Long weekend fun beckons at
family-friendly campsites
With the long weekend approaching, and kids out of school for the summer,
it’s time to go camping and when it comes to camping, more campers choose
Golden Ears over any other provincial park in B.C., but with 155 parks to
choose from, there’s a lot more to explore, announced Environment Minister
Terry Lake today.
“I
have many fond memories of family camping at B.C.’s provincial parks,” said
Lake. “There’s nothing better than setting up camp in one of B.C.’s spectacular
parks to help you reconnect as a family.”
It
will come as no surprise that the Lower Mainland, Okanagan and Vancouver Island
provincial parks are the busiest as they are in the most populated areas of the
province. In 2010-11, provincial parks in these three regions attracted
1,345,934 campers – approximately 57 per cent of all campers in BC Parks.
Also, results show that campers
clearly favour Golden Ears:
- Golden Ears in the Lower Mainland – 96,563
- Rathtrevor Beach on Vancouver Island – 78,739
- Cultus Lake near Chilliwack – 74,164
- Shuswap Lake Park in the Thompson-Shuswap – 70,371
Spectacular
parks are just another day at the “office” for B.C.’s park rangers who have the
enviable task of patrolling provincial parks. Park rangers reveal their
favourite family-friendly camping spots in these staff picks:
· Rod
Dalziel recommends Tyhee Lake Provincial Park: “With a 1 1/2 year old in my
life, the convenience of this campground is very attractive. It offers all the
facilities you need including flush toilets and showers, a beautiful beach area
for swimming, picnic shelter and playground.”
· Katie
Lemire recommends Niskonlith Lake Provincial Park in the hills near Chase:
“It’s a small rustic campground with only 29 sites but that is part of the
charm. All the sites are on the water’s edge with fantastic views – swimming
and fishing are favourite pastimes.”
· Andrew
Letts recommends Purden Lake Provincial Park, east of Prince George: “A variety
of short hiking trails take you throughout the campground, to the end of the
lake and through the day use area. Children can play at the playground, build
sandcastles at the beach or ride their bikes, and everyone who loves the sport
of geo-caching, take note – Purden Lake is home to several.”
· Andy
Macdonald recommends Rathtrevor Provincial Park near Parksville: “As a father
with two very energetic young boys Rathtrevor Beach is an ideal location for
family camping. Time can be spent beachcombing, building sandcastles, swimming,
wading, skim boarding and dozens of other activities to keep them busy all
day.”
These
are just a few examples of provincial parks available to campers. With many
more to choose from, there are parks in all regions of the province near
rivers, lakes, and the ocean with varying degrees of amenities and locales.
For
those that like to plan ahead, Discover Camping provides information on the
availability and amenities at more than 125 reservable campgrounds, including
group sites, in 94 provincial parks throughout B.C.
It’s
important to note that not all campsites are reservable, even in parks that
have reservable campgrounds online. Many provincial parks have first-come,
first-served campsites available and it’s a common practice in parks outside of
highly populated areas.
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