Porteau Cove – 7 Amazing Tips For The Best Campsite!

May 11, 2019January 2, 2021 / Camp That Site / 1 Comment

Porteau Cove Provincial Park – Squamish, BC

WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!!! That is really the best way to describe this campground. I can see why it is near impossible to get a reservation here!!!! We stayed at Porteau Cove Provincial Park for the first time in mid August 2017. Somehow my sister managed to get a double ocean front site and she invited us to share it. All I can say is LUCKY US. This is, without a doubt, the most amazing campground.

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We were booked into double site 41 & 42. This is a medium sized site and offers power. We were able to position our trailers so that we both had views, access to power and privacy from the road. This end of the street is near the walk-in sites and the park so the location was perfect. The ocean front sites are just steps from the water and offer incredible views. I really cannot say enough about the views and my pictures really capture it best.

Campground update: We made a second trip to this campground in December 2020. Our first attempt at winter camping. On this trip we stayed in double site 1/2. This site is very large and is the first site you see when you arrive. The site appears to be great when you first set up but after spending some time at the trailer we realized it had some downfalls. We were right next to the gate house so it was much busier as people came and went. We also had several trailer trapsters. It seems our site was a short cut from the beach to the campground. This site also did not get any direct sun which would have been nice at the end of December. If I could avoid booking this site again I would but the fact is that the campground is amazing and if this is all I could get, I would take it in a heartbeat.

Campground Details

It is important to note that all sites are very close to the train track and the noise is very, very loud as the trains rumble through. That said, I still feel like this is an amazing campground but I have never stayed here in a tent.

The campground is not large and is divided into 3 areas. The first camping loop has a mix of sites, some ocean front, some double, and several off the ocean but still very close. It is busier because it is the check in point, has the main bathroom as well as the sani dump area. Most of the center area site back onto one another. If you are camping with other families I can see that this would be a benefit. If you are camping alone, these sites reduce your privacy. There is also 2 cabins you can rent through Porteau Cove Olympic Legacy Cabins. These cabins are not booked through Discover Camping but the photo has the contact info. They are located in the first loop and it is close to the boat launch and tie ups.

The second area is east of the entrance along the park road. This is the area we stayed in on our first visit. The sites here are spread out and all have ocean views and access. Some of these sites are small so the larger RV’s would have a difficult time.

The sites do get very small along the ocean strip so be sure to follow the size rules.

The third area is the park and walk in tent sites. If we tented this would be a great place to stay. It was away from traffic, close to the beach, offers a covered picnic areas and has power for your use. The tent sites were graveled, level and nicely spaced but offer limited privacy. There is a communal fire pit shared between 3 sites each. The sites are also close to the park, grass area and walking trails. This is where we went to play boccie and take evening walks to the look out.

7 Amazing Tips

Any ocean front site is great as long as it fits your rv.
Double sites 41/42 are really the best double sites but they are not that big.
Double site 15/16 is the largest double site and gets lots of sunshine but is not ocean front.
Double site 1/2 is a large site but it is right at the gate and people tend to walk through it to get off the beach as well you get a lot of check in noise and traffic. It is not very private.
Site 22 and 23 would be my first choice for single sites. They are a bit larger, have great views and are private.
Site 36 is a pull through site and if your unit can fit is would offer great views but not shade or privacy.
Walk in sites are good but 3 sites share a common fire pit. Might be a great way to meet new people.

Campground Pro’s

The views and access to the ocean
Level, well maintained sites
Electrical hook ups
Sani dump on site
Cabin rental option
Boat launch and mooring pins
Park area on site for everyone’s use
Beautiful walking area on site
Walk in campsites
Close to excellent hiking and biking trails but you would need to drive because it is across the highway.

Campground Cons

Very difficult to get a reservation.
Some sites are very small or narrow giving very limited privacy.
A vehicle is needed to access the nearby hikes and other activities.
Walk in sites offer only communal fire pits.
Trains, you are very close to the train track and they run often and at all hours.

Coldspring Campground – Why This Is A Great Option!

September 12, 2015January 19, 2021 / Camp That Site / 7 Comments

Coldspring Campground, EC Manning Provincial Park

Coldspring is one of 4 campgrounds located within EC Manning Provincial Park. The most popular campground is Lightning Lakes followed by Coldspring, Mule Deer and Hampton. There are also 3 group campgrounds within Manning Park. Coldspring is a very large campground but only offers basic amenities; pit toilets, well water and a self check in gate which are consistent with the less expensive Provincial Parks. We could not get a site at Lightning Lake on the long weekend so we settled with one at Coldspring. As we approached we could see several campsites from the highway so we were concerned. The large loop of the campground is very exposed to the highway and the sites offer limited trees to provide privacy. Most of the sites are a good size though and upon further review there were many that would work great. We went for a walk and found several sites along the creek which sat well below the highway providing a private, quiet camping experience.

Skip directly to recommended sites!

What this park offers is great hiking. There are endless trails in this area that range from easy short hikes to more experienced overnight camping trails. We were camping with another couple who were staying at Lightning Lakes so we planned to spend a lot of time up there. They had printed off 8 pages of hiking trails in the area, so deciding on which one was the challenging part. Upon arrival the weather was rainy and cold with a nighttime low of -2 degrees being called for. That forecast worked in our favour because Saturday morning we were able to move to a site at Lightning Lakes due to a cancellation. Turned out the weather was nice and sunny all weekend so our trip was great.

Note that there is no cellphone reception within EC Manning Park. You can access Wifi at the resort if needed.

Our thoughts in the Coldspring Campground

Recommended Sites

We stayed in site 13. It was large with a lot of space between us and our neighbors although quite open and we could see and hear the highway traffic.

In the main loop, I would only recommend sites along the creek. They are well treed, backed onto the creek which helped mute the traffic and offered good privacy. Site 26 would be our top choice.
The lower road offers the best sites (sites 27-47). The road runs well below the highway so traffic noise was well muted. I would suggest only sites on the creek side because most of the roadside sites were very narrow and open to the road.
Site 28 & 32 were very nice pull through style sites.
Site 37 was the last site on the road and was very private. Great for dogs because they would have more freedom.
If staying on the lower road we noticed the noise started to disappear at site 42 and past.

Campground Highlights

Creekside sites on lower roads are very private.
Many double sites to choose from
Several first come first serve sites
Short walking trail that leads to Lightning Lakes Park.
Campground access to several local hikes

Campground Lowlights

Proximity to highway. Some site are fully exposed to the road
Limited large trees on center sites
Pit toilets
Well water
No cell service at all

Things to do

Hiking is the main attraction for campers in the area
Swimming at Lightning Lake
Kayaking, paddle boards and canoe rentals at Lightening Lakes
Visit Manning Park resort for the restaurant or hot tub use

Paradise Valley – Camp In This Piece Of Paradise!

August 7, 2015January 24, 2021 / Camp That Site / 11 Comments

Paradise Valley Campground – Squamish, BC

Paradise Valley Campground in Squamish BC was our last stop on our July 2015 Sea-to-Sky Tour, without kids or dogs. Our first night was at Nairn Falls in Pemberton, from there we headed to Whistler for 3 nights at Riverside Resort and Campground with our last 2 nights at Paradise Valley Campground. When we were planning to camp in Squamish we immediately looked into Alice Lake Provincial Park but not surprisingly, that was booked solid. After a few internet searches we found Paradise Valley. We had never heard of this campground but we needed 3 sites and they had 3 left so it was a perfect match. Having to take the last 3 available sites put our expectations at a low level; from their map it appeared our sites were right off the main road near the office so we were anticipating a noisy night.

Skip directly to recommended sites!

Our take on the campground

Let me say we were PLEASANTLY surprised by this campground. Right from the drive in on a very picturesque country road, the entire campground experience was pleasing. The road is very rural (so much so that our GPS thought the address was a mile or two shy of the actual location) meaning traffic noise was not an issue. There is a train track running down the other side of the campground and it did generated noise about 5 times per day, but sleeping in a trailer allowed us to mute the sound a bit

The sites at this campground are large, some so big we all could have set-up on one site in particular. They are all well treed and offer ample space between sites. Only low lying bush separates the sites meaning you can see your neighbors but because the sites are so large it wasn’t a concern. There web site does have RV size limitation due to all it’s trees but for our party this was not an issue. They have 14 sites that offer hook ups but the sewer was not positioned near the electrical & water. Two of us have side drain connections and could not utilize the sewer hole. Only our motorhome friends have sewer at the back allowing them to drain. We noticed this placement design on all the sites we saw.
The sites offer a level RV spot (unless noted on their web site) but the ground cover is dirt making for a dusty stay. A load of gravel would do this campground well but I guess with the size of these sites it would cost a small fortune. They did say they normally water more, but there were restrictions at the time.

Sites I would recommend (Site Map)

We were in sites 4, 6 &11 and I would stay in any of these again.
From walking around I would say 9 &13 would be my top choice, but really they are all good choices.
Our trip was cut short due to a family emergency so I didn’t get a chance to check out the non-serviced sites. We will try to get back so that I can update those in the future.

Campground Highlights

The bathrooms: these were the nicest camp bathrooms I have ever seen. The tiling and detail are really a surprise at a campground, and they were always kept clean.
Site size: all the sites were very large and some were huge.
Hook up options: you have the choice of hook ups or not.
Trails: the campground contains several short hiking trails
Coffee shop: a small store/cafe is offered on site.
Green space: they have 2 large geen spaces for activities
Group campsite: not often offered in a private campground.
Bike Rental: available on site

Campground lowlights

Sewer location: not near mid trailer hook ups making use of sewer difficult
Campsite ground cover: the dirt ground cover made for a dusty stay
Train tracks: there is no way to avoid the sound of a passing train
No music or radio at all: this could be a positive or negative but we did miss listening to music, although not enough to avoid the campground

Things To Do

Hiking the many trails on site.
Visit the Salmon Hatchery
Biking
Alice Lake
Fishing

Links

Riverside Resort – 5 Tips To Help You Request The Best Site!

July 14, 2015January 19, 2021 / Camp That Site / 4 Comments

Riverside Campground in Whistler, BC was our home for 3 nights in early July. If you are familiar with BC you will know Whistler is a destination spot for both summer and winter vacationers. We have wanted to camp in Whistler for a few years now so last year we scouted out the 2 private campgrounds in the area and decided Riverside would be our selection for this summer’s trip. After 3 nights at Riverside I can say would highly recommend this campground for many reason. I hope you find this review helpful when selecting a site.

Skip directly to my site recommendations!

Photo taken from Riverside campground web site. This is a photo of the new upper section

The main reason we chose Riverside was because of its location. It is just outside Whistler Village and is wonderfully connected via paved and lit cycling/walking trails. The other private campground in the area, Whistler RV Park, boast incredible views but it is a long way from the village and I feel only accessible by automobile. We like our summer beverages so decided a bike commute would work best.

Like a few other campgrounds we have booked, this campground didn’t allow us to select a specific site and only allowed you to put in requests. We asked which sites would give us the most privacy and were told the full service sites in the original part would be best. We booked 3 sites as we were traveling with two other couples. When we arrived we were each given a site on Douglas street and found we were right next to each other (Douglas 6,7 & 8). That worked great for us and once at our site we were pleased to find some trees separated us from the surrounding campsites. Now that I have seen the campground, if I was traveling with another group, I would recommend getting sites that back onto each other rather than side by side. An example would be Douglas 6 and Elderberry 1) There is more privacy trees on the sides of the sites rather than the end of the sites and therefore we felt like we were looking into the people behind us’ campfire.

I would also strongly recommend trying to gets into the lower, original section of the campground. We walked up to look at the 2 new sections and were shocked at how small these sites were. We found many people had to move their camp chairs out to the road area in order to sit as a small group. There was also very limited length space in these sites, so much so that the campground provides a parking lot for guest to park their tow vehicles in. This is a huge inconvenience because, being in the heart of bear country, most people use the back of their trucks to store coolers, BBQs and all the other forbidden bear attractions that must be put away each night. I commented on how the lower section provided quit a bit of room per site considering it is a private campground. Well these upper sites do not get the same review. They are much shorter than any campground I have been to and have very little privacy between or behind each site.

My thoughts on the campground

Site Recommendations and Map

If I was to put in a request there are the sites it would ask for D1,2,3,4,5. E1,2,3,4, A1,2,3,4,5,6 H8,9,10,11
Sites H8,9 & 10 are nice because they are off on their own a bit
Try to avoid W 8,9,10 & 11. They have nice views but no privacy to the road or golf course
The pull through sites are typical pull through with no privacy but very convenient
Try and avoid the upper section but if that is all you can get this campground is worth the stay for location alone.

Campground Highlights

Location, location, location
Lower campsites, for a private campground the lower sites were well treed and a decent size. Keep in mind we are comparing this to other private campgrounds, not provincial sites which tend to be even more private.
Large, clean, secure shower houses
Putting green course, playground and sand volleyball court on site
Various accommodation options, camping, cabins, & yurts
WiFi, although also a con as it was very spotty
Quiet for a private campground so close to the town
On site restaurant and convenience store

Campground Lowlight

Not a lot of privacy, better than most private campgrounds but still very close.
Spotty WiFi
Mini golf was not discounted for guests
New upper section sites are very small, short and have limited privacy.

Things to do

Putting golf
Volleyball
Playground
Open area for field games
Biking trail to village runs right through the campground
All of Whistlers many features are within walking distance: hiking, biking, golfing, lakes, swimming and many more.

Links

Nairn Falls – This Campground Is An Amazing Hidden Gem!

July 8, 2015January 19, 2021 / Camp That Site / 5 Comments

Nairn Falls Provincial Park is located 5 minutes outside Pemberton and 25 minutes north of Whistler making it a great home base for those wanting to enjoy the many outdoor activities in the area. We recently camped a night there before heading into Whistler.

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We decided to only stay one night mostly because of the limited facilities. Nairn Falls has no hook ups, which is the case with most provincial parks, but it also only has pit toilets and well water making it a bit more primitive than the camping we normally do (aka, I like my showers). We were planning a Monday night stay, so after checking the Discover Camping Reservation System which indicated the chance of getting a first come first serve site was high, we headed there without a site reserved.

Now this doesn’t sound like a big deal to most people but I am someone who likes to plan things down to the smallest detail so this was a risky move for me and even riskier for my husband who had to deal with my heightened stress.The drive from Vancouver to Nairn Falls is spectacular and worth the trip on its own. We arrived around noon and after cruising around the campground we settled on a site. We were meeting another couple so it was an added bonus that we could get double site 8/9. The camp sites at this park are large so there really isn’t a bad site to be had but all the sites along the cliffs edge have spectacular views and are worth reserving ahead of time if you can get one. Not surprising those sites were gone but a site across the road from the view was the next best thing. It was also close to the washrooms and far enough off the road to distance the traffic noise.

The main reason we decided to stay at Nairn Falls was for the local hiking so after we set up we headed out to complete the Joffre Lake hike. This has to be one of the most spectacular hikes in the area and it only took around 2 hours to complete. That evening we enjoyed the views of the campground and drinks with friends.

The next morning was check out so we only had time for a short hike. We saved the Nairn Falls hike for that morning because it can be completed in under and hour. It was an easy hike and worth the view at the end.

Blair iPhone 2015 07 133 — Berry picking with a view!

Once packed up we were ready to head out but it was too early to check into our Whistler campground so we decided to explore Pemberton. We had passed North Arm Farm the day before and wanted to go back to find some fresh berries. The views from this farm were amazing and after buying a “hand pie” we sat on the swings and took in the sites. I had never berry picked before so myself and one of our friends headed into the fields, bucket in hand. It didn’t take us long to realize why they can never hire berry pickers. In our short 15 minute pick we were both covered in mosquito bites. After gather enough berries for sangria and cereal we called it a day and headed back to the safety of our vehicles. On to Whistler it was but not before declaring Pemberton and Joffre Lakes a successful stay.

Here are my thoughts on the campground.

Recommended Sites

Sites 2,4,6,7,11,13/14,16 are prime view sites. Get them if you can, they are worth it.
Avoid sites that back onto highway 99, although there is a lot of bush to dampen the noise, the highway is right there so they are the noisiest

Campground Highlights

The mountain views and area hikes.
Large, easily accessible sites.
Great privacy between sites.
Clean and well maintained.

What the view sites look like from the trail.

Campground Lowlights

Pit toilets
No hook ups
Only 2 water spots in the park.

Things to do

Cultus Lake Provincial Campground – Chilliwack, BC

May 18, 2015January 25, 2016 / Camp That Site / Leave a comment

This weekend we camped at Cultus Lake so I have updated our site and campground recommendations

Camp That Site

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/cultus_lk/

View from double site 38

Could a Lower Mainland-based campsite blog not include Cultus Lake? Cultus is one of the few lakes in the region large enough to water ski, and its just inland far enough to escape Vancouver’s cool marine climate. As such, its a very popular day trip and camping destination.

Cultus Lake is only a 20 minute drive from the TransCanada Hwy at Chilliwack. A small village hosts a good waterslide park, a public wharf complex designed into a great swimming area, ice cream stands, a putting golf course and other tourist activities. If Cultus’ weather does get wet, then that 20 minute drive finds Chilliwack’s shopping malls, indoor municipal pools, movie theaters or restaurants.

Just the other side of the village is Sunnyside, a popular private campground that we have never stayed at so would appreciate reader comments for this blog.

Public Beach taken from Government…

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Alice Lake Provincial Park – Squamish, BC.

April 1, 2015January 25, 2016 / Camp That Site / 17 Comments

www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/alice_lk/

Alice Lake Provincial Park.

This park is located about 10 km outside of Squamish making it easy weekend access for Lower Mainland campers. Alice Lake is located just off the famous Sea to Sky Highway and right in the heart of some of the best hiking trails in the country. There are 2 lakes with swimming beaches in this park and both have stunning views of the mountains. The campground has just under 100 campsites with about half of them offering electrical hook ups. This is unusual for a provincial park so if you can get a site with power grab it. The park offers all the privacy of a typical provincial campground and with its location to Vancouver it is very difficult to get into. Be sure to book 90 days in advance in order to secure a site. Continue reading →

Fort Camping, Brae Island Regional Park – Fort Langley, BC

March 6, 2015January 25, 2016 / Camp That Site / 4 Comments

http://www.fortcamping.com

It is not often that we get 14 degree C days in February but this year it has seemed like the norm. For that reason my husband, son and I decided to head out to Fort Langley for a sunny walk, a patio lunch and to check out Fort Camping on Brae Island Regional Park, which is right in Fort Langley. We know several people who have camped here but we have never been to the campground ourselves. Keep in mind we only did walked through but I wrote down some notes, spoke to a very friendly employee and took some photos of the grounds. I thought I would provide a short review until we can get a weekend visit in. Continue reading →

Chilliwack Lake Provincial Campground – Chilliwack, BC

January 2, 2015January 25, 2016 / Camp That Site / 1 Comment

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/chilliwack_lk/

Chilliwack Lake

Located about 45 kilometers down a rural, sometimes bumpy road, east of Chilliwack lies Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. Due to its remoteness, and its beautiful mountain valley location, its a true “Beautiful BC” provincial park camping experience. Most sites cannot be reserved ahead of time, which means they don’t fill-up 3 months in advance like nearby Cultus Lake Provincial Park. This makes Chilliwack Lake often the only option for spontaneous camping trips for summer weekends. Continue reading →