One of the nicest front country campgrounds we’ve stayed at on Vancouver Island is the beautiful Quinsam Campground within Elk Falls Provincial Park. It’s a pretty large campground, so it’s not crazily hard to book AND even has 5 sites that are first come first served. We ended up with a site along the Quinsam River, so we could hear the bubble of water while we went to sleep. I loved spending time in the dappled light of this forest.

Quinsam Campground map

This is from the BC Parks website.

Elk Falls Provincial Park Camping dates

It is possible to camp in the wintertime at Quinsam Campground, but the dates where you need to book, depend on the area of the campground. There are 52 sites that are always FCFS!

• Sites 1-15: Booking available March 14 to October 12 (2025) Winter Season: January 1 to March 13 (2025)
• Sites 16-70: Booking available May 9 to September 13 (2025) Winter Season: January 1 to March 13 (2025)
• Sites 71-122: These sites are available on a first come, first served basis year-round.

Booking campsites at Elk Falls

Book campsites via the BC Frontcountry Camping Reservation website. In 2025 it costs $22 per night, plus $6 booking fee. In winter it costs $11 (cash only)

• 122 vehicle-accessible campsites.
  25 of these sites border the Quinsam River and the rest are set in a second-growth forest.

Winter Camping

It is possible to camp in Quinsam Campground year round. There is a winter camping fee of $11 paid in cash. Winter camping is all FCFS, and there are no services available. You need to self-register and pay in cash.

Elk Falls Campsites

All campsites are vehicle accessible. Each one has a fire pit, a picnic bench and plenty of space. None of the sites have electrical hook up. There is a good amount of undergrowth and trees between each spot, so each site feels quite private and has lovely dappled light.

Elk Falls Camping Facilities

This is a pretty rustic campground in terms of facilities. It was great for both car camping (with tents) or for RVs that don’t need electric hook ups.

• Water taps (shut off in winter)
• Recycling stations
• Pit toilets (that are not too stinky!)
• Playground and a day use area in the center, near the Quinsam river.
• Sani dump for RVs ($5 per discharge)
• In addition to the campsites, there is a picnic area, 3km west of the campground
  

  

  

Bare Campsites

The most important rule about camping is keeping a bare campsite. Basically you need to pack away all food, cups, plates, pans, grills etc., and anything that has a scent that might attract bears. Store things in your vehicle when car camping. Never leave any of food or these items unattended for even a minute, and do not keep them inside your tent.

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Campfire or no campfire?

Although there are fire pits at all of the campsites, depending on the fire-risk when you visit, you might not be able to use them. You can buy firewood in the park when fires are allowed. We were not allowed a fire in August 2024. I have a whole post about cooking on a campfires, if you need tasty ideas for cooking with fire.

There is a trail along the edge of the campground, looking out to the Quinsam River. I was surprised to see houses and gardens on the opposite side of the river – it is a pretty amazing location for a home!

Fishing near Elk Falls

The photo below (left) is the trail along the Quinsam River. The campsites are on one side with the river on the other. If you are into fishing, you can go freshwater fishing in both the Quinsam and Campbell Rivers. Or, drive 6km for saltwater fishing near the town of Campbell River. This area is a major migration route for all five species of Pacific salmon; Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, and Sockeye. Make sure you have the appropriate fishing license.

Hikes Quinsam Campground

If you fancy an easy hike to an amazing waterfalls, drive up 3km, and then explore Elk Falls. If you have more time, there is a lovely trail to walk there and back along the Canyon Trail.

All in all, we really loved staying at Quinsam Campground in Elk Falls Provincial Park. All Provincial Park Campgrounds are great in BC, but this is a particularly nice one. I hope we’ll be able to come back and stay here again! Do you fancy it? Click on the pins below to save this for later.