Camping In BC

[Cruzerman]

I'm about to get married and my new wife and I are wanting to go camping in BC for our honeymoon. We live in Oregon and will be heading to BC in the beginning of August. We're not into campgrounds and like to get off the beaten path, away from people. We'll be in our FZJ80, and while not an extreme build, it does sit on 35s and is triple locked.

I have to admit that I know little about where you can camp in BC and the various rules. I'm hoping people can help maybe suggest some areas / spots and educate me on any rules.

TIA,

Rick (aka Cruzerman)

 

[Enigma]

Well we don't have quite as many rules as the states do; ie you don't need permits of any kind for camping or offroading. Our gun rules are quite a bit more involved than the states as well, and definitely not as common as the states. But I'm not a gun guy so can't give any specifics. Licences for fishing are required, but I have no idea how that works for tourists. You can buy them pretty much anywhere that sells fishing stuff.
I dont believe there are any campfire bans right now, and there are stiff fines if you do. That can be checked at Fire Bans and Restrictions - Province of British Columbia

But you might want to narrow it down a bit, what part(s) of BC? It's a really really big province with many diverse areas (rainforests, mountains, deserts, tundra) and can take a lifetime to explore.

A good source of info is one of the many Backroad Mapbooks for various areas of the province. They have very good information for all things outdoor related, and can be picked up in any outdoor type store and even a lot of grocery stores.
http://www.backroadmapbooks.com/backroad-mapbooks/bc-backroad-maps

 

[Cruzerman]

Great information. BC sure is a huge place. One of the reasons we want to go there is that we assumed we'd be able to get away from the RV campers. We go out to Central and Eastern Oregon just for that reason and love it out for its beauty, ruggedness, and solitude.

We'll have about 8-9 days for exploring. I'll look into some of those books. That looks like a great tip.

Are there places I can and can't camp? In the states, I can camp anywhere on BLM or National Forrest land, but not so much in National Parks.

And thanks for the input. Any suggestions on specific area would help too.

 

[Scalp]

You might enjoy the Whipsaw run, although it could get busy on weekends.
Closer to Vancouver, maybe go up west Harrison Lake to the Hale shelter and maybe
even up to the north end of the lake to the hot springs. I'm heading out tomorrow,
Enigma will give you more info.

 

[Greg_B]

Been some good info so far.

The BackRoadMapBooks suggested are a great resource and have tonnes of info in them. If you have a computer or GPS you're using for mapping they have an SD card you can buy and use. The hard copy is nice though. While the BRMB's will list the designated recreation camping sites, you can camp on Crown Land.

Check out some BC Gov camping info here and here. The free Recreation Sites or Crown Land camping sound more your style, but do not give a total miss to some of the National or Provincial park sites if that suits your exploring of an area. Some recreation sites do have a host and are pay. Many are free. Especially the further out you go.

In August there may well be a full fire ban on for most, if not all the Province. Keep the BC fire ban site handy to check as you travel. If you do the propane fire ring, so there is something to site around after dark, they are allowed while a wood campfire is banned, within certain guidelines (but can be banned as well if really dry for an extended period).

Are you on FB? The Coastal Cruisers have a FB group and you might get some ideas from there too. In addition there is an 80 series in Canada group. Many members are in BC.

Whipsaw is a great trail. Weekends are busy though. Are you doing a loop through Washington, or simply I-5 to get to the border and I-5 back.

hth's
gb

 

[Antarctican]

I know you said you want to get away, but I think you might just have a blast at the Apex 4x4 Jamboree Aug 4 - 7 near Penticton, BC, http://aftertheblacktopends.com/event-item/apex-4x4-jamboree/8

For the amount of time you posted, you could start out on Stailes Rd which is basically the west Harrison Lake road, goes all the way up to Pemberton. Make sure to stop at skookumchuk hot springs. From there you could go on the Hurley rd up to Goldbridge, or the highline rd from D'ARcy along Anderson Lk to Seton Portage. From either of those you could head further north to Churn Creek Protected area west of Chasm, and spend your time there or continue northward to any of the amazingly beautiful areas west of the zone between Williams Lk and Prince George. Depends of you want to spend more nights in 1 spot, or spend a night then move on. Also too, if you want to explore just on the route there, then highway back, or if you want a big circle tour with as much offroading as possible along the entire route.

Your options are endless!

 

[Cruzerman]

The Jamboree would be a blast, but we aren't going to be in BC during that time. We're going to spend the first couple nights on one of the San Juan Islands and won't be heading into BC until 8/8. We need to be back the Thursday or Friday before the eclipse because it goes right over our house and we're having lots of people over that event. We definitely would rather make a loop rather than backtrack over ground we've already seen. I'm not on FB, but the wife is, so I'll send her over that way to solicit input from those groups as well.

Trying to find some of the roads and such on Google maps now. Keep that information and ideas coming! And TIA.