British Columbia Parks and Trails

Planning adventures in our British Columbia Parks and Trails

Parks, hiking trails, historic sites, heritage sites, rivers, lakes and natural areas in BC Canada

British Columbia parks and trails in Canada covers every type of landscape and seascape including mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, glaciers, forests, wetlands, wildlife, ecological and heritage. All play a big part in the creation of our BC parks system. Some of our BC Parks and heritage trails tells the long history of Canada. Others are for protection of wildlife, floral and fauna. Then there are those strictly designed for adventures and leisure living outdoors. There are over 11,400,000 hectares of BC parkland in Canada with over 2,700 kilometres of hiking and mountain biking trails.

British Columbia Parks & Trails

Over 800+ BC Parks in the province

There are over 800 or so British Columbia parks in Canada. This, by no means, is the total number of wilderness and recreation parks in British Columbia, Canada as there are many others that do not fall under the Provincial umbrella. Other parks in the province includes a few National parks and many smaller community, regional, hyro and forestry recreation parks located throughout the province. Only 12.5% of our province is protected by BC Parks and 0.6% is protected by National Parks.

Provincial & National Parks

Provincial & National Parks

Provincial and National Parks are the most popular parks in the province. Some of the BC parks are very well developed with day use areas, amphitheaters, museums, parking lots, campgrounds, boat launches, showers and washrooms. Then there are others, generally more rural, that are left in their natural state.

Many of the Provincial and National parks in British Columbia include access to very popular Canadian outdoor activities including backpacking, boating, water skiiing, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding plus camping. There are 340 Provincial Parks with campgrounds (11,075 campsites) in British Columbia. Many have a "pay to use" format in place. Here is a list of all the activities popular in our BC Parks system.

Community & Regional Parks

Community & Regional Parks

Community and Regional Parks are, relatively a lot smaller than Provincial and National Parks. Many are located near communities and include such items as picnic tables, sitting benches, playgrounds, band stands, paved walking trails, flower gardens, skateboard parks, viewpoints, washrooms, museums, swimming, and/or info boards. It is important to read our information pages on each park for the available amenties.

Forestry Recreation Sites

Forestry Recreation Sites

Forestry Recreation Sites are the most rural and remote British Columbia park destinations. They are often located on rough gravel roads leading deep into the backcountry to rivers and lakes. The British Columbia parks and recreation sites are more campsite than park with no power, pit toilets and sometimes a gravel boat launch but more often a roof top boat launch. Forestry Recreation Sites are self maintained. Please leave no trace behind. Pack out what you pack in! Under each community on this website is a list of all the parks in the region.

British Columbia Parks and Trails in Canada Summary

British Columbia parks and trails are used for many occasions and activities. The Khutzeymateen Provincial Park is Canada's only grizzly bear sanctuary. The Tweedsmuir Provincial Park is British Columbia's largest provincial park covering 989,616 hectares. On Vancouver Island the 440 metre Della Falls in Strathcona Park is Canada's highest waterfall and is one of the ten highest falls in the world!

Parks are an important part of our province providing thousands an opportunity to enjoy the wilderness outdoors. It is said 6 out of 10 people living in BC visit a park every year.

The British Columbia parks and recreation sites are here for yours and our tourism enjoyment. Please help us care for them and respect them. Do not leave garbage behind. Do not feed the wildlife. Always ask questions on the services, amenities, fees and rules to live by when in the park.

British Columbia Parks and Trails in Canada

Click the BC Regions below to view parks, trails and places in that area.

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Parks and Trails

Gulf Islands

Gulf Islands Parks and Trails

Haida Gwaii

Haida Gwaii Parks and Trails

Kootenay

Kootenay Parks and Trails

Lower Mainland

Lower Mainland Parks and Trails

North BC

North BC Parks and Trails

Okanagan

Okanagan Parks and Trails

Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast Parks and Trails

Thompson Shuswap

Thompson Shuswap Parks and Trails

Ashcroft,Cache Creek,Clearwater,Kamloops,Logan Lake,Merritt

Vancouver Island

Whistler Area

Whistler Region Parks and Trails

Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park is a sightseeing waterfall destination located east of the community of Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. The park is a destination popular for picnicking, sightseeing and walking.

Popkum Road

Chilliwack

Sicamous Riverfront Nature Park is located next to Shuswap Lake in the community of Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada. The easy grade walking and hiking trails meander through a forest following the shores of Eagle River.

Silver Sands Road

Sicamous

Kimpton Creek Trail is a 7 km hiking trail exploring second growth forests and a river eco system in the Kootenay National Park near the Town of Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada.

Highway 93

Radium Hot Springs

The park is best known for the many chainsaw wood carvings on display in the park. Every year the community holds a chainsaw carving competition. Many of the finished pieces are left on display in the park for viewing. The park is also central to the very popular Seawalk Pathway.

Campbell River

Alki Creek Trail is a challenging hiking trail, loaded with alpine scenery, located north of St. Mary Lake near Marysville which is west of the community of Kimberly, BC in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada.

St Mary's Lake Road

Kimberley

The park was the original site of Fort Langley, during the early 1800s. Today it is a recreation destination and historic site located on the banks of the Fraser River with hiking trails, horseback riding trails, equestrian facilities, historic sites and a campground.

Allard Crescent

Langley

Kin Park is a small ocean beach park located in the community of Chemainus, BC on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The ocean park is a popular spot for beachcombing, sightseeing, picnicking, swimming and for launching a boat so to access one of the nearby islands.

Maple Street

Chemainus

Gold Bridge, BC, Canada near Lillooet, Cariboo-Chilcotin Region, British Columbia is a small village wedged in between Downton and Carpenter Lakes in the Bridge River Valley region.

Blackwater Lake near Pemberton, British Columbia, Canada is a small remote lake nestled in the forest that is located north of Pemberton and east of the community of D'Arcy, BC. The lake is mainly used as a swimming and fishing hole. There are some who stop by for a picnic.

Blackwater Lake Rd

Pemberton

Like many people in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Chinese arrived in Lillooet in hopes of striking gold... and some did. During the prospecting phase the Chinese would place discarded stones in piles, sometimes reaching 12 feet tall.

Russell Lane

Lillooet

The park is an ideal moorage destination for boaters as it is protected from the elements and enables boaters to wait out any rough weather. Ocean kayakers also can enjoy the coastline of this park.

A 2 kilometre one-way path (4 kilometres return trip) leading to a series of river pools and dinosaur tracks. The hike follows a pine needle cushioned trail along a ridge, into a forest and out to three pools - The Cabin, Overehanging Rock and Top Pools.

Mackenzie Way

Tumbler Ridge

The park centres around a large paved boat launch that provides access to the Nechako River for boaters and canoers. Dissecting the park is a community walking path known as the Heritage River Trail.

River Road

Prince George

Deas Island Regional Park is a sightseeing destination, historic site near the community of Delta in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Deas Island Road

Delta

Little beach is a private pebbled beach hidden away in a small cove surrounded by a few waterfront homes, towering cliffs, high banked shrubbery and dwarfed trees.

Peninsula Rd

Ucluelet