The Ralph River Campground is located in Strathcona Park on the shore of Buttle Lake. There is a very nice campground at the river mouth with 85 vehicle-accessible sites. These sites are non-serviced but do have pit toilets and a hand-pumped water supply along with a boat launch. As with most campgrounds, you need to reserve a site. Follow this link to learn more. Ralph River Camping
Campfires are allowed in the fire rings unless there is a fire ban. Please bring your own wood or purchase wood at the site, it is illegal to gather wood from the park to burn. There are many hiking trails in the area, and the Aug trail to Flower Ridge starts right here. This is a great hike in the late spring as the flowers are in full bloom then. Shepard Creek Trail and Wild Ginger Trail both head out from here, on the Ginger Trail, you can see large patches of wild ginger and on the Shepard Creek trail, you will hike up along the Ralph River to the point where Shepard Creek joins in and then hike up along the creek, both are short but pleasant hikes.
Across the lake is the Wolf River, which is only accessible by boat. This is a nice spot to camp, and the trail to Marble Meadows begins at the mouth of Wolf River. This is a great hike; the first part is very steep, but then you level out on a bench where some very big, majestic trees are growing. This is my favourite part of the hike; these trees are amazing. After hiking through this forest, you come to Marble Meadows, a beautiful open country with incredible views. Your only access to this trail is by boat.
There are many animals here in the park, and you have a good chance to see black bears, roosevelt elk, blacktail deer, wolves, and cougars. There are a lot of cougars, so please look after your small pets.
Hi, I was hoping to come and do some hiking in mid-August this summer, but I see there are no reservations and sites are only available on a first come, first serve basis. How many campsites are at the campground? Is it a bit too risky to rely on first come, first serve in mid-August? Thanking you in advance for your advice.
Chris
check out this new updated regulations. https://campnab.com/parks/british-columbia/strathcona-provincial-park/ralph-river-campground
I’m looking for campgrounds on Vancouver Island that are open in the winter months. Do you have any information about that?
Hi Sally, There are a few open year round, many are not. here is a link to all provincial campgrounds where you can view each one to see, I do not have a list of just the Vancouver Island ones. https://bcparks.ca/operating-dates/