BC Parks day passes now available for five locations

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – You can now get a day-use pass to visit some popular BC Parks destinations.

The province is piloting the pass program for a second year in an effort to manage visitor numbers and keep them under control because of crowded trails, packed parking lots, and impacts to wildlife.

Visitors are required to have a day-use pass for five provincial parks starting Wednesday, June 23. They’re needed for Garibaldi, Golden Ears, Mount Robson, Stawamus Chief, and Joffre Lakes.

Passes will be available to book one day in advance of your planned visit, starting at 7 a.m., on the Discover Camping website.

Registration system for BC Parks day-use passes now open. Starting tomorrow, you'll need a pass to visit Garibaldi, Golden Ears, Mount Robson, Stawamus Chief, + Joffre Lakes Parks. Passes are available starting at 7am, a day in advance of your visit. https://t.co/CP3vwKyyQP

— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) June 22, 2021

Each person is required to have their own pass, and each vehicle is also required to have an individual one. They are not required for people 18 years and younger if they are accompanied by a parent or guardian with a valid pass.

You can choose between an AM pass, PM pass, or an all day pass.

The passes were introduced for six parks last year. The province has since dropped the requirement for Cypress park upper mountain trails, including the Howe Sound Crest Trail, Hollyburn Mountain Trails, and the Black Mountain Plateau trails.

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Related articles: 

• BC Parks begins day pass pilot program as heat wave hits

• Free day passes offered for trails in six B.C. parks to control overcrowding

• BC Parks day pass system fell short in busiest times, says Golden Ears Park operator

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The system was criticized by some last year, with at least one parks operator saying the province needed a better plan for 2021.

Stu Burgess, the operations manager at Golden Ears Provincial Park, spoke with Black Press Media last October about his frustrations, after months of being tasked with enforcing the BC Parks day pass system.

He says many people were unaware at the time that they needed passes and thousands of vehicles arrived over the summer expecting there to be no changes.

“I would like to see something done to try and decrease the volume of traffic coming here next year but what form that would take I just don’t know,” he told the outlet in 2020.