Vancouver Island has a massive landmass of about 33,000 km² and the entire population of the island comes in under 900,000. And the majority of this population lives in the southern tip in the Greater Victoria area. What this means for explorers is that the island is extremely vast and remote – which means plenty of free camping! There is no better way to experience the beauty of the island than to get right into the thick of it. We are here to give you the resources you need to find the best wild and dispersed campgrounds this beautiful island in British Columbia has to offer.
What are your favourite resources for finding free campgrounds? Let us know in the comments below! ⇟
Our Favourite Free Camping Resources
Vancouver Island Backroad Adventure Mapbook is our bible. It is a topographic map and guide of the island that covers all fishing, hunting, paddling, trails and rec sites. It also has a section on secret backcountry huts and cabins. 🤫
iOverlander has an interactive map indicating free campsites, as well as overnight parking spots in places like rest areas, truck stops, side streets and Walmart parking lots.
FreeCampsites.net is another interactive map displaying free campsites and free overnight parking spots.
VancouverIsland.com will cover a lot of the camping spots allowed on Crown Land in BC Recreation Sites and Government-owned forestry recreational sites. The BC Ministry of Tourism Culture and the Arts maintains more than 1,200 recreation campsites under its Recreation Sites and Trails BC program. The campsites are located around British Columbia for the camping enjoyment of residents and visitors to B.C. Some campsites are free, others have a small fee. Search by location or on their interactive map.
BC Rest Areas interactive map indicates if it accommodates vehicles under or over 20 meters in length. All rest areas have toilets and garbage cans, some have picnic tables. Depending on the rest area, you may find a nice spot to park overnight.
VancouverIslandCamping.net is a fantastic blog that reviews many of the island’s free and established campgrounds. Check it out to see what campgrounds are in the area you will be visiting.
Tips About Free Camping on Vancouver Island
We much prefer a free campsite over a paid one. And it’s not just about the money savings. Most of British Columbia’s established campgrounds are booked up months in advance and it is almost impossible to get a site. Wild camping involves no reservations, so you are free to be spontaneous in your travel plans. Also, wild campsites tend to be in very beautiful, ‘hidden gem’ type areas. You don’t get this beauty in established campgrounds.
Because you are not getting the convenience, amenities and accessibility of an established site, here are some tips to help you navigate Vancouver Island’s free campgrounds:
- Many free campgrounds are located in remote areas that are connected through logging roads. You may need an AWD vehicle with high clearance to access some of these areas. Do your research ahead of time.
- You will be getting a rustic camping experience in these spots. There may or may not be a firepit, picnic table or pit toilet. Ensure you are prepared for any situation.
- Many of these remote areas will not have cell service. If you are worried about staying in contact with people, consider purchasing a satellite phone (like the highly-rated BlueCosmo Satellite Phone).
- Potable water is generally not available at these sites. Ensure you have lots of water stored for drinking, washing dishes and putting out fires. You can also bring a water filter (our go-to is the Sawyer Water Filtration System)
or iodine tablets. There is usually a fresh water source near a rec site.
- There is no electricity available at these sites. If you have a camper or RV, ensure you have an alternate source of power like propane or solar.
- There may not be firewood sales available to you at these campgrounds. And the general rule is to leave the forest floor alone. So make sure you bring in your own supply of firewood to last you through your visit.
- All of these sites are first-come-first-serve. You are not able to make a reservation for these sites. So there is a bit of a risk of not having a site available. Luckily, if the site you wanted isn’t available, there are usually more free campsites somewhere close-by.
- Because these campsites are wild and not maintained, you need to follow the Leave No Trace Principles. Leave things the same or better than how you found them.
- Before your trip, check the Vancouver Island Fire Ban site. Every summer, the island will have a fire ban at some point due to the increased risk of wildfires. Ensure you are following the provincial rules to avoid any trouble.
or Are you an outdoor enthusiast like us? While you’re here, check out our other outdoor posts:
- ‘Your Day Hiking Essentials Packing List’
- ‘How to Get in Shape for Hiking’
- ‘The Essential Backpacking Packing List’
- ‘Hiking Food Ideas for Healthy Snacks and Meals’
- ‘The Ultimate Camping Packing List – With FREE Printable’
- ’10 of the BEST Budget Sleeping Bags’
The Best Free Campsites on Vancouver Island
North Vancouver Island
The northern section of Vancouver Island is the most remote and wild. And there are many free campgrounds in this vast area of land. There are many more than we list here, so check out all of our suggested free camping resources to see what else you can find.
Campbell River and Strathcona Park
Upper Campbell Reservoir Campground (Formerly Strathcona Dam)
Note: Strathcona Dam which was run by BC Hydro has been shut down and moved next down to Upper Campbell Reservoir Campground.
Upper Campbell Reservoir Campground is brand spanking new as of the 2021 season! This campground has plenty of sparkly clean pit toilets and each site has a picnic table and firepit. The campground is located on Upper Campbell Lake and each site has a spectacular view. It currently has 40 campsites open and provides a small beach with excellent fishing and a boat launch. The maximum length of stay is 14 nights.
North of Campbell Lake
The entire north side of Campbell Lake, up to Brewster Lake and over to Loveland Bay Provincial Park, is absolutely teaming with free recreation sites. The best way to navigate this area is with the Backroads Mapbook. There are literally dozens of rec sites, each one on the waterfront so you can swim, boat and fish right from your free campground! The rec sites in this area vary in size but usually don’t have any more than 8 sites, and some are more RV friendly than others. But you will find pit toilets, firepits and picnic tables at all of them.
Upper Campbell Lake
Take a look on iOverlander and you will find a bunch of free campsites lining Upper Campbell Lake just outside of Strathcona Provincial Park. This is a perfect base camp for your explorations. I promise you, these are some of the most beautiful campsites you have ever seen.
Keep in mind, there are no amenities here. Other than a firepit, a space to park your vehicle and set up a tent. And no cell service at all.
Gold River to Port Hardy
Bonanza Lake Campground
Located northwest of Woss, this campground is located on the northeast end of Bonanza Lake. It consists of 15-20 campsites with fire rings, a few rough picnic tables and four pit toilets that are in rough shape.
Pye Beach and Pye Bay Rec Sites
Situated on Pye Lake, between Campbell River and Sayward, there are two rec sites with a combined total of 24 campsites. All sites are free to use, picnic tables and pit toilets are provided, and there is a boat launch.
Mr. Canoehead Recreation Site
These boat-in only campsites are located between Amor Lake and Surprise Lake, along the Sayward Forest Canoe Trail. The Mr. Canoehead Rec Site is the most popular campground on this portage route.
There are 8 free campsites available here with picnic tables and pit toilets available.
Woss Lake Campground
This large, free campground is open all year and has 24 self-maintained campsites. Pit toilets, picnic tables, firepits and trash cans are available. It also has a sandy beach, a boat launch and great fishing.
This campground is good for tents or RVs up to 45 feet in length. It has a maximum stay of one week.
Lower and Upper Klaklakama Lake Recreation Sites
These two recreation sites are maintained by Western Forest Products. They are near Woss and Schoen Lake Provincial Park.
The lower campsite has 5 sites and the upper campsite has 5 sites (the sites in the upper campsite are larger and have more room for larger campers). Both sites offer picnic tables and pit toilets, although they are in very rough shape. Fire rings are also available at both campgrounds.
Vernon Lake Recreation Site
Located in Woss on beautiful Vernon Lake, this free campground offers 23 campsites, picnic tables, pit toilets and boat launch.
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South Vancouver Island
The southern half of Vancouver Island is more populated than the north. Therefore, you will find less rec sites here. But there are plenty of one-off wild campsites and overnight parking if you know where to look.
Cowichan Bay
Cowichan Bay is a must-see seaside town full of independent shops, artists, restaurants and bars. The entirety of Cowichan Bay Road in the downtown area is open for overnight parking. There are no visible parking limits here and we see camper vans parked along this road all the time.
Ladysmith
Ladysmith’s main drag has been named “The Best Street in Canada” and for good reason. It is literally the cutest town you’ve ever seen.
Nearby you will find Banon Creek Forest Service Road. This logging road takes you up the mountain and you will find lots of hidden wild camping spots up there. They are not listed on iOverlander or FreeCampsites so you will have to just drive around and search for them. Just keep in mind, this is a logging road that can get pretty rough in some spots. Make sure you have a vehicle that can handle it.
Chemainus RV Spots
We travelled all over North America in our camper van and never came across something like Chemainus has.
Chemainus is a small town located between Nanaimo and Duncan. It is known for its murals and its theatre festival. They have created an entire area for RV parking. They essentially look like your typical side street parking spots, yet they are reserved specifically for RVs. Right beside this is an entire row of overnight parking for any vehicle, including camper vans. You can park in any of these spots for free overnight. And there are always plenty of spots available.
Port Alberni
Arden Creek
Outside of Port Alberni on the shores of the Alberni Inlet, there is a free 6-campsite recreational site. 2 sites are walk-in pads suitable for tent camping. The other 4 sites are vehicle pads suitable for camper vans. This campground is not suitable for motorhomes.
Arden Creek provides picnic tables, pit toilets, firepits and a boat launch. BC Rec Sites says this free campground is still undiscovered by most people so you have a good chance of getting a site here.
Scout Beach
Scout Beach rec site offers an absolutely beautiful and very well maintained 12-site campground.
It’s amenities include picnic tables, pit toilets, firepits and a boat launch into Great Central Lake.
Secret Spot by Cathedral Grove
iOverlander shows a secret campsite near Cathedral Grove. The campground is set about 100m away from the road and is situated on the river. According to the reviews, there appears to be enough room for 4 RVs or up to 9 camper vans.
This free campsite has a firepit and cell service. There is no picnic table or toilets available.
Secret Spots on Sproat Creek
A few boondocking campsites appear on iOverlander on Sproat Creek. These spots are located along the river. They offer a bench, a firepit and cell service.
Kennedy River
There are a few free campsites along Kennedy River listed on iOverlander. These spots are about halfway between Port Alberni and Tofino – a perfect place to stay if you want to visit these two beautiful cities! Kennedy River is personally our favourite stop on the way to Tofino. It has turquoise waters, rapids, waterfalls and cool rock formations.
There are a few spots here and there is definitely room for a few RVs. No amenities are here other than firepits. But there is a rest area 10 minutes away with bathrooms and wifi.
Free Tofino Camping
Technically, there is no free camping in Tofino. It is the top tourist destination on Vancouver Island and is completely sold out in the summers. However, there are a few secrets to finding free overnight parking spots for stealth vehicles only.
Downtown Tofino is not RV friendly. RVs are never allowed to park overnight in downtown Tofino at any time of the year. The only exception is a paved parking lot RVs can pay to use for day use only. The only way an RV can legally camp in Tofino is by paying for an established campsite.
Campervans and other “non-RV” campers have an easier time finding overnight parking. If you visit Tofino in the off-season (November to April) you are able to park overnight on the streets downtown and in residential areas. And in the summer, you can still find some side streets and residential streets to park overnight if you are a very stealthy looking camper van.
Most of what we think of as “Tofino” is actually the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Any area within the boundaries of the park requires you to have a park day pass to use them. And there is absolutely no overnight parking allowed in any of these areas.
iOverlander and FreeCampsites list a few free campsites outside of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, closer to Ucluelet. We have driven in to check these spots out. Essentially, they are small areas on the side of logging roads where there is some room to park. You won’t have space to set up a tent, the drive in is extremely rough, but you will not get hassled here. It’s a good spot for a budget-conscious vanlifer to spend some time in Tofino.
Have you found any amazing wild camping spots on the island, or anywhere else in the world? Let us know in the comments below!
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