FAQs about Ruckle Park
Question: I would like to reserve a campsite at Ruckle Provincial Park. I tried reserving on line with the B.C. Parks reservation service, but all reservable sites have been reserved.
Answer: As of March 21st, 2022, you may reserve walk-in sites #1,2,3,6,7,8,16,17,18 & 19, plus RV sites #1,2,3 & 4, four months in advance of your arrival date. There are no hook ups. There remains 65 walk-in sites and 4 RV sites available on a first come, first served basis thruout the reservation season. There is a short trail from the main parking lot into the campground area where you will find numbered picnic tables. Please set up your camp at one of these tables and a park operator will collect from you. The park accepts cash, debit, visa and mastercard.
The campsite rate at Ruckle is $20.00 per group of 4 people (16 yrs. or older). The campsite policy allows 8 persons to a site but only 4 can be adults, with a maximum of two tents per site.
The best time to arrive at the park is Sunday – Thursday, as Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest days. If you will be arriving on a Saturday during peak season, we suggest that you call our main office toll free at 1 877 559-2115. The main office is open 7 days per week from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Question: We have a large group of 15 to 25 people, how do we reserve one of the group sites at Ruckle Provincial Park and is there vehicle access to the site?
Answer: There are 3 group sites that are reservable if you have a group between 15 and 25 people. Group reservations can be made by calling BC Parks/Discover Camping at 1-800-689-9025 or you may reserve on-line at camping.bcparks.ca. You may reserve up to one year in advance of your arrival date for the full Operating Season (March 15th to Oct. 30th). Please check our “Rates” page or visit the B.C. Parks’ web site for fee schedules.
There is a group parking lot just before the main campground parking lot on the right and a trail that leads into the campground area from the main parking lot. Wheelbarrows are available if you need assistance with packing your gear to the group sites. The group sites are numbered 1, 2 and 3 with site #1 nestled against the shrubs to the right, #2 is situated between Site #1 and Site #3 and has a large tree in the middle and Site #3 is closest to the ocean and is open and sunny with a few shrubs on one side. Each site has a fire ring, benches surrounding the fire ring and 4-5 picnic tables. The distance from the group parking lot to the group sites is approx. 200 meters.
Question: My fiancé and I would like to be married at Ruckle Provincial Park. What is the procedure to reserve a date, time and location within the park and is there a fee?
Answer: Wedding ceremonies are permitted free of charge in the day use area only for groups of 25 or less. There is no public vehicle access to the day use picnic areas. No extra services are provided by the Park Operators, other than ensuring that the day use picnic areas are kept free of litter, grass cut and other general maintenance duties. For larger events, one or more of the group sites may be reserved on line at camping.bcparks.ca.
- As all Provincial Parks are open to the public, we are not permitted to reserve areas from the general public.
- There are 3 picnic areas in the day use area that can be used free of charge for up to 25 people and providing there are no special requests or facility setup.
- We cannot accommodate special events of over 25 people as it will preclude the rights of the general public to use the day use areas in the park.
Question: Are campsites reservable in any of the backcountry marine parks that are only accessible by kayak or boat?
Answer: No, all campsites are non-reservable. There are reservable sites at Montague Harbour Provincial Park on Galiano Island by calling BC Parks/Discover Camping at 1-800-689-9025 or to reserve on-line the web address is camping.bcparks.ca.
Please Note: The BC Parks Backcountry Registration System allows you to purchase a backcountry permit before leaving home. This service provides the convenience of paying the camping fee in advance by credit card and eliminates the need to fill out a registration form at the park. Please keep your camping Permit with you as proof of payment and pre-registration.
FAQs about Montague Harbour Prov. Park
Question: How do I reserve a campsite at Montague and can I reserve a site on the same day that I arrive or arrive with no reservation?
Answer: There are 28 walk-in sites & 15 drive-in sites that are reservable starting January 11th by calling BC Parks/Discover Camping at 1 800 689 9025. You can also reserve on-line at camping.bcparks.ca. You may reserve 4 months in advance and 2 days prior to your arrival. The reservable dates are from May 11th to September 1st. The campsite rate at Montague is $25.00 per group of 4 people (16 yrs. or older). The campsite policy allows 8 persons to a site but only 4 can be adults, with a maximum of two tents per site.
Question: We have a large group of 15 to 25 people, how do we reserve the group site at Montague and is there vehicle access to the site?
Answer: If you have a group of 15 to 25 people, you may call BC Parks/Discover Camping at 1 800 689-9025 or on-line at camping.bcparks.ca, 12 months in advance or 2 days prior to your arrival (within the Operating Season).
There is no vehicle access to the group site as it is located in the walk-in camping loop but there are wheelbarrows located in the compound/Park Headquarters to assist in packing your gear to the site. Please use the walk-in parking lot to park your vehicles. The distance from the parking lot to the group site is approx. 200 meters. There are no day use parking fees.
Question: What is the difference between adult and youth rates?
Answer:A youth group camping or picnicking party must consist of a minimum of 12 people or more. A youth group means a k-12 school, recreation centre or not-for-profit youth organization located within BC, undertaking a camping or day-use trip.
A youth group must be supervised by an adult of the school or not-for-profit society and having a ratio of adults to members who are 18 yrs. of age or younger of: at least 3 youths per adult and no more than 8 youths per adult.
Question: Can we use a PWD (Persons with Disabilities) for group camping or marine camping?
Answer: Discounts do not apply to group camping/picnicking, backcountry or marine park fees in provincial parks.
Question: I noticed that there is a fire ban in place in the south Gulf Island Provincial Parks. What type of cooking apparatus can I use while I am camping?
Answer:A campfire ban does not restrict cooking with portable campfire apparatus using gas, propane, or briquettes (briquettes cannot be used in a fire pit or ring and can only be used for cooking purposes). The portable campfire apparatus must have a CSA or ULC rating that uses liquid or gaseous fuel, as long as the height of the flame is less than 15 cm.
Propane fire rings and the latest invention “campfire in a can” do not fall under a Category 1 campfire prohibition. In an extreme BUI situation, an additional prohibition on CSA approved devices could be imposed. Please visit www.bcparks.ca for important updates. A campfire ban also prohibits the use of open fires in burn barrels, fireworks, sky lanterns and tiki torches.
Question: Why impose campfire bans?
Answer:During the summer season, BC Parks may impose campfire bans in provincial parks due to forest fire hazards or forest fires occurring in the area. Although closing parks and banning campfires may inconvenience backcountry users and/or frontcountry campers, the safety of park visitors and the need to protect park facilities and natural resources from wildfire have to take precedence.