Backcountry campers in Garibaldi Park, Joffre Lakes Park, Golden Ears Park, and Mount Assiniboine will pay an average of $13.62 more per night. The Ministry of Environment and Parks announced today that fees will now range from $17 to $25 per night, depending on the park.
Fees will also rise in 59 high-demand frontcountry parks including Alice Lake and Porteau Cove Parks. The nightly cost will rise by an average of 40 cents during the shoulder season and $13.29 during the summer. The average nightly rates in the shoulder season and summer are now $30.81 and $42.91 respectively.
Non-B.C. residents, who account for 15 per cent of visitors, will also pay an additional $20 flat rate for staying in frontcountry campgrounds, trips to backcountry parks, renting a cabin and using mooring buoys and docks starting on May 15, 2026.
The Ministry of Environment and Parks said these fee increases are necessary to upkeep BC park sites, which have seen 30 per cent more visitors in the last six years, and now average over 27 million visitors a year. Nearly half of all frontcountry campers visit the 59 campgrounds receiving fee hikes. Visitors to these parks went up an average of 40 per cent over the past decade.
Since 2017, the province has invested approximately $200 million into campground expansions, accessibility improvements and upgrades to trails, parking and facilities to keep up with demand.
But, strain on park infrastructure has been compounded by extreme weather events. The government spent an additional $27 million repairing infrastructure damaged by floods and wildfires.
“By renewing the parks and recreation system, we are creating a more sustainable operating model that strengthens stewardship and long-term protections of the natural spaces people cherish,” said Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks.
