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

The mountain is a wilderness destination popular for many outdoor activities. Some of the activities enjoyed include mountan biking, hiking, hang gliding and sightseeing. Mountain bikers and hikers will enjoy the rough trails and wilderness environment. Bikers will particularly enjoy ...

Mount Prevost Road.

Duncan

Paul Lake Provinical Park is only a half hour drive northeast of Kamloops, B.C., Canada in the Thompson-Shuswap region of British Columbia, Canada. This park features a beautiful blue lake, a 7 kilometre hiking trail, a campground and a 400 metre white sandy beach.

Pinantan Rd

Kamloops

Heritage River Trails follow the shores of the Nechako and Fraser Rivers and is popular for connecting to parks and walking , jogging, biking and sightseeing.

River Road

Prince George

Swansea Mountain is a hang gliding hot spot with 3 launch sites. For those who do not like to jump off mountains, Swansea is also the place to access to enjoy some far reaching views over looking the Columbia Valley.

Swansea Mountain Road

Invermere

Kimberley Nature Park is one of the largest multi-use municipal parks in Canada that falls within the city limits of a community. The large 800 hectare (1800 acres) nature park is located in the community Kimberley, BC in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada.

Swan Avenue

Kimberley

The 142 hectare Sargeant Bay Provincial Park was designated as a protected area because of the fragile coastline ecology of the area including the exposed marine life at low tide, the rocky headlands and the forested uplands area.

Redrooffs Road

Halfmoon Bay

The 8 square kilometres (3 square miles) Keats Island is a hiking, biking, kayaking and boating rural island with many hidden bays for moorage and hiking trails to explore.

Gibsons

Lac Le Jeune Provincial Park is an activity & campground destination because of the beautiful lakes in the area and the massive network of hiking and cross country skiing trails spread out across the region. The popular provincial park was first designated a park in 1956

Lac Le Jeune Road

Kamloops

Carpenter Lake is 55 kilometres long extending from the Village of Gold Bridge on the western most point of the lake to the Terzaghi Dam on the eastern most point.

Mission Mountain Road

Gold Bridge

The moderate grade hiking route leads uphill to a viewpoint on a bluff with spanning views of the valley below.

Pineridge Street

Fort St. James

The trail is moist and is made of mostly hard packed earth. In the spring and fall months the trail is muddy and could be washed out in areas near the creek. Much of the trail weaves in and out of the trees, stepping over roots and side stepping deadfall.

Sandspit

The park is a garden park and walking destination measuring over 13 hectares. The park is not developed with many amenities but it has grown naturally surrounded by groves of trees, flower gardens, a waterfall and pond... and there are walking paths for exploring.

Jamieson Court

New Westminster

Wide open sandy, pebbled beaches spilling over with driftwood along the northern coastline of Graham Island. North Beach makes up a big portion of the 100s of kms of beaches available to explore in the Naikoon Provincial Park.

Masset

The pond is an easy access route used heavily by the locals. There are dog walkers, joggers and people, every day, out for a stroll on the Rod Reid Nature Trail.

9th Avenue.

Burns Lake

Fillongley Provincial Park is popular for many outdoor activities including hiking, picnicking, sightseeing, birdwatching, kayaking, camping and horseback riding.

Beadnell Road