Due to some British Columbians ignoring the requests for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, BC Parks is closing a number of provincial parks.
Of the 18 parks that are closing, nine of them are on Vancouver Island, including Spectacle Lake Provincial Park near Mill Bay and Goldstream Provincial Park at the south end of the Malahat.
These temporary preventative measures include services being suspended at marine parks, visitor centres, nature houses, playgrounds, washrooms and day-use facilities.
All campgrounds, camping opportunities and accommodations are now closed until April 30 at the earliest.
Full refunds will automatically go to those who have reservations during the pandemic, but because of the volume of cancellations, it will take seven to ten days to process those refunds.
The Discovery Camping reservation system is suspended for all new reservations.
A link to more information is available here.
Partial Closure:
Alice Lake Provincial Park – 13 km north of Squamish
Flores Island Provincial Park – north of Tofino
Gibson Marine Provincial Park – north of Tofino on the shores of Clayoquot Sound
Gowlland Tod Provincial Park – east side of the Saanich Inlet
Porteau Cove Provincial Park – 20 kms south of Squamish
Full Closure:
French Beach Provincial Park – 20 kms west of Sooke
Goldstream Provincial Park – 16 kms north of downtown Victoria
Juan de Fuca Provincial Park – southern Vancouver Island
LAU, WELNEW/John Dean Provincial Park – southern Vancouver Island
Maquinna Marine Provincial Park – northwestern part of Clayoquot Sound
Spectacle Lake Provicial Park – 30 kms north of Victoria (near Mill Bay)
Joffre Lakes Provincial Park – east of Pemberton
Murrin Provincial Park – 9 km south of Squamish
Shannon Falls Provincial Park – 2 km south of Squamish
Stawamus Chief Provincial Park – directly adjacent to Shannon Falls PP
Day-use Services and Facilities available:
Miracle Beach Provincial Park – 22 km north of Courtenay
Mount Seymour Provincial Park
Cypress Provincial Park
Wells Gray Provincial Park