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

Vancouver Island

Whistler Area

Whistler Region Parks and Trails

Deer Lake Park is a recreation destination during the summer months and a year-round cultural destination for artistic facilities in Burnaby, BC, Canada.

Spirling Road

Nearby Community: Burnaby

Doukhobor Discovery Centre is a cultural museum, open to the public, located in the community of Castlegar, B.C., Canada. The museum is a reconstructed village depicting the lifestyle of the Doukhobor people in the early 1900s. The Doukhobors were some of the first settlers in the Kootenay Valley.

Nearby Community: Castlegar

The pebbled beach is a popular destination for watching sunsets and sunrises, as well as, swimming and sightseeing.

Nearby Community: Van Anda

The mountain resort is a year round recreation destination. Hiking, mountain biking and exploring in the Summer. Skiing, snowboarding in the winter. This ski resort is known for it's deep powder.

Nearby Community: Courtenay

Seven Summits Ridge Trail is one of the more scenic, long-haul recreation trails situated in the mountains behind the community of Rossland, BC. The 31 kilometre trail is a sightseeing adventure in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada exploring mountain peaks and ridges.

Cascade Highway

Nearby Community: Rossland

A Haida Gwaii park includes sandy beaches, rolling sand dunes, forested old growth hiking trails, wetlands, bogs, rock cliffs, marine tidal pools, viewing look-outs, historical shipwrecks, forests populated with wildlife.

Highway 16

Nearby Community: Tlell

Fort Rodd Hill is a historic attractions and a National Historic Site of Canada located in Victoria, British Columbia, (B.C.), Canada on Vancouver Island.

603 Fort Rodd Hill Road

Nearby Community: Victoria

Brohm Lake is a small 13 hectare lake with a 5 Km (3 mi.) loop trail exploring the shoreline, the dense forest and some surrounding bluffs. Popular for hiking, mountain biking, swimming, sightseeing, canoeing, kayaking or fishing.

Nearby Community: Squamish

Glacier Gulch Trail in Smithers, British Columbia, Canada can be a muddy, steep hiking experience navigating rock cliffs and the muddy slopes up to the glacier on Hudson Bay Mountain. From the glacier, the views open right up looking out over the surrounding valley and providing views of Hudson Bay

Glacier Gulch Road

Nearby Community: Smithers

Spotted Lake is an environmental anomaly located in the Okanagan Valley near the community of Osoyoos, BC, Canada. The lake has a long history with the local First Nation People.

Highway #3

Nearby Community: Osoyoos

Stake Lake is a wilderness recreation destination located southwest of Kamloops , British Columbia, Canada. It is a popular spot for hiking, mountain biking, fishing and nordic skiing. Although, it is important to note that the Stake Lake region is designed to cater to the nordic skiing crowds dur

Lac Le Jeune Road

Nearby Community: Kamloops

The park is situated around a natural rock pier protruding out from the shoreline. There is a pathway leading out to the point for a grand view of the coastline

Nearby Community: Roberts Creek

The forested 3.5 kilometre trail follows the same route traveled by the early surveyors when planning out the railway line for the railroad companies. The trail leads to views of the Fraser River.

Guay Road

Nearby Community: Prince George

Chesterman Beach is one of the longer, larger sandy beach attractions close to the community of Tofino, BC on Vancouver Island, Canada. It is not one of the beaches within the Pacific Rim National Park, but might as well be.

Chesterman Road

Nearby Community: Tofino

Smugglers Cove Marine Park is accessed by both water and land. This Sunshine Coast park draws many boaters and sightseers every year to the protected cove. This park is ideal for hiking, swimming, kayaking and picnicking.

Nearby Community: Halfmoon Bay