The Ministry of Environment has announced the creation of 55 more provincial campsites across the Okanagan.
The new campsites will be available for this summerÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s camping season and are located in:
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Okanagan Lake South Provincial Park near Summerland - eight sites
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Badger Lake Rec Site near Heffley - 30 sites
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Scuitto Rec Site near Kamloops - 17 sites
The new campsites are among the first phase of the 1,900 new campsites announced last November as part of the B.C. Parks Future Strategy.
Campsite expansion is occurring in all regions of the province, and the majority will be created where demand is greatestÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥”in the Kootenays, Okanagan, the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
Future B.C. Parks expansion will be concentrated in the highest-demand, flagship provincial parks, such as Fintry, west of Kelowna and E.C. Manning in the South Okanagan. Recreation site expansions will take place across the Thomson and the Okanagan, also targeting high-demand areas.
Other new campsites across B.C. include:
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Blanket Creek Provincial Park near Revelstoke - 58 sites
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Halfway Hot Springs Rec Site near Nakusp - 20 sites
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Six Mile Bay Rec Site near Mackenzie - 20 sites
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Garibaldi Provincial Park near Squamish - 20 sites
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Chek Canyon Rec Site near Squamish - 32 sites
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Stave West -Sayres Lake Rec Site near Mission - 60 sites (phase one)
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Desolation Sound Provincial Park near Powell River - 34 sites
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Rathtrevor Provincial Park near Parksville - 30 sites (phase one)
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Goldstream Provincial Park near Victoria - four sites
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Pye Mountain Rec Site near Sayward - 20 sites
Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Maple Grove Rec Site near Lake Cowichan - 22 sites
The province says the new campsites are a mix that includes rustic and less rustic sites. Their construction includes any associated infrastructure, such as roads, water and sewer expansions, electrical upgrades, outhouse facilities and shower and toilet buildings. The recreation site expansions will include associated roads, campsites with picnic tables and fire rings, signage and outhouse facilities.
The majority of the new campsites will be available for reservation via the Discover Camping Reservation Service. To reserve a spot, go to: https://secure.camis.com/DiscoverCamping/ReservationService.aspx. Recreations are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The ministry says it is investing up to $22.9 million to add the 1,900 new campsites over five years. More than 800 of the new sites will be in provincial parks, while more than 1,000 will be in recreation sites.
The province recently announced $35 million over the next three years for 28 more full-time park rangers, new programs to promote and protect the environment and $10 million as an initial endowment to the new B.C. Parks Foundation.
B.C.Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s provincial parks receive more than 21 million visits each year and the B.C. parks system is the third-largest in North America behind the United States National Park Service and Parks Canada.