We love RVing in Canada and hope – fingers crossed! – to travel across our country again later this coming summer. This blog is all about travel inspiration. We provide well-researched information to help you get out there – even when we’re stuck in here. We’ve been spending nights researching this upcoming adventure. It has inspired a new series: RVing in Canada. Our first article is a list of 84 links with ideas on where to find campsites.
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Table of Contents
Where to Find Campsites in Canada
Before we jump in, it is important to note up front that we can’t guarantee that all of the information you will find on the following links is accurate and up to date. RV Parks come and go. Phone numbers change. Once free sites are no longer free or even available for camping.
Planning a trip with your RV in the next little while?
Check out this post of the Best RV Travel Apps!
Be prepared to go with the flow – even if it means abandoning ideas for camping at that one site and moving on to the next. We also cannot accept any responsibility for losses or damages – or even sleep-deprived nights – from anyone using this information. Use the list below at your own risk.
Whew! Now that the legal disclaimer is out of the way, on to the fun stuff. We’re fans of low-cost and free camping, but appreciate the amenities of good RV Parks from time to time.
Be Sure to Check out our 6-Step Formula for Planning a Trip Across Canada
We’ve broken down our findings into three main sections: Canada-wide listings, provincial & territorial listings and free (or almost free) options. Hopefully this makes it easier for you to find a campsite within your budget in your select area.
RVing in Canada: General Listings
There are 48 National Parks in Canada. One way to find a national park campground near you is using this interactive map page. Note that national parks plus summer equals busy. Always. Plan and book ahead if you can.
Go RVing Canada is an excellent resource to help you start discovering campgrounds in our amazing country.
The Canadian Camping and RV Council represents the interests of private campground owners across Canada. Member listings can be found from a list or by clicking on the interactive map.
Provincial & Territorial Listings
We’ve broken these down to individual provinces and territories to make it easier to use. There will be overlap between some of the links as tourism sites often include national, provincial and private campground options. Our hope is that if you can’t find a site you want in one link, you’ll find it in another!
Camping in British Columbia
British Columbia offers everything from mountain meadow to river and beachside camping opportunities. Set up in a rainforest along the West Coast or choose the warm desert-like air of the southern interior. We love the Columbia Valley! You’ve got national, provincial, privately-owned and free (or almost free) recreation site campgrounds to choose from in beautiful BC.
Park Advisor – British Columbia
Where to Camp in Alberta
Wide open prairies, northern lakes and towering mountains – Alberta has it all. The province has over 500 sites in its parks and protected areas network. Many of these sites include campgrounds. Add in national, municipal and privately-owned campgrounds and the options are endless!
Parks and Campgrounds Owners’ Association of Alberta
Also, check for Municipal Parks with campgrounds by County, eg) Mountain View County
Places to Camp in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan’s official flag captures the essence of this spectacular province – from blooming western red lilies to green northern boreal forests to golden grain fields in the south. Loved our little tour through the province to check out Prince Albert National Park! There’s a wide open range of places to camp in this prairie province.
Tourism Saskatchewan: Municipal & Regional Parks
Lake Diefenbaker Campgrounds/RV Sites
Travel in Saskatchewan: Northern SK Campgrounds & RV Parks
The Saskatchewan Border Outdoor Adventure Map
Regional Parks of Saskatchewan
All Stays – Saskatchewan Campgrounds
Manitoba Camping Options
Lakes, rivers, Arctic coastline, the Canadian Shield, northern forests and southern prairies make up the bulk of Manitoba’s natural charms. It’s a prime wildlife-watching destination with plenty of space to set up camp!
Travel Manitoba Campgrounds & RV Parks
Manitoba Association of Parks and Campgrounds
RV Stays in Ontario
While Ontario may be the most populated province in Canada, there is a vast number of places to camp. Dotted with lakes and rivers, you can camp on the shores of the Great Lakes, set up on the Niagara Escarpment or pull up a patch of the Canadian Shield and call it home for a day or two or dozen!
Conservation Area Campgrounds in Ontario
Camping Quebec
Connect with nature in the forest. Camp on an island. Set up beachside. Explore the past. Find an urban stay. Quebec has an endless variety of campgrounds to meet your needs.
Where to Stay in New Brunswick?
Follow the beacon of the lighthouse. Stand and watch the tides devour wide open bays. Rumble across a covered bridge. An RV excursion in New Brunswick will delight and amaze. Best of all? There’s plenty of places to park your rig and stay for days!
New Brunswick Provincial Parks
New Brunswick Campground Owners Association
KOA Campgrounds in New Brunswick
Atlantic Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds – New Brunswick
RVing in Canada’s Nova Scotia
Hike the majestic Cape Breton Highlands. Explore the history of Lunenburg. Wander along the incredible Bay of Fundy. No matter where you head to set up camp, Nova Scotia has something unique to offer.
Nova Scotia – Private Campgrounds
Atlantic Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds – Nova Scotia
Camping on Prince Edward Island
Looking for a little island time? Look no further! No matter where you stand on Prince Edward Island, you are less than 16 kilometres from the ocean. Bring your kayaks, your bikes and your outdoor adventure spirit for an RV stay on this isle of delight.
Prince Edward Island Provincial Parks
KOA Campgrounds in Prince Edward Island
Atlantic Association of RV Parks & Campground – PEI
Picking a Place to Park Your RV in Newfoundland & Labrador
If you’ve made it all the way to the most easterly edge of North America – congrats! You’ll set up camp where Vikings landed over 1,000 years ago. Expect to find remote coastlines, occasional icebergs, puffins and whales and plenty of campsites for your RV adventure.
Newfoundland & Labrador Provincial Parks
Tourism Newfoundland & Labrador – Campgrounds
KOA Campgrounds in Newfoundland & Labrador
Atlantic Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds – Newfoundland
Sleeping in the Land of the Midnight Sun – Yukon
Need a place to pull over for a night or two? For starters, there are 42 territorial campgrounds on 11 different highways across the Yukon. Conrad Territorial Campground is one of our faves! Add to that National Parks and RV Parks and… well… let’s just say the Yukon has your next stay covered.
Yukon Government – Find a campground or recreation site
Taking an RV Journey Far North…West!
Few RVers make the journey north into the Northwest Territories. For those that do, expect to find more than a dozen territorial campgrounds – with no need to reserve a site!
Park Advisor – Northwest Territories
Options for Free or Low-cost Campsites
It’s important to start off by noting that free camping usually means no services – no water outlets, no garbage bins, no outhouses. Always Leave No Trace wherever you stay. Note that many free campsites are off the beaten path… and that means skip the pavement and head out on gravel or dirt roads for many sites.
Now on to the freebies! Beyond truck stops, Walmarts, tourist info centres and rest areas, there are other options for free overnight stays. Take Crown Land, for instance. A vast majority of land in Canada is owned by the Canadian monarch and is designated ‘crown land.’
To complicate things, there is Federal Crown Land and Provincial Crown Land. Useage varies between provinces and territories. For example, Canadian residents can camp for free on crown land for up to 21 days in Ontario (per location per calendar year) but only 14 days in Alberta and BC. Non-residents must buy a camping permit. You’ll need to check specific for each province/territory, but here are a few links to get you started:
Other Sites for Free (or almost free) Camping Opportunities
iOverlander is a free website and app created to help self-reliant travelers (usually campers) find their next destination. The site is run by volunteers; donations gratefully accepted.
Free Campsites offer free and low-cost campsite options around the country (click on specific province or territory for details).
Boondockers Welcome – requires a self-contained RV with all functions of living (toilet, sink and built-in grey water tank mandatory) for $65/year membership.
Also, check out Explore Magazine’s “done for you” suggestions:
50 Free Campsites in British Columbia
30 Free Places to Camp in Saskatchewan
30 Places to Camp for Free in Manitoba
50 Free Places to Camp in Ontario
20 Free Places to Camp in Nova Scotia
15 Places to Camp for Free in Newfoundland & Labrador
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So looking forward to borders opening. I have a trip planned with friends, rvers, and anxiously hoping. Keep us posted please. Thanks
I’m sure everyone will be shouting it from their trailer, motorhome and camper rooftops! I know we will 😉
As a kid we had a camper and took trips all over the US. I had a great time. It is a really good way to see places and also spend a little time in the outdoors. I miss it.
Never too late to get an RV and start exploring again 😉
I’m so looking forward to exploring Canada. Will definitely use this as a guide. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome; enjoy the visit!
I haven’t camped for 4 years (does Glastonbury count?) and haven’t driven for even longer, so I like to vicariously travel via articles like these and pretend that I’m the type of person who spontaneously goes on an exciting camping trip.
Hahaha… fair enough!
An RV trip in Canada is my dream! We did a trip around New Zealand for 3 months and had the time of our lives. US and Canada will be next just as soon as the world is back to normal. Thanks for sharing, very useful for the future 🙂
Dreams are good things to hold on to these days!