BC Parks adds non-resident surcharge and raises camping fee ceilings

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

BC Parks has updated its recreation user fee rules in two key ways. First, people who are not British Columbia residents must now pay an additional fee — ranging from $5 to $30 — on top of standard rates when using frontcountry or backcountry campsites, group campsites, group picnic sites, cabin rentals, docking facilities, and mooring buoys. Second, the upper end of the standard fee range for frontcountry camping has risen from $35 to $51 per party or vessel per use, and for backcountry camping from $10 to $25 per person or campsite per use. The definition of 'senior' has also been updated to refer to a 'resident of British Columbia' instead of 'resident of the Province.' Two items in the fixed-fee schedule (Table 2) have been removed. Operators running group or docking services in BC Parks, and non-resident visitors, should review whether their pricing and booking processes reflect the new fee structure.

Who this affects: non-resident park visitors · BC residents using provincial parks · operators of group campsites and group picnic sites · marina and docking facility operators in BC Parks · cabin rental operators in BC Parks