Golden Ears Provincial Park Camping
notifications Text me when there's a cancellation at Golden Ears Provincial Park
Overview
A brief introduction to Golden Ears Provincial Park
Camping at Golden Ears Provincial Park offers a beautiful and convenient outdoor experience just an hour from Vancouver. The park boasts an impressive range of camping options, including frontcountry (vehicle-accessible) campgrounds, backcountry sites, and marine-accessible camping, all nestled in scenic surroundings of forest, mountains, and lakes.
Frontcountry Camping
Golden Ears has three frontcountry campgrounds equipped for both tent and RV campers:
Alouette Campground: The largest, with 206 sites, offers amenities like hot showers, flush toilets, drinking water, and a playground. Sites here are forested with semi-privacy and are a short walk to Campers Beach, a lovely, quiet spot by the lake. Alouette Campground is open seasonally from mid-May to mid-September.
Gold Creek Campground: Slightly smaller than Alouette, with 148 sites, it features similar amenities and year-round access (with a reduced winter fee and limited facilities in the colder months). Campers can enjoy access to Campers Beach and can find ADA-accessible sites here.
North Beach Campground: This more rustic option has 55 sites, pit toilets, and access to North Beach. It lacks showers but is quieter than the other two campgrounds and has quick access to many hiking trailheads.
During the summer, all frontcountry sites are highly popular, so reservations are essential. Sites can be booked through the BC Parks reservation system, and each site includes a picnic table and fire ring.
Backcountry Camping
Backcountry camping at Golden Ears is ideal for adventurous campers who want to explore remote areas. Accessible sites include:
Alder Flats: Along the West Canyon Trail, Alder Flats is a moderate hike in, featuring a pit toilet and tent pads but lacking bear caches, so bear-proofing food is essential.
Panorama Ridge: Near the Golden Ears summit, this site provides spectacular sunrise views, tent pads, and a pit toilet. It’s popular in the summer, as it requires a challenging hike to access.
Backcountry camping permits cost $5 per person per night and must be purchased in advance. Campfires are not allowed at these sites, and campers should be prepared to pack out all waste.
Marine-Accessible Camping
For boaters, Golden Ears also has marine-accessible campsites on Alouette Lake and Pitt Lake:
Sites like Moyer Creek and The Narrows offer a remote lake experience with only pit toilets, tent pads, and limited amenities. Camping is allowed at designated areas only, and campfires are permitted below the high-water mark.
Group and Winter Camping
There are group camping sites near Alouette and Gold Creek that can accommodate larger parties, perfect for family gatherings or educational groups. These must be reserved in advance, with seasonal restrictions.
Gold Creek Campground remains open in winter, although only pit toilets are available, and fees drop to $11 per night. There is no cell service in the park, so campers should plan accordingly.
Day Use and Facilities
Golden Ears also has popular day-use areas along Alouette Lake, including South Beach, Campers Beach, and North Beach. These spots provide excellent swimming, picnicking, and beach relaxation. While day-use parking fills quickly on weekends, a day pass system is in place during peak summer months.
With its varied campgrounds, beautiful lake access, extensive hiking trails, and stunning scenery, Golden Ears Provincial Park is one of the most versatile and popular camping destinations in British Columbia.
ARE Golden Ears Provincial Park campsites SOLD OUT?
We can help! Many campsite reservations are cancelled daily. Just tell us when you’d like to camp at Golden Ears Provincial Park, and how long you want to camp for. We’ll text you when a suitable spot opens up!
Scan for cancellationsContact Golden Ears Provincial Park
- BC Parks
- Booking site: https://camping.bcparks.ca
Spotted an error?
Whoops! Sometimes we make mistakes. Want to help improve the Golden Ears Provincial Park listing? Please suggest a correction.
Other nearby parks
Open to camping at other nearby parks? Here are a few other parks you'll find in the vicinity.
Reviews
Camper reviews for Golden Ears Provincial Park
Awesome spot
We love camping at Golden Ears! There isn’t cell reception at the campsites so if you’re looking for a way to fully disconnect from the world and connect with the family this is the place to go! No worries though, there’s spotty reception at the beach. Beach is a rocky beach, but the water is clean!
Kaylee Moerman reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on September 27th, 2023
Long walk to the lake
Beautiful setting, but it's a treck to get to the lake. The map is misleading. Washrooms could have been cleaner.
Elaina K Gyuro reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on September 12th, 2023
Great sites
Love CampNab it really saved us this weekend. The park was a great spot, easy access.
Johnathan Andrews reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on August 29th, 2023
Beautiful
This park is beautiful. Camping in the forest and the scenery is great. The only downside is that it is a busy campground. The bathrooms are not always the best maintained. But there is a campers beach and lots of space to explore.
Nicole Verrall reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on June 3rd, 2023
Super Accessible Nature!
Golden Ears Provincial Park is an exquisite nature haven that is easily accessible to those in the Lower Mainland. Majestic mountains, tranquil lakes, and lush forests create a truly serene backdrop for a multitude of outdoor activities. The park offers well-maintained campsites, making it an excellent choice for family camping trips. The extensive trail system, particularly the Golden Ears Summit trail, provides hikers with unparalleled views of the surrounding beauty. A visit to Alouette Lake, with its calm waters and picturesque vistas, is a must-do activity. Despite often being busy during the summer months, Golden Ears Provincial Park manages to maintain its tranquility and remains an exceptional retreat for nature lovers. We love camping here with our kids!
Thomas Ulanowski reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on May 30th, 2023
Big campground. Beautiful area. Great for kids
Golden ears is one of the biggest campgrounds with 3 different camping areas. Hike to the waterfalls (45mins). They keep Gold creek campground open all year around. Beautiful area. Limited cell reception.
Richard Zimmerman reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on May 30th, 2023
Gold Creek is the best!
Gold Creek campground is one of my favorite places to camp on the lower mainland, the beach access is awesome and the campground has two real bathrooms complete with showers!
Rebecca Olive reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on May 30th, 2023
Busy but nice
Not too far of a drive from the city. Main beach and Gold Creek are very busy but it is possible to find some quieter spots. Great place for a family weekend.
Natalie Berrow reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on May 16th, 2023
Alluette Lake campground
Good facilities, clean, spacious isolated sites
Alejandro J Vera reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on May 11th, 2023
An easy camping trip for those in Vancouver
If you’re a camper living in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, you’ve likely already visited Golden Ears. The park is a short drive from Vancouver, and contains a lot of campsites—which makes it an easy weekend getaway for those in the city or the Fraser Valley.
The campgrounds at Golden Ears afford reasonable space for campers. That said, the trees in the campgrounds aren’t that dense, meaning that you have limited privacy in many of the campsites. So, if you’re intent on a quiet and private campsite, this might not be your first choice.
The campsites are perched up above the water, meaning that views are quite limited. The walk to the water isn’t long, though, and there’s a nice beach where you can spend a sunny afternoon with friends.
Walking a little further down the road brings you to the river, and its chilly waters. The water is clear and gorgeous. As such, many find a little spot here to spend the day. You’ll also spot some paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, and speedboats here.
Hiking trails are plentiful and afford access to some backcountry camping opportunities. I gather that trail runners likely use these trails extensively, given the lush, beautiful, fern carpeted forest they’re situated in.
Golden Ears’ amenities are ample with flush toilets, warm water showers, and potable water.
If you’re looking to go car camping with friends, Golden Ears is a good choice given all of the space available in the park. It does fill up quickly, though, and can be noisy at times.
Personally, I prefer quieter settings when in nature. As such, Golden Ears is often our first camping trip of the year. This allows us to pull out all of our gear and give it a test run before embarking on trips further afield.
Eric Karjaluoto reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on February 27th, 2023
Serene and Beautiful
If you don't require running water or bathrooms, this is the best site in Golden Ears. Nicely spaced out sites, some of which are extremely large. The beach access is steep but much quieter than the Alouette side of the park. There's no park, no running water, only outhouses and a hand water pump that I don't believe is for potable water...but if you can do without its definitely the best campground in Golden Ears.
Sherri Robson reviewed Golden Ears Provincial Park
on January 12th, 2023
Map
View a map of Golden Ears Provincial Park
UNABLE TO RESERVE A CAMPSITE?
Get notified when a sold-out campground has availability
Tell us when, where, and how long you want to camp for. We’ll notify you (via SMS) when a suitable spot opens up at that campground—so you can nab that sold-out campsite reservation!
