B.C. to charge $20 fee for out-of-province campers starting May 15
CBC
Beginning May 15, 2026, people who live outside B.C. will pay an additional $20 fee to book campsites in some of the province’s most popular parks.
The fee will apply at 59 high-demand front-country campgrounds and four backcountry parks, and will be charged once per park booking.
BC Parks is also increasing base camping fees for all visitors at those locations with front-country sites ranging from $5 to $51 per party per night and backcountry sites from $5 to $25 per person per night.
Calgarian Ferrell Beleshko, who has hiked in Alberta and B.C. for decades, says he understands the need to generate more revenue but he questions singling out non-residents.
“It feels like there is an intention to divide,” Beleshko said. “Maybe it’s unintentional, but it feels that way.”
According to B.C.’s Ministry of Environment and Parks, Albertans accounted for about 10 per cent of park bookings in 2024 and 2025, while non-residents overall made up about 25 per cent.
The ministry estimates the non-resident fee will generate about $1.6 million this season.
The province says B.C. parks are busier than ever, with visits up about 30 per cent over the past six years to more than 27 million visitors annually.
It also says rising maintenance costs and damage from extreme weather are putting pressure on park infrastructure.
University of Waterloo professor Daniel Scott, a research chair who has advised governments and international organizations on sustainable tourism, says new visitor levies are increasingly being used in popular destinations to raise revenue.
He points to the United States, where some of the country’s most popular national parks have recently introduced a $100 surcharge per foreign visitor.
But he notes those charges apply only to non-Americans.
“People visiting other countries often expect departure taxes, visa fees or other levies,” Scott said. “Most people don’t have problems with that if they know the money is earmarked to make parks better.”
Applying a non-resident surcharge to Canadians from other provinces, alongside international visitors is unusual, he said.
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