Here's how to book a B.C. campsite in 2023

B.C. doctors can prescribe park passes Parks Canada has partnered with several provinces to let doctors prescribe free park passes for exercise and to treat different conditions.

Anyone looking to book a provincial campsite in British Columbia next year should mark Jan. 3, 2023, on their calendars.

That's when the provincial government says it will begin taking reservations for campsites across the province.

The reservations are scheduled to open at 7 a.m. and will allow campers to book a site four months ahead of their planned arrival date.

NEW ADDITIONS

The province is also adding new campgrounds to its reservation system, including Gwillim Lake Provincial Park near Chetwynd, Allison Lake Provincial Park near Princeton, and Yahk Provincial Park near Creston.

The province says these campgrounds will offer both reservable and first-come-first-served sites.

The four-month advance booking system is an extension of the two-month window of years past.

"Through our ongoing visitor engagement, we’ve heard the majority of campers prefer a four-month rolling window, allowing people to book a site well in advance of their visit," Environment Minister George Heyman said in a release Tuesday.

BOWRON LAKE AND MOUNT ROBSON

Reservations for the popular Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit in Bowron Lake Provincial Park, near Prince George, will open for the entire 2023 season at 7 a.m. on Dec. 1. However, the province warns that paddlers should be experienced and prepared for this 116-kilometre canoe excursion that requires several portages.

The Environment Ministry says most of the 23-kilometre Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park will remain closed for the 2023 season, except for 14 sites at the Kinney Lake campground.

Kinney Lake will open for reservations on a four-month rolling window at 7 a.m. on Feb. 1, 2023. The rest of the trail, which was damaged by extreme weather in 2021, will remain closed for repairs.

HOW TO BOOK

Launched in March, the new BC Parks reservation service is part of an ongoing effort to improve visitors' experiences, the province says.

More than 317,000 reservations were made on the new BC Parks reservation service for the 2022 season, an increase of 26.5 per cent since 2019, according to the ministry.

There are more than 10,000 reservable day-use and overnight accommodations available through the reservation system. Approximately half are still available on a first-come-first-served basis.

A complete list of campgrounds and reservable dates can be found on the BC Parks site.