Article & photos by Murphy Shewchuk

Nellie Lake

Low cost camping...
While the cost of setting up your tent or parking your RV has risen steadily over the past decade, it is nice to know that you can camp for a night or a fortnight in some of the most beautiful settings in British Columbia for free or a very reasonable fee. I am referring to BC Ministry of Forests recreation sites that are as close or as far from civilization as you care to get.

More than 1,200 Ministry of Forests recreation sites are located around British Columbia for the camping enjoyment of residents and visitors to the province. There are three types of recreation sites: managed with fees, managed without fees, and user maintained. The Ministry of Forests also offers an extensive network of trails for those wishing to experience BC's natural beauty.

In place since the early 1970s…
This is an innovative program that, in its original form, has been in place for nearly three decades. It is a part of the forest multi-use concept that has received more than lip-service. The Forest Service Recreation Site program was first conceived in 1970 by chief recreation officer Harry Marshall -- and implemented in 1972 after an intensive study.

Graffunder Lake

The initial concept was to develop wilderness sites already discovered and being used by outdoor recreationists. They could then be made more accessible and acceptable to the public by improving roads and installing toilets and tables. The program, since its beginning, has been both reactive and minimalist.

If you haven't heard about the free or low-cost campsites in approximately 1200 recreation sites dispersed throughout the province, it's because the Forest Service doesn't have the budget (or manpower) to tell you. They do, however, maintain an excellent website that offers information, locations and maps to the Miinistry of Forest Recreation sites. http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/rec/rec.htm

Out of the way hideaways…
Access varies from a short gravel road off a main highway to a rutted track requiring a four-wheel-drive vehicle. It may even be a hiking trail carved through a forest or into a mountain.

The setting at the end of the road or trail can be anything from a tiny lake to an alpine meadow or a quiet stream nestled deep in the forest.

Low (No?) budget…
Services range from basic to none -- you get what you pay for.

Humamilt Lake

Unlike the British Columbia provincial parks system, which also had its origins in the Forest Service, the Recreation Sites program generally remains low-profile and low-budget. (Note that the Forest Service uses the term "Recreation Site" to describe what may otherwise be called a campground, partly because some of them serve many purposes other than "camping".)

There are no nature talks, elaborate displays, change-houses or sophisticated facilities.

Outdoor toilets, usually simple structures pre-fabricated from plywood, serve the recreation site.

Tables, often assembled on-site from logs and heavy planks, and a fire pit made from a section of pipe or a truck wheel rim make up the basic "VU" or "vehicle unit" as the Forest Service calls them.

Hewers of wood and drawers of water…
Tested drinking water and cut firewood are usually unavailable.

You should bring your own drinking water or a good water purification system. Remember that cattle and wildlife also use British Columbia's lakes and streams.

As many of the sites are "forest" related, firewood may be available at nearby logging waste piles, but you will have to have your own saw or axe. (Cutting live trees is an absolute no-no.)

Kane Valley

It may also be wise to get a firewood cutting permit from the Forest Service office.

Also because these sites are often forest related and unsupervised, campfire bans may be imposed during the hot, dry summer months as has been the case in recent years.

Pack it in and pack it out…
Many Forest Service recreation sites do not even have a garbage can for your refuse. Be prepared to pack out everything you bring in.

Unfortunately, there are some to whom the concept of cleaning up after themselves is foreign. These people do not seem to realize that the mess they leave behind could still be there when they return for their next visit.

Province-wide fees introduced in 1999…

In the past, scheduled maintenance was often limited to a weekly cleanup. However, budget cuts at the start of the 1998 season eliminated the routine cleanup altogether in some districts. The results were not pretty. The extensive use took its toll on facilities and by the end of the summer of 1998 discussions were underway regarding a user-pay scheme to finance more and better maintenance. In 1999, a camping pass was initiated for all overnight camping.

This annual pass program has since been discontinued with user fees currently only applying to certain recreation sites, while the majority of sites are free.

Three Types of Recreation Sites . . .

Managed With Fees - These are managed through partnership agreements. Partners managing recreation sites and trails include recreation groups, community organizations, First Nations, private citizens, local governments and forest companies. Camping fees are charged to pay for the services provided by the agreement holder. Services may include supervision, daily maintenane and facility/structure maintenance. The agreement holder collects the fees on site and retains the fees to offset the cost of services provided at the site. For current fees visit the Ministry of Forst Website: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/rec/categories.htm.

Managed Without Fees - These are managed through partnership agreements or other means. No fees are charged for the services provided because the agreement holder has alternative ways of covering the costs (e.g., volunteers).

User Maintained - Camping is free, but users provide the majority of upkeep at the site. Campers are asked to respect the forest environment and pack out whatever they pack in. The ministry will pump toilets, remove hazard trees and replace signs and other structures where necessary. Structures and access will not be removed unless there are significant ongoing public safety hazards or environmental concerns.

Knight Lake

All recreation sites are on a first-come first-served basis. There is no reservation and there are no camping passes.

Limited services not necessarily a detriment…
Judging by the popularity of Forest Service Recreation sites, thousands of recreationists appear to like the concept of low-budget, low-service camping.

The overnight sites throughout the province vary considerably in size, ranging from two or three to thirty or more vehicle-units.

Other activities, too…
British Columbia Forest Service recreation site users are also part of the growing group who enjoy wilderness exploration, hiking, fishing, cross-country skiing and a host of other outdoor activities.

In addition to camping, the Forest Service recreation sites also support hiking and skiing with over 3000 kilometres of marked and developed trails in more than 600 trail systems province-wide.

The growing interest in cross-country skiing has prompted a more active approach to this aspect of recreation management. In conjunction with various federal and provincial work programs and local cross-country ski clubs, trail clearing and development has resulted in considerable improvement to public facilities for this sport.

Some restrictions apply…
The Forest Service has imposed some restrictions to make everyone's stay as pleasant as possible. Among other things, rules prohibit the discharge of firearms, restrict the amount of noise you should create and limit your stay to 14 consecutive days. All of the rules are aimed at restricting activities that are "detrimental to or incompatible with the enjoyment of the recreation site or trail by others."

If you think it's time you left the concrete and the crowds, check the Miinistry of Forest Recreation Website: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/rec/rec.htm. Then make your next vacation destination a BC Forest Service Recreation Site.

Copyright © 2005  Murphy O. Shewchuk      murphy@sonotek.com

Other articles by Murphy Shewchuk in the BC Adventure Network

Campgrounds & RV Parks Directory View a list of private campgrounds and RV parks offering camping facilities in various regions of British Columbia. Camping in British Columbia More info on camping in BC.

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