. (Basic sites will increase from $15 to $16 per night, and moderate sites will increase from $19 to $21 per night.)
• Camping fees in some developed campgrounds will increase by an additional $2 per night (from $26 to $28) and some by an additional $4 per night (from $26 to $30) for highest-demand sites with the highest levels of service.
• Premium backcountry fees for adults will increase by $5 per night (from $5 to $10) at Garibaldi, Cathedral, Berg Lake (Mt Robson), Wells Grey, Juan de Fuca, Strathcona, Cape Scott, Mt Assiniboine, Kokanee Glacier and Bugaboo. (Youth ages 13-18 yrs old will remain at $5 per night). Backcountry fees in 33 parks, including E.C. Manning, Wells Gray and Tweedsmuir, will remain at $5 per night.
• Mooring buoy fees will increase by $2 per night (from $10 to $12).
• Sani-station fees will increase by $3 per use (from $2 to $5 per discharge).

Since 2001, the B.C. government has invested $70 million in capital improvements for BC Parks, including upgrades to drinking water systems, washrooms and picnic areas.

The B.C. government has also established 58 new parks, 143 conservancies, two ecological reserves and nine protected areas, and expanded approximately 60 parks and six ecological reserves, protecting more than 1.9 million hectares of additional land since 2001.

Today, a total of 14.26 per cent (more than 13.5 million hectares) of British Columbia is protected – more than any other province in Canada.

For additional information on the recreational fees for individual parks, use this Nanaimo Info LINK.