BC Campgrounds Where You Wake Up to a Glacier or a Lake Right Outside the Tent

Some campsites give you a view. These give you the shoreline. You unzip the door and there’s glacier-fed water a few steps away, with ice hanging off the peaks above it. Most of them are hike-in tent pads, not drive-in sites. BC Parks counts anywhere more than 1 km from a highway or park road as backcountry, and that’s where most of the glacier views are.

This guide runs from Lindeman Lake, a 1.5 km walk in the Chilliwack River Valley, to Berg Lake, 21 km in under Mount Robson. Along the way you’ll find the classic Sea to Sky trips at Garibaldi Lake, Cheakamus and Elfin Lakes, plus Joffre, two drive-in lake campgrounds and two Rockies trips that need real planning. Each entry covers what you’ll see, how you get there, what it cost in 2026 and how booking works.

The rules changed in 2026. Most BC Parks campgrounds now open for reservations three months ahead at 7 a.m. Pacific. Backcountry fees rose to $25 per adult a night at Garibaldi, Joffre and Mount Assiniboine from June 15 to Labour Day. If you don’t live in BC, there’s a new extra $20 non-resident fee. As of Oct 23, 2026, most summer-only options are closed for the season, but Garibaldi Lake, Cheakamus Lake and Elfin Lakes still need reservations year-round.

10. Lake O’Hara Campground (Yoho National Park)

Parks Canada controls access to protect this alpine area, and that’s why it’s so hard to get into. You can’t drive in. Campers ride a reservation-only shuttle bus 11 km up a gated road. Your campground reservation includes the required round-trip bus and its fee.

Stays are capped at three nights in a row. Each site allows one small four-person tent on a 2.5 m by 2.5 m pad. Bring a small backpacking tent, because the big family dome won’t fit.

The bus leaves from the Lake O’Hara parking lot, 12 km west of Lake Louise, Alberta, or 13 km east of Field. The 2026 season ran June 19 to Oct 3 for reservation holders only. Bookings opened Feb 10, 2026 at 8 a.m. MT. 2027 dates aren’t posted yet. 2026 fee amounts aren’t confirmed here, so check Parks Canada’s Lake O’Hara page.

9. Lake Magog Campground (Mount Assiniboine Park)

Lake Magog is the main campground below Mount Assiniboine, on the BC side of the Continental Divide near Banff. It has 40 tent pads. Magog Lake, Og Lake and Porcupine campgrounds all require reservations in peak season. Lake Magog and Og Lake are only serviced during Assiniboine Lodge’s summer and fall operating season.

You get in on foot or by helicopter, and the lodge manages the flights. Campers with a Magog or Og Lake booking can reserve helicopter flights through Assiniboine Lodge. Seats only go to people who already have a campsite, so book the campsite first. Route distances and helicopter prices aren’t confirmed on an official page. Start at the lodge’s camping page.

Reservations use the three-month window on camping.bcparks.ca. The 2026 fee was $25 per adult and $5 per youth a night, plus reservation fees. The lodge page lists a June 20 to Oct 1 serviced season, but those are 2027 dates. 2026 dates weren’t confirmed. Plan this as a big trip, not a weekend.

8. Kinney Lake and Berg Lake campgrounds (Berg Lake Trail, Mount Robson Park)

The Berg Lake Trail runs 23 km between Valemount and Jasper country, past waterfalls, turquoise lakes and very large glaciers. There are seven backcountry campgrounds along the trail. The one people want is Berg Lake, with 26 tent pads 21 km from the parking lot. The lake sits below the massive glaciers that the province highlights on this trail.

Kinney Lake is the easier first night. It has 18 tent pads about 7 km in. Bikes are allowed on that first 7 km, as far as the north end of Kinney Lake. If you can’t get Berg Lake, a night or two at Kinney is much easier to book and still puts you on the shore.

The trail fully reopened in 2025 after flood damage in June 2021. In 2026, reservations were required May 27 to Sept 29, and the whole season opened for booking on one morning, Dec 2, 2025. Outside peak season, some campgrounds are first-come, first-served. As of Oct 23, 2026, 2027 booking dates have not been announced. Watch the Berg Lake Trail page.

The trailhead is at the end of Kinney Lake Road near the Mount Robson park entrance and Welcome Centre. From the Lower Mainland it’s a long road trip. 2026 fees aren’t confirmed on an official page.

7. Lightning Lake Campground (E.C. Manning Park)

This is the drive-in family pick. Manning Park Resort runs the campground for BC Parks, and the resort says it sits deep in the park overlooking Lightning Lake. There are 143 sites, three shower buildings and access to two beaches. The fee covers hot showers, flush toilets, water taps and a playground. In peak season there are naturalist programs at the amphitheatre.

In summer, the Boathouse rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, so you can be on the water without hauling a boat from the city. The campground is 6 km off Hwy 3. The turnoff is 41 km east of the park’s west portal.

The summer season runs roughly June to October. On Oct 23, 2026, the operator showed the campground closed. In winter, only self-contained units can camp in the day-use lot, for $13 a night, with no tents or fires. All 143 sites are reservable, so book when your three-month window opens. Rates and status are on Manning Park Resort’s camping page.

6. Birkenhead Lake Campground (Birkenhead Lake Park)

BC Parks established this park in 1963 specifically to give travellers between Whistler and Lillooet a lakeside place to camp. The park operator says the lake is right beside the campground. In spring, you can see mountain goats on the cliffs above the day-use area and campground. Canoe rentals are available on site.

BC Parks warns that strong winds can come up suddenly on the lake. Stay close to shore in a canoe and keep an eye on the sky. The operator says the park reopened after the 2024 wildfire, but some affected trails are still closed.

The park is 22 km west of D’Arcy, 90 km north of Whistler and 145 km north of Squamish. Take Hwy 99 to Mt. Currie and follow the road toward D’Arcy. Just before D’Arcy, turn at the signs for a 17 km gravel road. The operator warns it can be pitted and rough on low vehicles. It’s a long drive, so stop in Pemberton on the way up.

The serviced season for sites 1 to 78 and the high-density sites runs May 15 to Sept 30. In the off-season, generally late October to early May, the gate is locked. The park operator lists drive-in sites at $22 per party per night, plus a $20 non-resident fee; confirm on the operator’s park page.

5. Upper Joffre Lake Campground (Pipi7íyekw/Joffre Lakes Park)

Joffre has three glacier-fed turquoise lakes stacked up a valley. The campground is on the highest one. Its 26 gravel tent pads sit at the far end of Upper Joffre Lake, below glacier-covered peaks. Each pad holds up to two tents and four people.

BC Parks calls the hike moderate to challenging. It’s 4.5 km from the parking lot to the campground. Stop at the upper lake. The glacial terrain beyond it is mountaineering ground, not hiking trail.

The park is co-managed with the Lil’wat Nation and N’Quatqua, and it closes each year for reconnection periods. The province closed it June 20 to 27 and Sept 8 to 30, 2026. The Lil’wat Nation publicly called for longer closures from Aug 23 to Oct 5, 2026, so read the Lil’wat Nation’s statement and check current status before you go. The closures make more sense when you know the scale of the traffic: in 2019 BC Parks said the trail was getting upwards of 170,000 visitors a year.

The entrance is off Hwy 99 on the Duffey Lake Road, east of Pemberton. Day-use trail passes were required May 11 to Oct 25, 2026. There’s no cell service at Joffre, so reserve your pass before you leave Pemberton. Campsite booking details are on the Joffre reservations page.

4. Lindeman Lake backcountry camp (Sx̱ótsaqel/Chilliwack Lake Park)

This is one of the shortest walk-in lake camps in the Lower Mainland. Lindeman is 1.5 km from the Post Creek trailhead, and the round trip is 3.4 km. The camp has six sites. So do the park’s other three backcountry areas: Greendrop, Flora and Radium.

Lindeman works differently from Garibaldi or Joffre. You register for a backcountry permit online, and BC Parks says that registration isn’t a reservation. Third-party guides say registration opens 14 days ahead. That makes it the best choice here for a short overnight you plan close to the date, without booking months out. The fee is $5 per person a night, free for children under 6. The permit registration page has the details.

The park is 64 km southeast of Chilliwack, 40 km down Chilliwack Lake Road. The Post Creek parking lot is the shared trailhead for Lindeman, Greendrop and Flora. If the trail is too much for your group, the park also has frontcountry campsites on Chilliwack Lake itself. The park operator lists $22 per party a night, or $32 from June 15 to Sept 7, 2026. Frontcountry season dates for 2026 aren’t confirmed on bcparks.ca.

3. Cheakamus Lake Campground (Garibaldi Park)

This is the easiest lake-at-your-door site in Garibaldi. The trail is a flat 3 km through old-growth forest, about 45 minutes to an hour one way. The campground has shoreline tent sites, a pit toilet and food hangs. BC Parks puts the site count at 10 on the area page and 8 in its reservations table, so expect a small campground.

BC Parks describes the lake as glacier-fed, at 915 m, with mountains rising 1,600 m above the forested shore. You can portage a canoe or kayak along the trail. Singing Creek campground, 7 km from the parking lot, is a smaller and farther option. Mountain bikes are allowed on the trail as far as the Cheakamus Lake campsites.

Turn off Hwy 99 at Function Junction, 48 km north of Squamish or 2.5 km south of Whistler. The logging road is on the left after 500 m, and the parking lot is 7.5 km from the highway. Reservations are required year-round at both Cheakamus Lake and Singing Creek. In summer you also need a vehicle day-use pass at the trailhead. A Squamish tourism page lists 2026 pass days as daily June 13 to Sept 7, then Fridays to Mondays until Oct 12.

If you’re bringing kids or trying backcountry camping for the first time, start here. There’s almost no climbing, and you’re on the lakeshore in under an hour. Dogs and campfires aren’t allowed anywhere in Garibaldi. See the Cheakamus Lake area page.

2. Garibaldi Lake Campground (Garibaldi Park)

This is the Sea to Sky’s classic glacier-lake campsite. There are 50 tent sites on the shore of Garibaldi Lake, a turquoise, glacier-fed lake with the Sphinx Glacier, Sentinel Glacier and Helm Glacier around it. The Table, Guard Mountain and Black Tusk are all part of the skyline. You get pit toilets, food hangs and day-use cooking shelters with picnic tables and sinks. You can’t sleep in the shelters. BC Parks no longer supplies stoves, so bring your own.

The cost is the walk in. The trail is 9 km from the Rubble Creek parking lot with about 900 m of climbing. Many people set up camp and spend the next day hiking to Panorama Ridge or Black Tusk without a full pack. Garibaldi Park allows no dogs and no campfires.

To get there, turn off Hwy 99 just after the Rubble Creek Bridge, 37 km north of Squamish or 19 km south of Whistler. A 2.5 km paved road climbs to the lot. In 2026, day-use vehicle passes were required at Rubble Creek on Fridays to Mondays and holidays from June 12 to Oct 12, so check the day-use pass page for next season. BC Parks also links to Parkbus rides to Garibaldi Park; check its schedule and whether it suits an overnight trip.

Reservations are required year-round, but summer is the realistic season. The Rubble Creek road isn’t plowed to the parking lot in winter. If Garibaldi Lake is sold out, try Taylor Meadows. It has 40 tent pads 7.5 km in, and the lakeshore is a short day hike away. Details are on the BC Parks Garibaldi Lake page.

1. Elfin Lakes Campground and Shelter (Garibaldi Park, Diamond Head)

The trail follows Paul Ridge above Squamish. When you reach Elfin Lakes, Columnar Peak, the Gargoyles, Opal Cone and the Mamquam Icefield all come into view. The tent campground is 12 km from the parking lot. It has 35 tent platforms, a day-use shelter, pit toilets and food storage.

Next to the campground is the Elfin Lakes Shelter, the only backcountry shelter you can book through BC Parks. It has 33 bunks, a propane heater, propane burners and solar lights. If you want a lakeside night without carrying a tent, book a bunk. A bunk costs $30 per adult (16+), $10 per child (6–15) and is free for children under 6, plus a $6 reservation fee (non-BC residents pay an extra $20 flat fee); see the BC Parks shelter page when you book.

From Hwy 99 in Squamish, turn east onto Mamquam Road and follow it up to the Diamond Head parking lot. It’s 11 km to the shelter, about 3 to 5 hours one way, with 600 m of elevation gain. Cycling is allowed on the trail as far as the shelter, so you can ride the long approach.

Reservations are required year-round for both the campground and the shelter. In 2026, day-use vehicle passes were required at Diamond Head on Fridays to Mondays and holidays from June 12 to Oct 12. In winter you need chains to reach the parking lot. More on the Diamond Head area page.

How many tent pads each campground has

Column 1	Column 2
Campground	Tent pads/sites
Lightning Lake (drive-in)	143
Garibaldi Lake	50
Lake Magog	40
Elfin Lakes	35 (+33-bunk shelter)
Upper Joffre Lake	26
Berg Lake	26
Kinney Lake	18
Cheakamus Lake	8–10 (sources differ)
Lindeman Lake	6

2026 nightly camping fees

Column 1	Column 2
Where	Fee
Garibaldi / Joffre / Mount Assiniboine (backcountry)	$25 per adult, $5 per youth (peak)
Chilliwack Lake / Manning (backcountry)	$5 per person
Lightning Lake (drive-in)	$35 per party; $51 June 15–Sept 7
Chilliwack Lake (drive-in)	$22 per party; $32 June 15–Sept 7
Non-BC residents	+$20 flat

When to go

• Garibaldi Lake, Cheakamus Lake and Elfin Lakes need reservations year-round. Peak-season day passes at Rubble Creek and Diamond Head ran June 12 to Oct 12, 2026.
• Joffre took campground arrivals from June 15, 2026. It closed June 20 to 27 and Sept 8 to 30, 2026. Day-use passes were required May 11 to Oct 25.
• Berg Lake Trail reservations were required May 27 to Sept 29, 2026. Outside that window, some campgrounds are first-come, first-served.
• Lake O’Hara ran June 19 to Oct 3, 2026.
• Birkenhead’s serviced season is May 15 to Sept 30. Lightning Lake’s drive-in campground is summer-only, with peak rates in effect June 15 to Sept 7, 2026 (operator).

How booking works

Most BC Parks campgrounds, including Garibaldi and Joffre backcountry sites, open for reservations on a rolling window (BC Parks shortened the window for 2026; confirm the current lead time and opening hour on the reservations page before you plan). Start on the BC Parks backcountry reservations page.

• At Joffre and Garibaldi, a reservation guarantees you a spot in the campground but not a specific tent pad. You pick a pad when you arrive.
• Chilliwack Lake and most Manning backcountry camps use permit registration, not reservations.
• Berg Lake’s whole 2026 season opened on one morning, Dec 2, 2025. Lake O’Hara opened Feb 10, 2026.
• Day-use passes are separate from campsite bookings. Check the day-use pass page for each trailhead.

What it costs

• Garibaldi, Joffre and Mount Assiniboine charged $25 per adult and $5 per youth a night from June 15 to Labour Day 2026. Off-season rates aren’t confirmed.
• BC Parks also charges a reservation fee on top of the nightly rate; check the current amount when you book.
• Chilliwack Lake and Manning backcountry cost $5 per person, free for children under 6.
• Non-BC residents pay an extra $20 starting in 2026.

The full schedule is in the BC Parks 2026 fee sheet.

What to bring and the rules

• Pads are small. At Garibaldi and Joffre, they max out around three square metres and hold up to two tents and four people. Lake O’Hara pads are 2.5 m square and fit one small tent.
• Bring a stove. BC Parks no longer supplies stoves at Garibaldi Lake, and campfires are banned in Garibaldi year-round.
• No dogs in Garibaldi Park.
• Use the food hangs or food storage at backcountry sites.
• Don’t sleep in the Garibaldi day-use shelters. Camping there isn’t allowed.

Safety and respect

BC Parks warns that avalanche and glacier hazards exist in Garibaldi year-round, so stay on maintained trails. At Joffre, stop at the upper lake. At Birkenhead, watch for sudden wind on the water. Go prepared with layers, a headlamp and enough food for a slower day than planned.

Joffre’s reconnection closures exist so the Lil’wat Nation and N’Quatqua can use the land. Check the closure dates before you book. Wedgemount Lake is left off this list on purpose. It’s steep and strenuous: BC Parks lists the trail at 7 km one way with 1,200 m of elevation gain, and advises checking the park’s advisories before any visit.

Getting there

• Rubble Creek and Cheakamus are both off Hwy 99. Rubble Creek is 37 km north of Squamish. Function Junction is 48 km north.
• The Rubble Creek road isn’t plowed to the lot in winter. The Diamond Head road needs chains.
• There’s no cell service at Joffre. Book day passes before you leave Pemberton.
• Birkenhead’s last 17 km is gravel and can be rough on low vehicles.
• Chilliwack Lake Park is 40 km down Chilliwack Lake Road.

Access, booking and status at a glance (as of Oct 23, 2026)

Campground	How you reach the tent	How you book	Status
Garibaldi Lake	Hike 9 km	BC Parks reservation, three-month window	Reservations required year-round
Cheakamus Lake	Hike 3 km, flat	BC Parks reservation	Reservations required year-round
Elfin Lakes	Hike 11 km (shelter), 12 km (tents)	BC Parks reservation	Reservations required year-round; chains for winter road
Upper Joffre Lake	Hike 4.5 km	BC Parks reservation, three-month window	Day-use passes required to Oct 25, 2026
Lindeman Lake	Hike 1.5 km	Backcountry permit registration	Check BC Parks
Lightning Lake	Drive-in	BC Parks reservation, all sites	Closed for the season; self-contained units only in day-use lot
Birkenhead Lake	Drive-in, 17 km gravel	See operator	Serviced season ended Sept 30; gate generally locked late October to early May
Kinney / Berg Lake	Hike about 7 km / 21 km	BC Parks reservation, season opens on one date	2027 dates not announced
Lake Magog	Hike or helicopter	BC Parks reservation, three-month window	2026 dates not confirmed
Lake O’Hara	Parks Canada bus, 11 km	Parks Canada reservation	Season ended Oct 3; 2027 dates not posted

If you’re new to this, start with Cheakamus or Lindeman. You’ll have a lakeside tent within an hour of the car. Garibaldi Lake, Elfin and Joffre are the Sea to Sky step up, and they reward setting a 7 a.m. alarm three months out. Berg Lake, Lake Magog and Lake O’Hara take a winter of planning and a long drive. Right now most of the summer options are closed, and 2027 dates for the Rockies trips aren’t posted yet. Bookmark the booking pages, check closures before you leave, and pack out everything you bring in.

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Photo credits

• Joffre Lakes.jpg by Madhumanti Mandal, CC BY-SA 4.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Joffre Lakes Provincial Park.jpg by CastleTK, CC BY-SA 4.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Middle Joffre Lake Nicolas May.jpg by Nicolas May, CC BY-SA 4.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• View of Lower Joffre Lake and Joffre Lakes Provincial Park.jpg by Meg.jenk, CC BY-SA 4.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Elfin Lakes 2.jpg by unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized; cropped for the featured image). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• GaribaldiLake-PanoramaRidge.jpg by User:Seattle Skier, CC BY 2.5 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• A day at the top of Whistler Mtn – Cheakamus Lake from the Highnote Trail (15926921772).jpg by Murray Foubister, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Trips 04 – Joffre Group – 10 (90976623).jpg by McKay Savage from London, UK, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lindeman Lake.jpg by Jonhall (talk), CC BY 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lightning Lake Canoe.jpg by Jonhall (talk), CC BY 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Birkenhead lake.JPG by Orlandkurtenbach, Public domain (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Berg Lake, Berg Glacier and Mount Robson.jpg by Brian Lang, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake Magog Mount Assiniboine.jpg by Kurt Stegmüller, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake O Hara from Yukness Ledge Alpine Route.jpg by John Johnston, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.