Camping on Vancouver island

[EscapeBoulder]

One of our favorites is Tsa Kwa Luten campsite on the southwest corner of Quadra Island, about a 10 minute ferry ride across from Vancouver Is. Beautiful. Quiet. And one can watch the boats navigate up the passage between Quadra and Vancouver Islands.

Tsa Kwa Luten Lodge Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada accommodation resort

... Greg
Boulder, CO
Not all who wander are lost.

[stude]

who is travelling to BC or there abouts and needs maps let me know and I will look in our stash of maps that well be getting rid of soon.
stude

[Gulfbreeze]

Originally Posted by stude

who is travelling to BC or there abouts and needs maps let me know and I will look in our stash of maps that well be getting rid of soon.
stude

stude, PM sent.

[FRED SMAILES]

Originally Posted by FRED SMAILES

We are forgoing our trip south this winter and plan on spending time touring BC next summer.
Vancouver Island is certainly a priority so we will be following this thread!!
Fred

We are into our 3rd night on V Island. We booked Salish Seaside RV Haven because it looked like a super cool spot, in the harbour on the water watching all the water traffic(cruise ships, water planes, ferries etc) but too expensive. Neighbourhood is in demo mode for new condos, has no decent cycling, roads in and out are a disaster, won't be back here.
Spent day and a half at Butchart Gardens, absolute heaven! And I'm not a gardener by any means.
Leaving Victoria in the morn headed up island, will base out of Nanimo for the next few days. More to follow.

[stude]

Originally Posted by FRED SMAILES

We are into our 3rd night on V Island. We booked Salish Seaside RV Haven because it looked like a super cool spot, in the harbour on the water watching all the water traffic(cruise ships, water planes, ferries etc) but too expensive. Neighbourhood is in demo mode for new condos, has no decent cycling, roads in and out are a disaster, won't be back here.
Spent day and a half at Butchart Gardens, absolute heaven! And I'm not a gardener by any means.
Leaving Victoria in the morn headed up island, will base out of Nanimo for the next few days. More to follow.

: Parksville for less rain and a nice spot to stay, Qualicum Beach is another place of less rain, Comox is a interesting place, Duncan has a nice Native Museum of sorts, then there is Tofino which is across the Island, we stayed at the Golf Course and airport is right there to and if earthquake your not far from high ground in case of big wave. We drove everywhere when Motor home was smaller but when we had class A we towed a toad to get around in. Now were back to a 24' so no more toad. Ucluelet is also interesting plus they have a great restaurant withe pool, darts, bowling etc. but the food is great and cheap for the amount you get. Other than that I cannot tell you anymore thought it has been years since we went further up the Island we kept to the places I'm sending to you now.
Stude

[Franswa]

so you started in Victoria....didn't like it....and now you're headed for Nanaimo to "base" yourself there...(????)


that is like if myself, who lives on the Island, decided to check out the camping in the Rockies.....and drove straight through to Calgary, camped there and found it not to my liking....then decided to drive to Edmonton to camp there....


You stayed at the most expensive CG on the whole Island I bet...heck, you could have rented a motel room close to downtown for what you paid to park there


From Victoria you could head for Port Renfrew and do the "Pacific Marine Highway"....if you're not that "adventurous"....there are a few good options between Cowichan Bay and Crofton (off to the right on the way north to Nanaimo).....same goes for an area just south of Nanaimo called Yellow Point (get off the main highway....lots of interesting nooks and crannies with older, funky CGs)



and it's a big island.....get out of the large centers.....good luck

[FRED SMAILES]

Originally Posted by Franswa

so you started in Victoria....didn't like it....and now you're headed for Nanaimo to "base" yourself there...(????)


that is like if myself, who lives on the Island, decided to check out the camping in the Rockies.....and drove straight through to Calgary, camped there and found it not to my liking....then decided to drive to Edmonton to camp there....


You stayed at the most expensive CG on the whole Island I bet...heck, you could have rented a motel room close to downtown for what you paid to park there

The heckling is being taken in good humour as I'm sure it was intended,,,?
I do like rural, but not the middle of nowhere. Nanimo is a more manageable size for me, the living forest campground has good reviews here plus I wanted to make it through the long weekend without having to look for a Walmart lot.
The area around the rv park was a disaster not Victoria in general. But it is hard to get around in.
I've been across the Port Renfrew, Lake Cowitchan road in 2016 on a motorcycle I have no interest in pulling my boler across it.
Tofino is a target on our way and then Comox and the sunshine coast.
Fred

[Franswa]

It's all what you get used to....I did the Port Renfrew thing twice with my trailer and would do it again....


anyways,the possibilities are endless....like the real expensive (where you were)....the "premium" like Living Forest at 55 bucks (very nice sites, showers, washrooms) to "regular" commercial CGs at about 30-35 bucks (like Brennan Lake CG in Nanaimo)....then there's all the PPs for cheaper but that is no services.


In Tofino I've stayed at Bella Pacifica and really enjoyed it...steps from the actual beach and pretty close to Tofino itself


Have a great trip! Cheers, F

[FRED SMAILES]

If you click on the pic a couple of times it gets big enough to see something.
was a beautiful scene but camera and operator,,,,, sad.
our little trailer is above the boat in the center of the pic, to the right are house boats, a cruise ship docked behind and the USA Olympic peninsula mountains in the distance. Pic was taken Monday eve in Victoria.

[FRED SMAILES]

Site T4 at Living Forest just outta Nanamio. Click on pic a couple times for size but quality doesn't improve,,, Great park, right full for the long weekend end staying till Tuesday morn. Weather looks as though it might be worth going out to Tofino for a couple days next

[hrewer]

This looks nice! We started this thread intending to be there now, but Howard had a knee replacement so we’re hoping for next year. So much good advice here. Thanks!

[FRED SMAILES]

Franswa, thanks for mentioning Bella Pacifica!
We just pulled in and set up in site 40 on the terrace,, weather is stunning!
Lovin it, booked for 3 days.
Fred

[Franswa]

that is a nice spot ain't it....and man! have you seen the forecast??? I think you should buy a lottery ticket when you go into town!!! I was on the "terrace" as well when I was there...

[Franswa]

if you'd be into something a little more off the beaten track....on the way back from the west coast...in Port Alberni you could hang a left and go to Stamp River Provincial Park...(about ten miles all on pavement up the Alberni Valley)....no services other than outhouses...but a great river/falls experience as well as a historic sawmill to visit on the way...nice place....if you're a "geezer" it's only ten bucks at this time of year

[FRED SMAILES]

had our granddaughter out for her first camping overnight and trail riding on bicycles, some of the incredible campsites at Bella Pacifica, Tofino.
In Comox tonight at Cape Lazo, nice park upgraded everything lately.
Ferry to the sunshine coast in the morning

[FRED SMAILES]

Somebodies gotta do it,, Kent's Beach rv, Powell River BC

[Glenn Baglo]

Nice. Sharp too.

[FRED SMAILES]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Nice. Sharp too.

Ya phone lense is all scratched, took this with tablet.
Fred

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by FRED SMAILES

had our granddaughter out for her first camping overnight and trail riding on bicycles, some of the incredible campsites at Bella Pacifica, Tofino.
In Comox tonight at Cape Lazo, nice park upgraded everything lately.
Ferry to the sunshine coast in the morning

Hope you went to the Comox Air Museum. It was fabulous when we were there in 2015. The campgrounds in the area are beautiful.

[FRED SMAILES]

Missed that! Comox was just a night layover for the ferry. We really liked the area though and plan on another trip out here that focuses on more northern areas of the island.
We are on the mainland now so probably last post in this thread. Island was neat. Ferries are stressful for me both missing them and riding them. Will be happy back in the Kootenay's.
Fred