The sheer beauty of Tofino’s nature is not to be underestimated. And the best way to fully embrace its jaw dropping natural vistas and sights is to go on a camping trip!
Camping in Tofino doesn’t need top dollars to give you great fun. Most of the campsites are located along the sandy coastline of Tofino’s best beaches, sandwiched between the old-growth forests and the lapping waves.
So below we’ve compiled the 5 best Tofino campgrounds that are awaiting for you to enjoy your nature-filled getaway.
What to Know About Camping in Tofino
When to Go Camping in Tofino?
The mild climate allows Tofino camping to thrive from spring to early fall, with slots filling up fast during the summer months.
Can You Park Your RV in Downtown Tofino?
The city center of Tofino is not RV-friendly. There are designated parking zones outside the downtown core on Gibson Street, Arnet Road, and at the Community Hall.
Can You Stealth Camp in Tofino?
Yes. You can find a free campsite north of the freshwater Kennedy Lake and you can get there following Kennedy Lake Road. This is an unserviced campsite but quite popular for local paddlers who launch from the campground on the beach onto the lake.
What to Pack for a Camping Trip?
Aside from other must-haves like a tent, a sleeping bag, and personal toiletries, don’t forget to bring a headlamp, first aid kit, travel-friendly cooking utensils, and portable camping chairs to enjoy the beautiful sunset in Tofino.
No matter which season you’re heading out, warm clothes must be in your bag! It can get really cold at night and nothing sounds more relieving than curling up in your leggings, hoodies, and toques.
Be Bear and Wolf Aware!
Wild animals are around Vancouver Island, and Tofino is no exception. Don’t leave your food and waste outside as bears can be food-conditioned and become a thread. If you bring cooking utensils, make sure to cook far away from your tent and dispose of your garbage properly.
It goes the same way for wolves. Secure all loose items, wash dishes in a container and dispose of waste back in the water source away from your campsite. If you paddle, don’t store food on your kayak or come ashore near one that is foraging.
5 Best Campgrounds in Tofino to Bond with Friends and Family
1.Bella Pacifica Campground
Wanna camp near the beach and spend the whole afternoon watching the sunset from the comfort of your own camp chair? Look no further than Bella Pacifica Campground!
This beautiful waterfront campground is home to 260 different campsites peppering over a huge forested area at the end of the beautiful Tonquin Trail.
There are 6 different areas with full hookups to park your RV, pitch a tent or a large trailer or a 5th wheel. Each site has its own picnic tables and fire ring. Most of them are power serviced with a water supply and sewers available but not all, especially from sites 1 to 55 along the beachfront and sea-view terrace.
From site 56 going on 260, all sites are sheltered but unserviced with portable water available from nearby taps and washrooms. Those areas are also tucked deep in the wood and on top of a hill, which means no RV or pull trailer is recommended.
Therefore, the rates applied for these secluded areas are also more relaxed and you get full access to one of the scramble-down trails to the sand.
Opening time: March – November.
Check-in: 2 pm.
Check-out: 11 am.
Facilities and regulations:
- Washrooms with flush toilets and coin-operated showers are available at $2. Change is available at the office.
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- Public payphones are available at the office in the front parking lot area.
- Firewood and ice are available for purchase at the campground office.
- Quiet time is from 10 pm to 8 am and management lives on-site in case of any emergencies.
- Pets must be kept on a leash at all times and owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets.
Prices and reservations: from $59 to $125.
- Prices vary by selected area and off/peak season.
- Advance reservations are required for summer camping and are recommended throughout the season.
- After the first two people, all guests aged 6 and up are an extra $5.00 per night.
- Children under the age of 6 are free of charge.
- A $10.00 reservation fee will be required for each individual campsite booked.
- Cancellation must be made 7 days or more prior to arrival date by email only and a $35 service charge for each individual site booked is applied.
Address: 400 MacKenzie Beach Rd, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0.
2. Crystal Cove Beach Resort
Crystal Cove camping resort takes your Tofino getaway to a whole new level. The campsite is carved out of nature, kissing the rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island, and allows you to enjoy the pristine environment of Clayoquot Sound all by yourself.
Get your glamping gear at the ready and book one of the 60 fully-serviced RV campsites that team up with 10 other glamping sites used for 5th-wheel RV trailers.
The scenery at the RV park is everything. Indulge in a private, blissful setting under the towering canopy of trees that are steps away from the sun-kissed MacKenzie Beach.
Kids specifically love this place. Aside from the thriving gardens, you can hang around the rocks or walk up to the nearby islands and islets at low tide. Those who wish to immerse into the forest scent can take on the nearby Tonquin trail.
Opening time: Year-round.
Check-in: 1 pm.
Check out: 11 am.
Facilities and regulations:
- Every site has water, wifi, sewer, and 30-amp power.
- Picnic table and fire ring.
- Washrooms and hot showers at no extra charge.
- Dogs are allowed and must be attended and kept on a leash.
- The pet fee goes from $50 per pet per visit for Glamping RVs and $10 per pet per visit for RV Park.
- Maximum of two pets in cabins and Glamping sites.
- Dog wash station near the beach entrance with complimentary dog bags located around the Resort.
- Children’s Adventure Playground.
- On-site coffee shop selling firewood bundles, ice, postcards, laundry soap, and travel information.
- Board games, puzzles, books, and DVDs are available for sale at the office.
- No tent camping and car/vehicle camping are available.
- Only RVs up to 35ft in length are allowed.
Prices and reservations:
- Off Season: $60
- Peak Season:
- Standard Sites: $90
- Superior Sites: $100
- Premium Sites: $110
- Year Round – Additional persons 6 years and older: $3/night
- Year Round – Pet fee: $10/pet/stay
- Prices are based on two people, one RV per night, and are subject to change.
- Cancellation must be noticed at least 14 days before the arrival date for a refund of less than the $40 administration fee.
- There will be a minimum 3-day stay for reservations made for peak season, long weekends/holidays, and spring break.
Address: 1165 Cedarwood Pl, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0.
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3. Long Beach Golf Course Campground
Home to 76 campsites and 6 fully serviced RV sites secluded completely in the ancient forests, Long Beach Golf Course Campground is a beloved camping site in Tofino with a short drive from the famous Long Beach and Pacific Rim Highway.
This complex of camping sites is pushed deep in the woods behind the airport and adjacent to the namesake golf course. Plus, Long Beach golf course campground is nowhere near crazy expensive, given its convenient location and decent amenities. You can walk to the rocky shoreline on one of the forested trails.
All in all, if you’re looking for a stellar campground with quick access from Tofino center or hit the fairway on the golf course in the meantime, look no further!
Opening time: May – September.
Check in: 1 pm
Check out: 11 am
Facilities and regulations:
- Each campsite is equipped with a picnic table and a fire pit.
- Drinking water is available throughout the campground.
- Flush toilets are located in the main campground.
- Coin-operated laundromat
- Free showers.
- Porte Potties.
- Firestick bundles, travel information, and brochures can be selected at the office.
- Campgrounds are closed between 11 pm and 6 am.
- Quiet time is from 11 pm to 8 am.
- Generators must be turned off by 9 pm and not run for more than one hour at a time.
- Pets must be kept on a leash and attended at all times.
- Bears, crows, and raccoons will become a problem when food and garbage are not properly stored.
- A violation fine of $50 per guest per site is applied for unregistered guests, disregard of bear-aware programs, and excessive noise.
- No access to the golf course unless you’ve purchased a greens fee.
Prices and reservations:
- $50 – $60/night for campsites and $80.00 a night for fully serviced RV hook-up sites (prices are subject to change).
- A non-refundable reservation fee of $15 per site will be charged at the time of booking.
- Long weekends require a minimum of 3-day bookings.
- All prices subject to 5% GST
- All prices include up to 4 people and 2 cars.
- Max 6 people per site. Up to 2 extra people (a total of 6) are allowed for a price of $5.00 per extra person per night.
- Children five years and under are free.
- Dogs are permitted. With a daily fee of $5.00
- The reservation cancellation or change fee is $15 per site and must be noticed at least 14 days before the arrival date otherwise no refunds.
- No refunds will be given because of the weather and evictions.
Address: 1850 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino, BC.
4. Mackenzie Beach Resort
Home to 18 beach sites, 23 forest sites, and 15 RV sites, Mackenzie Beach Resort has a fair share between the sweeping wraparound ocean space and the lovely privacy of the secluded wooded area.
You’ll literally stay on the beach, sleep to the lullaby of the ocean waves, and watch the sunset every afternoon. If you’d rather have your privacy preserved, book one of the forest sites instead.
It’s a little further afield but the serenity is second to none.
Opening time: year-round.
Check-in: 2 pm.
Check-out: 11 am.
Facilities and regulations:
- Washrooms (with heated floors)
- Token operated hot showers (available at our front desk) – $2 for 3 minutes
- Coin-operated laundry facilities
- Free Wifi
- Outside cold water shower
- Outside hot water washbasin
- Lil’ Ronnie’s beachfront BBQ restaurant
- General Store, Provisions & Libations – Coffee, drinks & good eats as well as basic provisions
- Swell Tofino, surf, paddle, and bike rentals & instruction
- Tuff City Saunas, beachfront and mobile sauna experiences
- Firewood for sale.
Prices and reservations:
- Low Season (January 1st – May 18th)
- Beachfront (walk-in site only – no vehicles) – $50
- Shoulder Season (May 19th – June 15th & September 10th – October 8th)
- Beachfront (walk-in site only – no vehicles) – $60
- Peak Season (June 16th – September 9th)
- Beachfront (walk-in site only – no vehicles) – $75
- Child (age 2-18 years): $8
- Extra vehicle: $25
- Non-refundable reservation fee: $20
- Prices are before applicable taxes and subject to change.
- Cancellations made at least 14 days prior to the first night’s stay will result in an early cancellation charge of $20 per campsite plus the $20 reservation fee. Cancellations made less than 14 days before the first-night stay will result in a charge equivalent to the first-night stay plus the $20 reservation fee.
- Guest vehicle parking is limited to one per site.
- Late Checkouts are not allowed and are subject to a $50 Late Check-Out Fee
- All of the campsites are non-smoking
- Full Payment must be made in full at the time of reservation
- Refunds will not be issued, including for early checkouts or weather
- Non-compliance with resort rules will result in lawful eviction, without refund. If damages occur to the guest unit or other areas of the resort, the cost of the damage and/or cleanup shall be charged.
- A $20 non-refundable reservation fee will be required for each individual campsite booked
- Pets are welcomed with 2 domestic pets per site but must be informed upon booking as not all sites are pet-friendly. There is a charge for pets of $6+tax per night of which $2 will be donated to the Coastal Animal Rescue and Education Network.
- Pets must be kept on a leash and must not be left unattended.
Address: 1101 BC-4, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0.
5. Surf Grove Beachside Campground
With the old-growth forest pressed against the rolling waves, Surf Grove caps off this list as one of the best Tofino campgrounds.
Summer beckons crowds after crowds of nature lovers flocking here to enjoy the slow pace of life. Be one with nature at one of the 135 fully-serviced RV campsites. Those are the closest to Cox Bay at 200 meters away from the beach.
Other than that, they have 64 other semi-serviced campsites along with the Low and High Tide Loops for campers with vans, trucks, rooftop tents, and smaller RVs that don’t require water and sewage hookups. If you don’t have an RV at hand, consider booking early to get one of the RV rentals that are all hooked up.
Surprises come a long way as Surf Grove Beachside Campground was built on the skeleton of an old campsite. And after decades went by, Surf Grove Beachside Campground emerged as the latest addition to the camping scene in Tofino. It offers brand-new facilities like a keypad security gate, beach showers, and a dog wash so you can spend days outdoors without any hassle.
Opening time: year-round.
Check-in time: 2 pm (4 pm for RV sites).
Check-out time: 11 am
Facilities and regulations:
- 30-amp electrical service
- Sewer service
- Water service
- Sani dump access
- Wifi
- Fire ring
- Picnic table
- Bathroom and Shower Facilities
- Surf rentals, surf lessons, storage, surf shower.
Prices and regulations: from $69 – $109.
- Prices vary by area and season.
- Prices are subject to change.
- Prices are based on two adults per site. Additional adults are $5 per person per day.
- Maximum 4 adults per campsite. The maximum occupancy on a campsite is 6 people if there are children 16 and under in the group.
- Changes and cancellations must be informed by email 7 days before arrival.
- Cancellations received before this 7-day period are subject to a $35 cancellation fee, the remainder is to be refunded to the credit card on file.
- Any dropped nights within the 7-day period prior to your arrival will result in a forfeiture of payment for each night dropped.
- No refund due to inclement weather.
- Campsite permit holders must be at least 18 years of age.
- Children 16 years old and under are allowed at no additional charge provided that the total number of occupants does not exceed 6 people per site, with no more than 4 of the total occupants being adults.
- RV Rental Sites have a maximum occupancy of 2 adults and 2 children 16 years old or younger. No pets. No exceptions.
- Quiet time is between 11 pm and 8 am. No loud music is allowed at any time.
- To lock in a specific site during the reservation process, there is a fee of $25.
- Parking for one vehicle (or two motorcycles) is included in your campsite rental. Additional parking passes can be purchased for $10.
- Washing of vehicles on Surf Grove property is not permitted.
- Use of dirt bikes or ATVs is prohibited on Surf Grove property.
- Friendly pets with up-to-date vaccinations are welcome and must be kept on a leash.
- Campers bringing pets are subject to a one-time fee of $20 per pet. Limit of two pets per campsite.
Address: 1451 Pacific Rim Hwy #1109, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0.
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Now that you’ve got the 5 best campgrounds in Tofino to plan an epic outing day. Don’t forget to complete your bucket list with our curated selections right here: