Last Updated: March 29, 2021
Best RV Camping Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is known as one of the best islands in the world to visit. This pristine island sits just a short ferry ride from the town of Vancouver in British Columbia and on arrival, you’ll be gazing at mountains, ancient forests, and feel like you’ve stepped back in time thanks to the abundance of nature surrounding you.
There is so much to do and see on Vancouver Island, that it’s a must to add to your RV Camping list. You can go whale watching from the beach, kayak with the Orcas, hike into the beautiful forests and mountains, go salmon fishing in the pristine rivers, and there are even a few great golf courses.
Now that we know why you should take your RV to Vancouver Island, let’s find the best RV camping Vancouver island has to offer, so you know where to park it and can enjoy your time there to the maximum.
Table Of Contents Show All
Alder Bay Rv Park & Marina
Address: Alder Bay Resort, PO Box 1090 Port McNeill, BC, V0N 2R0
Contact:+1-250-956-411
Alder Bay Rv Park & Marina sits on the northern side of Vancouver Island and is surrounded by a treasure trove of remote beaches, forests, and a little archipelago of islands that are awesome to explore.
From the RV camping area, you can hire a boat, launch your own, or hire some kayaks to explore the surrounding waters. Being a marina, if you bring your own boat, you can moor it up for free as long as it’s un 26 ft long.
Sea fishing is excellent pretty much everywhere and if you want to, you can hire a professional fishing guide to show you around the area for the day. There really is nothing better than spending a day on the sea to come home and BBQ your fresh catch by a campfire.
You can also organize whale and bear watching tours from the RV park reception, or hang out and explore the 30 acres of private land and coastline you’ll be staying on. The town of Port McNeil is just up the road and a great place to visit the fun bars, delicious restaurants, and stock up on supplies.
The RV park has full hookups with water, sewer, 30 and 50 amps. Each RV Site is a pull-through for convenience, and the park can accommodate RV’s of any size. Each site has a view of the forest and the sea, plus you can walk to the beach in 3 minutes.
If you’re looking for some peach and quiet with access to the sea and nature, Alder Bay RV Park & Marina is a great bet. Just make sure you book early, as it fills up quite fast.
Seal Bay RV Park
Address: 1901 Larch Road, Courtenay, BC, Canada, V9J 1X7
Contact: +1- (250) 339 – 1837
Seal Bay RV Park is in the middle of everything on Vancouver Island, while still being secluded in nature. The RV park is surrounded by forest and fields with trails that will lead you to Cloudcroft beach in around 15 minutes.
The beach is long, sandy, and perfect for long hikes, picnics, and day trips when you want to relax while the family has fun building sandcastles and playing in the shallows. A short walk north of the RV camping areas is Seal Bay, Nature Park.
The nature park is full of trails for hiking, horse riding, and mountain biking. You get stunning views on the eastern side as the mountains drop into sandy beaches where you can spot whales and see the harbor seals relaxing on the sand. It is also great for trail running with a 7km forest loop.
The wildlife often spills over into the RV camping area and you’ll often fix deers walking past while you’re hanging out on site.
Just down the road is the large town of Courtenay where you’ll find everything you might want for your stay. There are outdoor shops, Costco, a hospital, even an airport. It’s a fun town that is well worth a visit when you need some supplies or want to book some whale watching, fishing, kayak tours, and more. Their restaurants are delicious, the bars are fun, and it’s quite pretty.
The Sunnydale Golf Club is also a few minute’s drive from the RV park so if you fancy a holiday round, hitting some balls at the range, or a lesson from the local pro, it can be easily arranged.
Each RV site at the park has a full hook-up for sewage, water, and electricity plus a picnic bench and fire pit. There is also wifi available, and the sites can be in an open area or amongst the trees for some seclusion. The park also has showers, laundry, restrooms, plus a large outdoor kitchen area.
Cape Lazo RV & Campground
Address: 685 Lazo Road, Comox, BC V9M 3X2
Contact: +1 250 339 3946
Cape Lazo RV & Campground is an ocean-front RV camping area on Vancouver Island just 15 minutes outside of Courtenay. It’s the perfect place to park your RV for a few days and take in the delicious ocean views, have some peace and quiet in nature, while still having everything you might need just down the road.
From the RV park, you can have sandy toes or salty hair within 5 minutes thanks to how close it is to the beach. Just hop across the road and you’ll be walking along the sands with views on the sea where you can keep an eye out for whales breaching, bump into some seals, or enjoy fishing in the rich ocean waters.
Just up the road is Point Holmes, a stunning viewpoint, there are also multiple golf courses, loads of shops and restaurants, and of course, access to lakes, mountains, and all the hiking trails you could ever want is close by. You can also book whale watching tours, sport fishing, kayaking, and fly fishing in the river for salmon.
The RV park comes with full hook-ups including water, sewage, electricity, wifi, and cable TV. The site also has a convenience store, coin-operated showers, laundry, a playground, and you can also set up campfires. The Park operates a fire out and quiet time rule, so everyone can enjoy peace and quiet while they sleep.
Cumberland Lake Park Campground
Address: 1100 Comox Lake Road, PO Box 1389, Cumberland, BC V0R 1S0
Contact: +1 250-702-8833
Cumberland Lake Park Campground sits on the shores of Comox Lake and is a not-for-profit organization that is all about reconnecting people with nature. It is a favorite amongst families who head to Vancouver Island every year for a get-together and is a must if you love spending time in nature.
The campground has a swimming beach with a dock, plus a boat ramp where you can launch kayaks or your boat if you have brought one along. The campground offers free activities like interpretive hikes, kids programs, and evening presentations that anyone is welcome to attend.
The onsite watersports rental company, West Coast Water Sports, has a ton of stuff to hire for exploring the lake. You can grab a SUP, a canoe, some kayaks, and even a water hammock to chill out on.
There is no better way to explore the lake and take in some amazing views than via kayak or canoe. A great day out is renting a few for your group, making a delicious picnic, and paddling to a secluded beach to spend the day on.
There are tons of hiking trails from the campground that will take you into the lush forests and mountains surrounding the lake. They will also take you past some cliffs and crags that are perfect for rock climbing and bouldering. They are rated at 5.10 so doable for most climbers and the routes are bolted too. There are also climbing guides available if you want a lesson or some support for your climb.
The area is also known for its Mountain Biking with more than 80 km of trails that take you through fast descents, cross country, and technical rides that make you work for it. You’ll find convenience stores, cafes, bars, and restaurants down the road, plus golf courses, and the sea is just twenty minutes down the road.
You can book guided fishing on the lake, surrounding rivers, or in the sea. Plus whale watching with the opportunity to see orcas, humpbacks, and more depending on the time of year.
The campground offers multiple RV sites, some without any hookups and others with just water and power. You also find restrooms, coin-operated showers, a convenience store, a free sani-dump. This campground gets booked up as everyone loves it, so be sure to make a reservation.
Lighthouse RV Park
Address: 8256 Island Highway, Fanny Bay, B.C. V0R 1W0
Contact: +1 250-335-1667
Lighthouse RV Park has everything Vancouver Island has to offer. From your RV’s parking spot you’ll be able to look over the sea, onto the nearby islands of Denman Island and the Chrome Island Lighthouse, back into the forests and mountains.
There is so much to do in the area for both adults, kids, and teenagers, plus if you love eating oysters, this is the RV park to be at. Fishing for oysters is about as easy as it gets at Lighthouse RV Park thanks to its world-famous oyster grounds. With some boots, a bucket, and some good old digging, you’ll be hucking out enough oysters for everyone to have with a sunset drink.
You can also opt to have fresh oysters delivered to you daily along with any other seafood you fancy. The Rv park has a load of contacts that will happily arrange this for you. You can also book sport fishing and fly fishing trips with pro guides, boating tours around the island, whale watching, and more.
Just down the road from the campsite is the ferry terminal that’ll take you to the nearby Denman and Hornby Island. The islands are perfect for a day trip and Denman Island is home to a unique West Coast rainforest ecosystem that every nature lover will enjoy seeing, plus you can explore the delights of the sandy beaches, rocky coves, and lush forests.
Not far from camp are numerous hiking trails, mountain biking trails, and 6 golf courses all within a 30-minute drive. If you’re there in winter there is skiing and snowboarding, in summer you can go out surfing and get a lesson, plus there are numerous caves to explore too and rock climbing isn’t so far away either.
There are five restaurants within a 4-10 km drive all serving delicious food and cold tasty beer. They are perfect when you want a night off from cooking at the campfire or you do for a day out to the local towns to resupply.
There are three different types of RV sites to choose from including Ocean-View, Full Service, Pull through and Tent sites. Each site has electric, water, and sewage hookups. The site has picnic areas, fire pits, laundry, a fuel station, a boating area, a camping area, and an onsite restaurant coming soon.
Forbidden Plateau Mountain Resort
Address: 8010 Forbidden Plateau Road, Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada
Contact: + 1 250 897 6908
The Forbidden Plateau Mountain Resort is one to remember, it doesn’t have a full service for your RV but its location is to die for if you love being in the middle of nowhere. It’s a campground that is well worth pulling into for a few hours in our eyes.
The campground is family-run, sits high on Wood Mountain, and has access to awesome hiking and mountain biking trails in the summer, plus snowshoeing in the winter.
Each of the RV sites is secluded and out of the way, so you can be a part of nature’s lovely views of forests and trees rather than other RV’s. The facilities are a bare minimum with no hookups. There are outdoor showers and portapotty restrooms, and you can use a generator only in allotted time zones.
From the site, you will have stunning views of the Powell River, Comox Valley, and the ocean. It’s one of the best places to get a big picture view of the area and into all the tiny islands dotted around.
It’s not the most luxurious RV campground but it sure is wild, peaceful, and quiet. We highly recommend stopping off for a few nights to see and enjoy this amazing location plus the lack of services means seclusion and great affordable rates.
RV-ing Away
Vancouver Island is a place everyone should visit if they get the chance, especially if you own an RV. As you can see there are amazing places to stay, incredible experiences on offer, delicious food, friendly people, and even if you just hang out in the woods or on the beach and read, you’ll come home having spotted whales, bears, and a lot more relaxed.
About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
