Know before you go Camping in British Columbia

Travel Tips

BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association (www.travel-british-columbia.com) provides links to updates about wildfires, environmental hazards, driving conditions and park/recreational resources to help you plan a fun and informed trip.

Campers should regularly check official sources of information, such as the BC Wildfire Service and DriveBC, both before and during their trips.

Campers are encouraged to consult with the campground operator and the local Visitor Centre in the communities they plan to visit for real-time, on-the-ground updates.

IMPORTANT UPDATES

  • Prolonged hot and dry conditions can contribute to wildfire activity, which is currently affecting certain areas in British Columbia. Be sure to monitor official information sources (listed below) regularly, both before and during your trip, to make informed travel decisions.
  • Campfire bans are in place in some regions of British Columbia—learn more about current bans and restrictions here.
  • Visitors are encouraged to download the Alertable App and enable notifications, to receive real-time local alerts, such as road closures and evacuation updates, directly to their mobile devices.

ITEMS AND SAFETY

PLEASE CAMP RESPONSIBLY. FOLLOW THE Camper’s Code take the pledge.

CAMPFIRES:  Parts of British Columbia are experiencing drought conditions, so please check out the latest fire bans and restrictions.

SMOKE CONDITIONS: Smoke conditions across the province can change hourly. Check the Air Quality Health Index for real-time updates from across BC.

WILDFIRES:  Wildfires of Note – To report a wildfire (dial *5555 on a cell phone or call toll free 1-800-663-5555). During the summer, stretches of hot, dry weather can lead to increased wildfire risk throughout the province. Make sure you take the necessary steps to prevent and report wildfires.

Wildfire safety and prevention is all our responsibilities as climate change is causing wildfires to be bigger, hotter, and more frequent learn how to be wildfire ready click here.

HIGHWAY CLOSURES AND CONSTRUCTION: Check Drive BC for an up-to-date list of the latest road closures, events and advisories.

ADVENTURE SMART: Heading outdoors? Leave a trip plan. AdventureSmart is a national program dedicated to encouraging Canadians and visitors to Canada to “Get informed and go outdoors”. AdventureSmart combines online and on-site awareness with targeted outreach in order to reduce the number and severity of Search and Rescue Incidents.

RECREATE RESPONSIBLY: If you like to play outdoors, adventure outdoors, and breathe in the beauty of the outdoors, it’s your responsibility—and the responsibility of every single human recreating outdoors—to do so responsibly all of the time. Outdoor recreation etiquette the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC.

BE TRAVEL AWARE

EMERGENCY INFO: Please visit Emergency Info BC for updated details on current emergencies including evacuation orders and alerts such as heat, wildfires and floods.

CHECK WEATHER CONDITIONS: British Columbia’s mountainous terrain means weather conditions can change rapidly within relatively short distances, and snowfall can happen any month in the higher-elevation mountain passes. Before heading out on the road, always check the current weather conditions along your planned journey. Drive for the conditions. If the weather is bad (i.e. snowfall warning along the Coquihalla), delay your drive until the weather and road conditions improve, or consider an alternate route or a different mode of transportation.

WINTER DRIVING: Winter tires are required on most designated highways in British Columbia from October 1 to March 31.  For select highways, including mountain passes and rural routes in high snowfall areas, the date is extended until April 30 to account for early spring snowfall. These highways are marked with regulatory signs. ShiftintoWinter.ca

KEY TRAVEL RESOURCES

Check BC Wildfire Service for wildfires of note, fire bans and restrictions.

Check DriveBC.ca for major road events such as delays, closures, and suggested detours:

River Forecast Centre analyses snowpack, assesses seasonal water supply and flood risk, and predicts flows in British Columbia’s rivers and streams:

PARKS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATED CAMPGROUNDS

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO – TRAVEL RESOURCES