Get ready to reserve your camping spots in B.C.

For those who want to get started on camping season, mark your calendars and get ready.
As of 7 a.m. on Jan. 3, BC Parks’ campsites will be open for reservations.

A provincial news release states people can now book a site four months ahead of time, up from the previous two-month booking window.

A list of campground operating and reservable dates can be found online.

“Through our ongoing visitor engagement, we’ve heard the majority of campers prefer a four-month rolling window, allowing people to book a site well in advance of their visit,” said Enviroment and Climate Change Minister George Heyman in the news release. “We will continue to listen to public feedback so we can improve people’s park experiences, and everyone can easily access the many beautiful parks and backcountry areas our province has to offer.”

The announcement said there would be more choices available.

More campgrounds are being added to the new reservation service for the 2023 season, including Gwillim Lake Park near Chetwynd, Yahk Park near the Kingsgate border crossing and Allison Lake Park near Princeton, the release said. All these campgrounds will maintain a balance of reservable and first-come-first-served sites.

Some popular items already have reservations open.

As of Dec. 1, bookings were open for the entire 2023 season for Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit in Bowron Lake Provincial Park.

People need to be prepared and self-sufficient for this backcountry experience that involves 116 kilometres of paddling across 10 lakes with several portages that require transporting canoes and gear over land.

However, some areas will not be as available as park enthusiasts may hope.

According to the release, most of the 23-kilometre Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park will remain closed for the 2023 season, except for 14 sites at the Kinney Lake Campground. Located seven kilometres from the parking lot, Kinney Lake will open for reservations on a four-month rolling window at 7 a.m. on Feb. 27, 2023. The rest of the trail, damaged by extreme weather in 2021, remains closed for repairs.

More than 317,000 reservations were made on the new BC Parks reservation service for the 2022 season – an increase of 26.5% since 2019.

Find out more on the BC Parks website.