r/vancouverhiking

Tired of piecing together Crown land camping info from government PDFs and outdated forum posts, so I started building an app.

Basic idea: map of free campable Crown land in BC using official provincial data. Shows BC Forest Recreation Sites, Forest Service Roads to get there,
and which areas are parks/reserves where you can't camp.

Works offline so dead zones don't matter.

Google Maps won't tell you if you're legally allowed to camp somewhere, doesn't know Forest Service Roads, and is useless without signal.

This does all three.

Genuine question — is this something BC campers/overlanders/hikers would actually use?

Edit for visibility: Here is the landing page for "early access" sign up. Just so I can notify once complete.

https://bivvy.pages.dev/

Hello, I’m 16 and I’ve done 2 hikes (quarry rock and pump peak), for those 2 I was able to get some friends to tag along but I don’t believe they will come now for the next couple weeks.

Is it better to just go alone? Or is it better to wait?

I know it’s a stupid question, but I’ve never solo hiked before so I don’t know.

My fitness is ok, I regularly lift and grapple.

The hike I was planning on doing is norvan falls

I keep seeing trip reports from climbers who brought a rope for their glacier crossing, only to forgo roping up entirely. I usually see some variation of "the crevasses were snow covered" as their reason. Am I just overcautious or is this an absolutely stupid move?

I've postholed through snowbridges before (over creeks & streams) and that is absolutely not a sensation I enjoy. There's nothing worse than feeling your legs dangling in mid-air while struggling to pull yourself out without collapsing the snowbridge further. Can't imagine the threat of a long fall and being corked, instead of just wet boots and a broken ankle!

I understand potentially not trusting your climbing partners, for one reason or another. When you're roped up, you're double trusting them with your life. First, not to fall and pull you off the mountain. Second, to hold your fall should you fall into a crevasse. But if you don't trust someone, why are you climbing with them?!

I also understand those who didn't bring a rope, harness, and glacier kit potentially needing to self-extract across a glacier in an emergency. But when you're planning an objective with glacier travel, bring all the necessary safety gear, then just choose not to use it...?

I just don't understand this. Maybe some of you can enlighten me?

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park near Pemberton will close to non-Indigenous people from June 20-27, and Sept. 8-30 "to allow First Nations to practice cultural and conservation traditions"

https://x.com/RobShaw_BC/status/2052519290843304396

IT’S STILL WINTER OUT THERE. Don’t be these people. Research before you go and TURN AROUND if you hit conditions you aren’t prepared for. 🤦‍♂️

From SAR:

Last last night / early this morning NSR’s night vision goggle equipped helicopter rescue team (with Talon Helicopters) responded on Mutual Aid with Squamish SAR for a group of 5 hikers at Garibaldi Lake.

These very inexperienced and unprepared hikers were surprised by the amount of snow they encountered, and were not carrying sufficient gear for the conditions (or for a hike if this nature generally). Due to this, they became unable to continue. The flight team was able to land nearby, provide warmth/gear, and fly the individuals to Squamish Airport.

Hikers are reminded to thoroughly research your intended destination (stats and current conditions), ensure you have adequate training for what you have chosen, and carry proper gear including the 10 Essentials. Thanks to Squamish SAR for the opportunity to assist!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1368929608615345&id=100064949551454

Hi, have anyone hiked Cypress Mt, Mt. Hollyburn or St. Mark's summit recently? How are the trail conditions? Muddy? Snow? Bugs?

has anyone done Watersprite Lake summer route recently?
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/watersprite-lake-summer-route

Wondering if conditions will be good enough to do with crampons this weekend or if there's still considerable snow on the trail

Hello, I'm planning to hike to Lake Lovely Water this Summer and I'm considering booking heli from Squamish to get me there, as a plan B. I know all about how to get there via regular hiking but I don't think I'll get in good enough shape by mid-summer to manage the terrain with camping backpack on my back. Has anyone tried booking Heli service as an individual? I will call them next week to ask but I was wondering if anyone has an experience. There's quite significant difference in price and I don't want to book private tour, I'm thinking more among the lines of joining existing small group.... thoughts?

Hi everyone! As the title says I'm looking for ideas. Having been to the Rockies and the Island, I figured why not head further into Northern BC! I'd have 3 weeks (rip vacation for the year), my old Subaru and all my other hiking/backpacking stuff; pretty experienced but never done any serious scrambling. What are some hikes I could check out along the way? Not really sure how far north I'd get... but ultimately just want to see the rest of the province. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to hike the Nootka Trail on Vancouver Island and I’m trying to understand whether bringing my dog is realistic or a bad idea.

My dog is a Mini Aussie. He is fit, hikes regularly with us in the backcountry, and generally does not react to wildlife — no chasing, barking, or pulling toward animals. I understand that this does not eliminate wildlife risk, especially with wolves/bears, but I’m trying to hear from people who have actually done the trail with a dog or seriously considered it.

Has anyone here hiked the Nootka Trail with a dog?

I’ve read some warnings that dogs may not be recommended because of wolf activity, but I’d really appreciate firsthand experience from people who know the trail.

Thanks!