Discover Wild British Columbia

Crown land in British Columbia: what you need to know

Most of the province is public, but not the parts by the highway

About 94% of British Columbia is provincial Crown land. The private 5% is concentrated where people live and drive: the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, the Okanagan benches, the Peace farmland, valley bottoms through the Interior, and a large block of private forest on eastern Vancouver Island. That's why a lakeshore beside the highway is often private while the same lake's far side, up a forest road, is Crown land. Our Crown land by city pages show what's realistically within reach of each town.

The 14-day rule

BC sets out Crown land camping in a provincial policy called the Permission. Anyone, resident or visitor, may camp on Crown land for up to 14 consecutive days at a site. The count only resets if you, your vehicle and your gear are gone for 72 hours straight. The Permission doesn't apply in parks, ecological reserves, conservancies, Wildlife Management Areas, municipalities, leases or federal land, or anywhere posted against camping. Leave no structures and no garbage. The Crown land camping rules guide covers all of it, including how fire bans work.

Fire bans move fast

Campfires up to half a metre high and wide are "Category 1" fires, and in most summers at least one fire centre bans them. Bans are set by fire centre and sometimes by zone, so the rule at your camp may differ from the rule in town. Check the BC Wildfire Service's current restrictions the day you leave, and report a wildfire at 1-800-663-5555 or *5555.

Recreation sites, parks and the rest of the map

Blue on the map marks Recreation Sites and Trails BC's rustic Crown land campsites: tables, fire rings and a pit toilet on a lake or river, some free and some with a nightly fee. Purple is BC Parks, where you camp only in campgrounds or where a park allows backcountry camping. Since 2026, visitors from outside BC pay an extra $20 non-resident fee wherever a park camping fee applies. Teal ecological reserves are off-limits to camping, hunting and fishing. The guide to parks, protected areas and rec sites lays out the differences.

Before you go

Unshaded land on the map is usually Crown land in the backcountry but often private near towns, and reserves, treaty lands and private forest aren't shaded at all. Our how to find Crown land guide walks through the official tools. Anglers 16 and older need a freshwater licence, and barbed hooks are banned in all BC rivers and streams; see the fishing licence and rules guide. Hunters start with hunting on Crown land. Non-residents need a licensed guide for big game.

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