The best camping near Cultus Lake Provincial Park

A 90-minute drive from Vancouver, and 11 kilometres southwest of Chilliwack via the Columbia Valley Highway, Cultus Lake Provincial Park is a close-to-home getaway for many city residents, making it one of British Columbia’s most visited outdoor destinations. At its signature freshwater lake, you can swim, paddle, fish, or go boating or water-skiing. Between late June and early September, you can rent canoes, kayaks, pedal boats, and standup paddleboards. Explore several hiking trails, including the steep—but always busy—trek up Teapot Hill for views across the water. For campers, the four campgrounds, with hot showers and washrooms with flush toilets (but no hookups), have a total of 298 sites.

• Best for lakeside camping: Delta Grove Campground
• Best for accessible facilities: Clear Creek Campground or Delta Grove Campground
• Best for friends camping together: Maple Bay Campground

1. Book campsite reservations in this Fraser Valley park through Discover Camping, BC Parks’ reservations site, and reserve as early as you can. Weekends at Cultus Lake are busiest, so you might be more successful securing a campsite mid-week. Check the reservations site at the beginning of the year to see when reservations will become available for the season. You can also book sites by phone for a surcharge.
2. In April and early May, Cultus Lake campsites are first-come first-served.
3. Twenty-five camping cabins are available near Maple Bay Campground, each of which sleep up to five. Cabins have electricity, but bring your own bedding, cooking supplies, and dishes.

Cultus Lake Provincial Park’s campgrounds are normally open April through mid-October, closing after Canada’s Thanksgiving holiday. The park is most crowded during the warm, dry summer season, from late June through Labour Day in early September. Campers who want fewer people around should avoid summer weekends. Spring can be rainier but mild, and early fall is normally cool with fewer rainy days. Off-season, Spring Bay day-use area is open year-round (with no services in winter), and you can hike all year, weather and trail conditions permitting.

• Cultus Lake Provincial Park sells firewood and ice, there are drinking water taps throughout the park, and a concession stand offers snacks in July and August. Bring the rest of your food and supplies. Chilliwack has plenty of shopping options, as does metro Vancouver.
• The small community of Cultus Lake has some shops, places to eat, a laundromat, and lots of family entertainment options, from waterslides to go-karts to golf.