Provincial Parks in British Columbia

British Columbia boats almost 500 provincial parks, which range in size from one hectare to nearly one million hectares. Many are day use parks, others have campgrounds, but all have one thing in common – they protect a particularly beautiful area, a unique natural feature, a wildlife habitat or maybe a fish filled lake. 

Among the best of the parks are: Cypress Provincial Park on Vancouver’s city limits and offering great views; Carmanah Pacific Provincial Park, protecting a magnificent stand of old-growth forest; Manning Provincial Park, a high alpine area of snowcapped peaks and colorful flower filled meadows; Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, named after its stunning ice-field; Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, a rugged Rocky Mountain wilderness perfect for hiking trips; Naikoon Provincial Park, on the Queen Charlotte Islands; Mount Robson Provincial Park, protecting the Canadian Rockies’ highest peak; Bowron Lake Provincial Park, famous for its wilderness canoe route. 

In recent years, the government has continued to set aside land in provincial parks, recreation areas, wilderness areas, and wilderness conservancies. The establishment of these preserves has mostly been due to lobbying by local environment groups, such as the Valhalla Wilderness Society.