British Columbia

If you go to Washington to stock up and then want to re-enter Canada, know that not all grocery items are permitted across the border. Crossing into B.C., many fruits and vegetables are not permitted and may be confiscated at the border. Sometimes some meats are also not permitted. So it might be best to just buy in Canada and then not have to worry about that. The price difference might be offset by the cost of fuel anyway.

For us, the term "drycamping" is overnighting in an area set up for parking or camping but without hookups. This could be a gov't campground or a rest area along the highway. "Boondocking" is drycamping but in a spot not typically used for camping or parking, maybe down an old, narrow road, lakeside in the bush.

Boondocking:

SideHillSoup wrote:
Places you can't " boondock" are in any provincial or national park. There are lots of places beside a hwy or up a logging road that is just fine, ...... I know in the are around where we live there are lots of places beside the Hwy that a person could pull over and park for the night however your right beside a Hwy.

Soup

Thanks again Soup. Unfortunately our contract does not allow us on the logging roads, and what you said about places beside the highway is just what our son told us. Here we have lots of "B" roads, where some of the laybys are ideal for wild camping.

fanrgs wrote:
Casinos are also a good bet for dry camping (to me, boondocking means being in the "boondocks"; "dry camping" is what we do in a Walmart parking lot or, in the U.S., most Forest Service campgrounds)......

Thanks for the information, fanrgs. Apologies for misunderstanding "boondocking". In Scotland we refer to "wildcamping" but this too is a misnomer as wildcamping is really for people who walk into the hills with tents to camp:? Could you tell me what boondocks are as it is not a word we know in UK? Then I will understand the difference, and us the correct terrminology:o
Freecampsites.net looks really useful. Thanks.

Mootpoint wrote:
"(Vancouver Island, Sunshine coast, Squamish,etc "

You can spend 2 months just doing those areas. I have lived on Vancouver Island for 62 years, Rv'ing it for 45 years and still haven't seen it all.

Unfortunately we only have 3 weeks:( and we want to see other areas of BC as well.

whywait wrote:
Welcome! Here in Delta, we are host to most people who fly in and pick up their RV from the several local rental businesses. I would just like to warn you not to even consider staying at the campground here in Tsawwassen - It's called Park Canada. I'm always horrified when I see people from who-knows-where headed towards the campground in their freshly-rented RVs. The place is DISGUSTING!! Heaven forbid you should spend your first night on the BC road camping in that place. Please, do yourselves a favour and avoid Park Canada like you'd avoid the plague.

Thanks, too, whywait. This is probably just as useful as any of the other posts. We hope to get to either the Sunshine coast, or if the weather is not so good, up the sea to Sky highway for our first night (unless we go to WA to stock up as I believe it is considerably less expensive to buy our groceries there.

Does anyone have any other campgrounds or places the would not recommend?

Welcome! Here in Delta, we are host to most people who fly in and pick up their RV from the several local rental businesses. I would just like to warn you not to even consider staying at the campground here in Tsawwassen - It's called Park Canada. I'm always horrified when I see people from who-knows-where headed towards the campground in their freshly-rented RVs. The place is DISGUSTING!! Heaven forbid you should spend your first night on the BC road camping in that place. Please, do yourselves a favour and avoid Park Canada like you'd avoid the plague.

"(Vancouver Island, Sunshine coast, Squamish,etc "

You can spend 2 months just doing those areas. I have lived on Vancouver Island for 62 years, Rv'ing it for 45 years and still haven't seen it all.

Casinos are also a good bet for dry camping (to me, boondocking means being in the "boondocks"; "dry camping" is what we do in a Walmart parking lot or, in the U.S., most Forest Service campgrounds). The casino in Prince George always had a dozen or more motorhomes and big fifth wheel trailers camped in the outer rows of its parking lot last summer.

We also saw some Canadian Tire stores that allowed parking lot camping. And the entire Walmart-Safeway mall in Hinton, Alberta (just outside Jasper NP) allows camping in its parking lot and has great free WiFi inside the mall.

Also, check out city parks in the small towns in BC and Alberta. The lakeside park in Burns Lake, BC, on the Yellowhead Highway was free and had potable water and a free dump two blocks away. Milk River and Hythe, Alberta, had very nice, inexpensive city park campgrounds with electricity and water and a sanidump or even full-hookups for slightly more cost.

Also, check here: Free campsites, then click on BC and Alberta.

Places you can't " boondock" are in any provincial or national park. There are lots of places beside a hwy or up a logging road that is just fine, however on active logging roads your going to have company in the way of logging trucks going back and forth as well as all the people and equipment that go with them. Plus if you don't have a 2-way radio with the logging truck frequency that they are using your going to most likely meet up with a loaded logging truck thundering down the road coming right at you. Active logging roads have large signs at the start of the road that will identify the frequency that you should monitor when on the roads.
I know in the are around where we live there are lots of places beside the Hwy that a person could pull over and park for the night however your right beside a Hwy.

Here is a good link to safe traveling on logging roads
Logging road safety tips
Soup

ejfranz wrote:
Not what I consider boondocking, but Walmarts do let you stay in their parking lots. In Penticton I see lots of RVs even though the City tried to ban it.

Nor me! But I was getting worried about the cost of sites and the fact I was being told over here (UK) that it is illegal! Thanks to qtla9111 I doubt if we will be in a store lot!

Home Depot in BC is very friendly and we boondocked in many cities. They have great wifi accessible from the parking lot or your rv. Walmart was good and we found one with electric in Weyburn, SK. Many options for boondockinging in BC. You won't have any problems.

In fact, it would be fair to say you won't pay for a single night.

Not what I consider boondocking, but Walmarts do let you stay in their parking lots. In Penticton I see lots of RVs even though the City tried to ban it.

qhor wrote:
We are not real familiar with boondocking in B.C., but have had good luck with some of the larger "box" stores as well as restaurants (after you have stopped for a late snack).
We are joining "Boondocker Welecome" for our trip west this fall. Check out the website; it may serve you well.
Good luck
Barry

Thanks, Barry that's just the sort of website I have been looking for. Not a huge number in BC, but I am sure we will use some of them.