The Metro Vancouver Regional District is considering expanding camping locations across the region as the popularity of outdoor adventure soars.
A recent national study found that 10 million Canadian households consider themselves campers and “outdoor hospitality participants.” That’s two out of every three households. The study, conducted by campground chain KOA, also noted that the number of new guests at KOA campgrounds doubled between 2019 and 2023. While the Covid 19 pandemic may have sparked an initial increase, popularity of camping continued to grow even as the pandemic waned.
Camping is gaining popularity fastest with people under 35 years of age.
Most campgrounds are run by the province and are located outside Metro Vancouver, the most populous region in B.C. While people have historically driven up to 200 kilometres to go camping, in recent years, people are seeking camping opportunities closer to home, closer to service and amenities, according to a Metro Vancouver study being considered by Metro directors.
Last year, all the Metro Vancouver region’s camp sites were fully booked every weekend from March through September.
With these trends in mind, a Metro Vancouver report identified sites across the region that could be developed or expanded to accommodate campers in several distinct categories.
Wilderness campgrounds offer remote, rustic locations often accessible as a pack in/pack out experience on foot, bike or boat. Three sites were identified for development in regional parks at Lynn Valley Headwaters and Thwaytes Landing Regional Park.
RV and tent camping could be expanded at Derby Reach, while new sites could be developed in Aldergrove, Belcarra, South Langley Regional Park, Barnston Island, Burnaby Lake, Crippen and Kanaka Creek.
There are also opportunities to expand existing sites at Tynehead Regional Park and Campbell Valley Regional Park in Surrey.
Camp site expansions in Metro Vancouver could provide some relief to the provincial parks system, which is inundated with demand for spaces.
BC Parks has added more than 2,000 campsites since 2017, 500 of which are in city-proximate locations such as Squamish, Chilliwack, and Maple Ridge. Even at that, reservations for peak times such as the May long weekend are fully booked within minutes of being available. BC Parks recorded 420,000 camp site reservations in 2024.