What should I do in southern British Columbia!

What part of Southern BC? Will you get as far east as the Kootenays, or will you keep west of the Rockies?

I live in central B.C and can tell you there is a fee for camping, the provincial parks have a set rate depending on what the park provides.
There are LOTS of private camp grounds as well and they all charge as well.
Look on line, but as for where to go the sunshine coast is really neat,will cost the price of the ferries but you go up the coast, cross to vancouver island than come back down the island and cross back at Vancouver LOTS of neat little towns ,tons of scenery,what ever you choose hit the tourist info booth in each town for ideas and pamphlets .
Please remember one thing while here and gazing at all to take in,when at all possible let the big rigs by because we have work to do.
Have a super trip and drive SAFE!!

I strongly recommend Vancouver Island. It has great unspoiled wilderness including Pacific Rim National Park, which is huge and includes camping. Meares Island, which is off the coast from Tonino had ancient trees including two more than 1,000 years old. It is only reachable by boat (from Tonino). Cathedral Grove is also worth seeing. At the other end of the island, you might enjoy the little town of Ucluelet.

Be careful, brush fires in Washington right now.

Pick your own berries and apples. Going berry picking Is fun.

I’m so jealous! I love that area so much. I lived and worked there a few years ago.

Even if you don’t normally enjoy established State/National Park Campgrounds, there’s plenty of privacy at Fort Stevens and Cape Disappointment
Both have secluded tent sites, away from RV generators with the bonus of hot showers in the morning!
Cross over at Astoria (don’t miss lunch at the Red Lion, Astoria and eat on the pier over the water… lovely.)

Travel up Pacific Coast Highway 101 and stop at the Olympic/Cascade Ranger Station at Kalaloch. You can get free back-country permits for the rainforest or recommendations for sites on the wilderness beaches that are empty this time of year. Look for sand-dollars on Ruby Beach and Jasper Beach.

From there, continue 101 through Forks, giving a quick nod to sparkly vampires, and up to Port Angeles. Ferry to Victoria Island for a day of tiny London experience and fabulous dim sum. Then ferry again to the San Juan Islands, which is all about eco-tourism. Bike along the beach, make friends with locals and get a private glimpse of Orca whales… they are amazing!

For a gradual return to civilization, ferry again to Vancouver. Spend at least one entire day at the Natural History Museum. If you have a special interest, call ahead. Their archives are open for exploration beyond the exhibits! Last time I checked, you could still get killer deals at hostels and B&Bs.

If you have time, meander across beautiful BC to stunning Alberta and drop down into Banff/Jasper/Glacier and then to (near my home turf) Flathead Lake area of Montana. Check out Mission Mountain Winery!

I don’t know about camping but Vancouver is a lovely city to walk around and from there you can take the ferry to Victoria. I remember when I stayed in Vancouver walking around in the forest somewhere, and walking bridges in-between cliffs. I don’t remember the names of everything, but it was fantastic.

I highly recommend calling the tourist bureau for BC and having them send you brochures. I do this whenever I go to a new place in North America so I can flip through the information, and I ask them to send me a map if available.

@Blueroses Oh my can you tell me more about the whales?! Is there a specific spot to go?

All great suggestions so far—but really Canada, no free camping? No public land? And there’s so much of it! It’s gotta be somewhere doesn’t it?! I am talking primitive camping – no facilities needed whatsoever. Is there still a fee?!?

I forgot to mention that we will have bikes with us and would love to use them. I am actually picking up a bicycle in Portland that my brother has built for me. I have invested a lot into it and have been waiting to pick it up for almost 3 months so biking is top priority if possible!

Thanks everyone so far!!

I saw whales in Juneau, AK and it was fantastic! That’s a great idea while in Canada. If you do it I hope you get lucky like we did and see bunches of them.

Oh, deni, you can totally go commando on the back roads. Just don’t cross any fences without permission. Most folks in BC/Alberta are akin to Montanans. Ask to camp if you see a house. If you don’t see a house, apologize if someone comes to see what you’re up to.

The designated camping areas in Canada are so beautiful though. Most are fee-free. They are paid by fuel taxes. It isn’t what you expect from US campgrounds. Give it a shot, and if you don’t like it, stop at any Ranger station for off-road bike/hike maps. Always a good idea to check in anyway so someone knows where you headed. Wildlife isn’t tame up there! :)

San Juan islands are between Seattle and Vancouver. Orca whales thrive there! People make a good living taking tourists out to view them, but if you hit a local pub and plead poverty, (and you’re cool, not preachy) someone will let you work on the boat to go out for free!

I don’t know how accessible they are, but at a height of 2,755 feet, the James Bruce Falls are the tallest waterfalls in North America.

They’re about 40 miles west of Whistler and about 60 miles northwest of Vancouver.

Avoid the fires.