Golden Ears Provincial Park is one of the most popular places to go camping for people in Vancouver and the lower mainland in BC, Canada. There are three main campsites, including the lovely Alouette campground that has easy access to beaches as well as hikes. We love staying here for the pleasant campsites surrounded by mossy trees. This post will share info about camping in Golden Ears in general, but with details about the Alouette campground.

If you’d like to camp in Golden Ears but you don’t have a car, you can visit on the Park Bus during the summertime.

Alouette Campground map

This map is from the (BC Provincial Park website.)

Booking campsites in Golden Ears

Book campsites via the BC Frontcountry Camping Reservation website. You can book 4 months before the date you’d like to camp. The cost in 2025 is $35 per night for Alouette Lake and/or Gold Creek, or $23 for the North Beach Campground (plus $6 booking fee)

• Alouette Campground: 206 reservable, vehicle accessible sites.
• Gold Creek Campground: 182 reservable sites. 162 are vehicle accessible and 20 are walk-in sites.
• North Beach Campground: 55 reservable, vehicle accessible sites.

Golden Ears Provincial Park Camping dates

In 2025 the main operating dates are:

• Alouette Campground: March 28 to October 16
  (booking available from April 16 – October 12)
• Gold Creek Campground: Open all year.
  (booking available from March 28 to October 12)
  Winter season is January 1 to March 27
• North Beach Campground: April 5 – April 10, May 2 – October 15
  (booking required for May long weekend and then from June 14 to September 16)

Winter Camping in Golden Ears

It is possible to camp in the Gold Creek Campground year round (as long as the weather permits access via the main road into Golden Ears.) There is a winter camping fee of $13 from October 16 to March 31 paid in cash. There is an attendant to collect payments, but only minimal services in winter.

Golden Ears Campsites

Almost all campsites are vehicle accessible; Apart from the 20 walk-in sites in, which have parking nearby. Each site has a fire pit, a picnic bench and plenty of space. None of the sites have electrical hook up. I love that the forest that surrounds each site. There is plenty of undergrowth so each site feels quite private and has lovely dappled light.

Alouette Campground Facilities

There is a little luxury at Alouette and Gold Creek Campgrounds with showers and flushing toilets. The North Beach campground is a little more basic, but you can always walk over to one of the other campgrounds if you fancy a shower. In addition to that, you’ll find:

• Water taps
• Recycling stations
• Pit toilets (that are not too stinky!)
• Playground in the north side of Alouette Campground
• Sani dump for RVs ($5 in coins)
• In addition to the campsites, there are multiple picnic areas, beaches and even two boat launch areas.

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.

Campfire or no campfire?

I have a whole post about cooking on a campfires. 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. Firewood can be purchased in the park when fires are allowed.

Beaches at Alouette Lake

There are 4 day-use beach areas in Golden Ears Provincial Park. One of the beaches is right next to the campgrounds, so you can reach it easily, although Alouette Lake is not visible from the campsites.

Alouette South Beach

This is the main (super popular) beach that everyone visits from Vancouver. In the summer, there is a rental shop for canoes, kayaks, and pedalboats. It has a change house with flush loos and drinking water in the summer. There are even barbeque attachments on some of the picnic benches if you bring briquettes.

Dogs are not permitted in the main beach. There is a beach area for leashed dogs between the boat launch and the canoe rental shop.

This beach is open in winter, but the only facilities are pit toilets.

Campers Beach 

This is the closest beach to Alouette and Gold Creek Campgrounds (you can still hike in if you’re not camping.) It is a sand and gravel beach with a roped off swimming area (but no lifeguards.) There are pit toilets. You can rent Canoes, kayaks, and pedalboats and there is a water tap in the summer. No dogs.

North Beach 

This is another walk in beach accessible from the North Beach campground or the East Canyon parking lot via the North Beach Trail. There are pit toilets. This beach is dog friendly (on leash)

Alouette East Beach 

This is the quietest beach as it is only accessible by boat (directly accross from South Beach.) The only facilities are pit toilets.

Hikes in Golden Ears

There are some incredible hikes in Golden Ears Provincial Park that you can do from any of the campgrounds:

• Easy-ish hike to Gold Creek Falls
• Intermediate hike to Alder Flats (or the whole Canyon loop)
• Short, steep hike up Evans Peak
• Short, steep hike on the other side of the canyon to Mount Nutt
• Incredible hike up Alouette Mountain
• The epic challenge of hiking Golden Ears Mountain.

I’ll include a couple of panoramas from opposite sides of Golden Ears Provincial Park so you can get an idea of how gorgeous this area is.

I hope this gives you an idea about what it is like to go camping in the Alouette Campground, or the other lovely campgrounds in Golden Ears. This is a popular area to visit, but this is because it is gorgeous, has fabulous varied hikes as well as beaches with decent facilities. Do you like the look of camping here?

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