Do people living in Vancouver rent RVs and travel into the wilderness? Or is it just something tourists do?

bluebyou

How many cases of bear attacks on tourists are there in Canada? Do campers usually carry guns becasue of the pumas and grizzley bears?

Answer
I lived on Vancouver Island for 12 years and not only do people use RV's to camp but a lot of people live in them full time. yes people on the west coast genaerally do a lot of camping. RV's are not the best for wilderness camping however because you'll be travelling a lot of logging trails etc. and the roads can be pretty bad and sometimes impassable if you meet a huge logging truck on the road. You're better off to use a four wheel drive with a truck camper on it or camp with a tent. There are grizzly bears on the mainland but not on Vancouver Island, however there are tons of black bear and cougars at both places. I have done tons of wilderness camping out there and have actually had run in's with both cougars and black bears. You have to take precausions in the wilderness. Do not store your food where you sleep or your vehicle, ( hang it in a tree or store it away from your campsite upwind ) burn and then bury scap food and burn any cans that contained food. There are very few bear and cougar attacks but they do happen, usually because they have been surprised or can smell food. Keep a radio going at night and a small fire going and if your hiking make noise. Keep some firecrackers in your tent to make noise if an animal comes into your site. ( it saved my butt a couple of times) There are very strict gun regulations in Canada as to carrying them and where you can shoot them. People do not generally carry guns unless they are hunting. You can pick up information on what to do if you encounter bear or cougars at any tourist bureau in BC or on their websites. Knowing what to do and using common sense will assure a safe camping trip.

Looking for somewhere to camp for spring break, WA state? Experience.?

Acantha

I managed to find a place last year near Mt. St. Helens, and it wasn't bad, but I would like to try a different place this year. The main problem, of course, is the fact that most places are snowed over. I've been through many web sites, but most are not very helpful. Some can be very cryptic about when the camp reopens for spring, or what the conditions are like. Some have no information listed at all. I plan on tent camping, so I am not looking for anything RV related what-so-ever. I don't want electricity, or a "camp store". I don't do KOA.

So here's what I've looking for:
Somewhere in and around the southwest region of Washington State
Somewhere with a nice forested area
Not too hard to drive too (I do not have 4 wheel drive)
Somewhere not snowed over
Nothing near the coast- it will just turn into a beach trip and not a camping trip

I am open to camping in Oregon, provided it's not too far away; nothing in Bend. I live in near Vancouver/ Portland, so used that as a reference. No where much more than about 90 miles away.
Also, links are great. Thank you for anything you can turn up.
While the Olympic National Park looks lovely, and I will venture up there sometime, likely during the summer, I really don't want to travel much more than 90 miles away, maybe 100 if it's a great spot. The Olympic National Park is 222 miles from where I live; I really can't head out that far considering I only plan on camping for a couple of nights tops.

Answer
try Olympic National Park near the ocean
near the ocean gets very little snow, but lots of rain, also near the Hoh rainforest too
here should be campgrounds there
link for Olympic NP campgrounds, Hoh Rainforest does have one
http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm

also look into the San Juan Islands as well

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Quiet beach spot around Vancouver that you might even be able to set a camping tent just for a day?

mohsen

I'm looking for a beach in Vancouver with minimum traffic that ideally you're the only couple in there. Any suggestion?? Thanks :)

Answer
It's illegal to camp on beaches around Vancouver (for public health reasons, among others). That's true of any densely populated urban area like it anywhere in the US or Canada. If they did not enforce such measures the beaches would be clogged with squatters and the cities would have to maintain toilet facilities and other services to avoid befouling the areas.

Closest place nearby I can think of would be to rent kayaks in Deep Cove, northwest of the city, and paddle up to the end of Indian Arm fiord to camp there.

Or take the ferry to Vancouver Island and find camping areas near the shores there. Most areas restrict camping actually on beaches anyway. You have to be set back a ways from the actual beaches for various reasons including interfering with day use and natural habitats and the fact that most people are clueless about the levels that the tides reach on coastlines.

What is the best area to go camping in B.C?

Whitey

Looking to plan some summer camping trips and would like to go somewhere in BC. We are from Seattle and would like to see some of what BC has to offer.
No RV camping, it would be tent camping with 2 young children.
Open to suggestions! Mountains, Lakes, Rivers, etc..

Answer
So many good places, it's hard to choose. Vancouver Island, if you have time. Miracle Beach, north of Courtenay, is one of the nicest campgrounds I've ever seen. Huge campsites, many very private. Shallow beach and trails right there, shallow sandy beach just north of there at Saratoga Beach. Mini golf and go-kart track nearby, grocery store too. Tofino area has great campgrounds and of course those wonderful beaches but you need to book ahead because they fill up fast in summer and they're on the expensive side for campgrounds. Crystal Cove is a really nice private campground with a small beach right there to walk on even at night. If you go to Tofino, you must stop at the Goats on the Roof store at Coombs along the way. Cool place, good food to buy to stock up on groceries or eat there, busy busy in summer, plan an hour or so for it. Englishman River is nice. Jingle Pot campground, close to Nanaimo, isn't a truly stunning place in many ways but is very convenient and if you're there at the right time, it's got the most incredible collection of lilies I've seen anywhere. The air is filled with the scent.

If you're coming to Vancouver Island and heading for the north end, you can take a ferry from Tsawwassen to Duke Point near Nanaimo which saves a few hours over going through Victoria though Victoria is a good place to visit. You can reserve for the ferry which is always wise in summer.

The Sunshine Coast, north of Vancouver, has Porpoise Bay which is nice. Alice Lake, up towards Whistler, is very popular. The Okanagan around Kelowna/Kamloops has some good places and you can come home again through Washington for some variety. Along Hwy 3 east from Hope, there's Manning Park with a few campgrounds and quite a few trails and there are a lot of campgrounds along Hwy 3, some of them off the highway a bit. Nice area, though, and a nice drive. If you go along that way, there's a pretty little spot at the municipal campground at Midway which is at least good for a lunch stop though it has little privacy because it's really just a long strip of lawn along the Kettle River. Quiet, though, and cheap. Get there early and get the last spot at the end for more privacy.

Highway 1 has some really gorgeous scenery, as does going north through Whistler to Kamloops.

Provincial campgrounds in BC are of much the same standard as state grounds in Washington. Hardly a real dog among them so choose one with confidence. BC Parks website will have info on amenities.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Road tripping to Vancouver to Denver this summer, best 2 man tent?

best tent camping vancouver island image

Jay

Me and a friend or two are graduating college and want to drive to Vancouver and mostly camp along the way. I want a reliable two man tent, I have always trusted North Face gear but of course it can be a little expensive. I need one that is good in the rain and that can withstand wind. Any ideas? Also any suggestions on where to camp? Our main destination is Vancouver Island, hear its a pretty cool place.

Answer
If you're mainly car camping, I'd recommend something bigger than a strictly 2-man tent. They're pretty cozy, and if you don't have to carry it far (maybe even just have to dump it out of the trunk) the extra space is worth the slight weight gain to have some elbow room, more height to sit up or get dressed, etc. Some good brands include TNF, Sierra Designs, MEC, Mountain Hardwear, Hilleberg...
Experienced BC campers usually set up their tent, no matter how waterproof it is, under a good sized tarp (the blue ones found at any hardware store) to scare the rain gods away. It doesn't actually rain much here in the summer, but a storm or two is never out of the question, particularly on the Island. Have fun!

Quiet beach spot around Vancouver that you might even be able to set a camping tent just for a day?

mohsen

I'm looking for a beach in Vancouver with minimum traffic that ideally you're the only couple in there. Any suggestion?? Thanks :)

Answer
It's illegal to camp on beaches around Vancouver (for public health reasons, among others). That's true of any densely populated urban area like it anywhere in the US or Canada. If they did not enforce such measures the beaches would be clogged with squatters and the cities would have to maintain toilet facilities and other services to avoid befouling the areas.

Closest place nearby I can think of would be to rent kayaks in Deep Cove, northwest of the city, and paddle up to the end of Indian Arm fiord to camp there.

Or take the ferry to Vancouver Island and find camping areas near the shores there. Most areas restrict camping actually on beaches anyway. You have to be set back a ways from the actual beaches for various reasons including interfering with day use and natural habitats and the fact that most people are clueless about the levels that the tides reach on coastlines.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers