I've read that in Alaska any pullout that is not posted no camping is OK to spend the night at. Assuming this is true, is it the same case for BC an YT? I've done this a few times in Alaska but I never knew if it was OK or I was just lucky.

There many campgrounds along the Alaska Hwy along with some good pull offs.Get your Alaska Milepost, go through it slowly with marker to identify them.

I can drive all week here in BC and always find a camp spot. The rest areas are plentiful and there are lots of logging roads to find. If you can give a bit of a hint for routing, I, and no doubt others, will offer up some ideas.to start you off...http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/restareas/Gary Haupt

In Alaska, as far as I know overnight parking is still permitted along roadside turnouts, rest stops and parking areas along the highways unless otherwise posted.....It is also still the law in Alaska to pull off any roadway or highway and rest when any driver gets too fatigued or tired....In case any law enforcement officer should question or harp about parking overnight in some public domain spot, just use this excuse on them.In the past 10 years I noticed there are a lot more no overnight parking signs along the roadways in BC, and in the Yukon I now see many no overnight parking signs particularly on the Alaska Highway between Haines Junction and Teslin that never used to be there.However, you still see the practice of some travelers parking in these places overnight, especially semi truck drivers in the larger turnouts...and I have yet to this day witness seeing or hearing any enforcement done anywhere along the Haines, Klondike, Cassiar or Alaska Highways of people parking overnight in these roadside places.Anywhere along my travels of southern BC or southern Alberta (mainly Trans Can highway 16 and south of there), I never see anyone park overnight along those roadside areas with signs posted.Call me guilty, every now and then I will overnight along these roadside spots if I am too tired or it is just too dark if I am not too familiar with an area or any known hazards that are around such as wildlife migration, construction zones, etc.In these roadside spots with no one present (that I am not familiar with), I will decide by feel if I think it is ok to overnight or not, sometimes I will park there and other times I will move on.....In case I ever get questioned about it I would say I had mechanical issues or that a semi parked right in front of the sign as I never seen there was a no overnight parking sign present.So pretty much I can say I have yet to be contacted or bothered about parking overnight (with no overnight parking signs posted in Canada) along a roadside anywhere north of Trans Can highway 16...although I do not hardly ever as most of the time I can generally reach all my other familiar permitted spots between driving stretches.

In Yukon, the gov't campground are only $12 per night and include free firewood. No other services, other than good views, lake or creek front sites, good scenery, and the cleanest outhouses in the country. With the hours of daylight we have in summer, transport trucks run all night long and we prefer to get away from their noise.For us, this is well worth the $12 because you get further off the highway where it is quieter, and can enjoy a nice campfire. There's usually a trail or two for walking the dogs too, which is handy.Most of the campgrounds have picnic shelters too, with tables and firewood for the big wood stove. Nice place to sit around when the weather isn't so nice.

This past summer we over-nighted in pull offs in both BC and Yukon without problems.

Roadside Boondocking | Good Sam Community

31 Replies

explorenorth
Explorer
Mar 31, 2016
2gypsies wrote:
We absolutely loved the Canada and Yukon Provincial parks - much better than the Alaska state parks which weren't kept up at all.

Alaska's Williwaw (USFS) and Tangle Lakes (BLM) campgrounds in particular were both excellent last year.
FULLTIMEWANABE
Explorer
Mar 31, 2016
Johnny G1 wrote:
Greentreena wrote:
If I'm driving tired- I'm a road hazard in my opinion. I don't care what the signs say, I pull off and rest. No LEO if their right mind would tell an exhausted driver to get back on the road (unless you were in more danger by staying put).
X2 do it all the time when I am too tired to drive on, and your right, no law will force you back on the road.

Absolutely agree, can you imagine the law suits that would ensue!!!

In Wyoming for example where they have No Overnight signs everywhere (to enable them to enforce moving on those that try to set up a permanent type of camp we were told by a LEO), if you check on their rest area website they actually state to stay 6 to 8 hours if needed just don't put out your slides or look like you are camping.
Johnny_G1
Explorer
Mar 31, 2016
Greentreena wrote:
If I'm driving tired- I'm a road hazard in my opinion. I don't care what the signs say, I pull off and rest. No LEO if their right mind would tell an exhausted driver to get back on the road (unless you were in more danger by staying put).
X2 do it all the time when I am too tired to drive on, and your right, no law will force you back on the road.
Greentreena
Explorer
Mar 31, 2016
If I'm driving tired- I'm a road hazard in my opinion. I don't care what the signs say, I pull off and rest. No LEO if their right mind would tell an exhausted driver to get back on the road (unless you were in more danger by staying put).
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Mar 25, 2016
We absolutely loved the Canada and Yukon Provincial parks - much better than the Alaska state parks which weren't kept up at all. We also stayed at some very nice national forest campgrounds in Alaska. Lots of choices to travel economically and with lovely scenery.
SBradley
Explorer
Mar 24, 2016
I traveled in the Yukon and BC last sping also in the fall the previous year I stopped whenever i was tired and never had a problem. But if I have a choice I will stay in one of the many provincial camp grounds, I agree with Sue T. they are a great option far better than most commercial campgrounds which are usually just dusty parking lots. Also stop fairly early to give yourself time and a chance to find a suitable site. The rest areas; read the signs carefully some actually had a time limits. A little common sense will go along way, don't set up a permanent camp site or build a fire in the lot as I saw one do last year. The RCMP,s and the parks people are great they have a job to do, use some of the common sence god gave you and you'll be fine.
fanrgs
Explorer
Mar 22, 2016
If you decide to come home via the Cassiar Highway, a great free campground is in Burns Lake, two blocks off the Yellowhead Highway. It is free for up to 3 days with potable water and a free sanidump two blocks away. The tree-shaded campground is right on the lake and has a rec center/ice arena with hot showers and restrooms, a fishing dock, and a playground in the same park. Several fast food places and restaurants with free WiFi are within easy walking distance. It is a perfect overnight stop between the Cassiar and PG and definitely beats a roadside pull-out.
colliehauler
Explorer III
Mar 09, 2016
garyhaupt wrote:
Dam-n locales..always getting the good stuff.

Gary Haupt
They deserve it, they put up with us.:B
garyhaupt
Explorer
Mar 09, 2016
Dam-n locales..always getting the good stuff.

Gary Haupt
GaryKH
Explorer
Mar 09, 2016
The only amendment i would add to Garys' list is that Greeny lake is full all season! We have been there a couple of times since they improved it & it was full of locals who seem to claim it as their own all summer. Just a heads up! There were a couple of sites left, but they weren't the desirable ones. Could try the other side of the Hwy & check out Chimney Lake.

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