Vanlife: Free-camping or campsites in BC?
When I am doing my walkthroughs with my renters before they embark on their trips, I often get asked “should we book campsites or can we find nice places to park for free?”. This is a tricky question and requires some extra thought, especially coming from an owner of a campervan rental company LOL. There are many factors to consider but most notable are road-trip destinations/locations, amenities and aesthetic, and comfort levels with uncertainty. I will also mention some resources that you can use to find free camping and campsite locations.
Pillar Point. I stayed overnight here in Washington state with Fred. This was in December! :)
Destinations + Locations
This is potentially the biggest factor in answering the question at hand! Popular destinations like Tofino, Jasper, Banff, and Whistler are some examples of places where it may be difficult to find great free-camping locations. Municipal regulations limit parking. Because so many tourists pass through the area, locals are often overwhelmed and thus many “No overnight parking” signs will be displayed. So given the popularity of the destination it can be hard to find a spot to park your campervan for the night. There are exceptions, but if you venture to these places and want to secure a lovely parking spot without driving all over town, its best to book a campsite.
Now, although I usually endorse booking campsites in almost every scenario just to ensure renters are at secure locations and have a good time, this doesn’t always encapsulate what “vanlife” represents! Especially in towns that are less known for their tourist attractions, it can be much easier to find a nice spot to park for the night! It is recommended to avoid residential locations as you don’t want to upset any local residents! If you are staying multiple nights at a given town/city, campsites are usually better, but often times a 1 night stop is fine.
A campground in Tofino! Hard to find a free-camping spot like this!
Amenities and Aesthetic
Depending on where you are, you may find an incredible free-camping location with incredible views or it might end up being at Wal-Mart parking lot! Sometimes you don’t always luck out with super nice spots that are Instagram worthy, and that’s part of the reason I recommend booking campsites ahead of time. Obviously, free-camping is FREE, but it can pay to have a little bit more of a tidy, aesthetically pleasing parking spot for the night. Especially in destinations that are incredibly beautiful, you probably want to make the most out of your surroundings. Campsites are usually your best bet for this.
Another thing to consider is amenities. Although Q Campervans are essentially self-sufficient and don’t really require many of the things campsites offer, it can be handy to have extra options. Q Campervans can essentially be at every campsite around because of the vans size and classification (20 feet and 7’3” tall). Sites will often have showers, bathrooms, fire-pits, picnic tables, and a head office to ask for information about local attractions and advice.
Sometimes you are able to find beautiful pull-outs like this!
Comfort with Uncertainty
Lastly, the decision to book campsites or free-camp, can be based on your sense of adventure and comfort level with uncertainty. If you park in a spot that is free but aren’t certain you can be there overnight, there is a chance that authorities will come check on you or even worse tow/ticket you. Residents and businesses can get upset with your choice of parking for the night and call these officials. These costs may be unpleasant! Furthermore, driving around looking for a nice spot may take longer than you expect. It can be a strange feeling parking somewhere and not really feeling like you belong in that spot! So again, I always recommend staying at campsites. It will bring certainty for where you are parking for the night, though I understand that vanlife is also about the adventure of finding cool spots to park!
Resources
Here are some resources that can help you find information ahead of time on campsites and free-camping locations for your trip!
Free Camping resources:
Harvest Hosts- More popular for finding awesome spots in the USA, but still is valuable resource for Canada, especially for untraditional locations!
IOverlander- widely used across North America for vanlife and overlanding. Note: that Q Campervans are not off-roading vehicles and are not permitted to be treated as such.
FreeCampsites- the name says it all.
Camping resources:
National Campgrounds- Use to book national park campgrounds in Canada.
Provincial Campgrounds- Use to book BC provincial park campsites.
