Vancouver Island Campgrounds
Vancouver Island campgrounds are ideal places to escape the frenzy of modern life, marvel at the beauty of nature, and seek tranquility and rejuvenation.
Fully 450 km (280 mi) long, this is North America's largest Pacific Island. So you might find it helpful to mentally divide it in half.
If you visit east coast Vancouver Island campgrounds, you'll find a peaceful region of forests, farms and lakes. It's punctuated with beaches, villages and the provincial capital, Victoria.
If you visit west coast Vancouver Island campgrounds, you'll enter a rugged land slashed by fiords, bounded by mountains, and dotted with logging and fishing communities.
Many Vancouver Island campgrounds are on or near the ocean, so they afford views of the Coast or Olympic mountain ranges. Possible activities include beachcombing, swimming, surfing, fishing, sea kayaking, and sunset admiring.
Other Vancouver Island campgrounds are beside lakes and rivers, where you'll be sheltered by forest and soothed by gentle water music. Possible activities include hiking, canoeing, fishing, swimming, and mountain biking.
You're visiting from the Mainland? You'll find the most convenient Vancouver Island campgrounds in the Island's south and central regions, from Victoria to Campbell River. Some are within a 30-minute drive of the ferry terminal.
You intend to thoroughly explore the Island? Continue north, toward Port Hardy and Cape Scott, or west toward Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park, where you'll find rugged headlands, wild, windswept shores, and where camping feels more adventurous.
The optimal time to visit Vancouver Island campgrounds is mid-May to early September. July and August are more crowded. May, June, September and October are more peaceful.
Go to http://www.hikingcamping.com/camp-free-bc.php to learn about Camp Free in B.C. It's a unique book offering precise directions to hundreds of free campgrounds throughout British Columbia, including those on Vancouver Island.