How To Score A Pass To BC’s Popular Parks
Did you wake up at 7 a.m. and still miss out on a day-use pass to one of British Columbia�s most popular hiking spots? Since June 2022, three of BC�s most high-traffic parks�Joffre Lakes, Golden Ears and three trailheads at Garibaldi Park�require a free day-use pass for visitors in the summer. The same is true for Mount Seymour in the winter when the park hits peak traffic. Registration for passes opens on BC Parks� website at 7 a.m. two days before a visit, but securing a pass is no easy feat�it can be as strenuous as the hikes themselves. Here are some tips to help you pan for gold and snatch entry into these sought-after BC treasures.
What Is a Day-Use Pass?
Day-use passes are permits for entering certain popular parks in BC. Depending on the park, you may require a vehicle or an individual pass. Each vehicle pass is valid for a maximum of 12 people, regardless of the visitors� age. Individual passes, on the other hand, are only required for visitors older than 12 years old.
Most parks offer AM passes�valid from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.�and PM passes�valid from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.� while other, typically longer trails have all-day passes since it will take you more than three or four hours to complete. If you have a valid backcountry camping reservation at these parks, you don�t need to worry about the day-use pass system�except for Mount Seymour, in which case you need to book a pass for your day of arrival only.
Early Birds Are Not the Only Ones Who Get the Worm!
Registration for all passes opens 48 hours in advance at seven in the morning. Big Early-Bird may have fooled you into believing that only morning people can be successful in their endeavours, but as a night owl, I�m here to fight the mainstream.
This past July, I hosted two friends from Montreal, both of whom I had badgered daily to visit me in Vancouver. They were staying for only a week each and the stakes were high�we only had one or two possible days in our itinerary that allowed for trips up to the North Shore and they had heard me rave about Beautiful British Columbia for months leading up to their trips. What better way to capture the captivating scenery, nature and the �granola� spirit of BC than a road trip on the Sea-to-Sky highway towards the turquoise-coloured Joffre Lakes?
Being the chronic procrastinator that I am, I did zero research about whether Joffre Lakes had opened after the park closed last September or how to plan a trip to the park. The day I picked up my first visitor from YVR Airport, we sat by the dining room table and were making our itinerary when my mom overheard the conversation and asked, �Don�t you need to reserve a pass for that?� As if a bucket of glacial water had been dumped on me, I rushed to BC Parks� booking website, arrogantly thinking I could pull off the impossible. As it turns out, finding an available pass to Joffre Lakes is akin to winning the lottery, and I needed double the luck that day.
I clicked refreshed and watched that circular arrow spin every half hour. Nothing, nada, rien, zilch. In any language, the answer was clear: I�d missed the worm.
BC Parks� website doesn�t have a �Notify Me� option for when a pass has become available again after a cancellation, and many Reddit users have accused automated bots of snapping up passes when they become available. Pamela Roth, Public Affairs Officer at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, says the high demand for visiting these Parks is the reason behind frequent pass unavailability, not bots, which she says the Ministry’s development team has been working to block.
“Unfortunately, our DUP reservation site may see in excess of 13,000 unique users on a given day in the summer, resulting in an incredibly competitive booking process,” Roth wrote in her email to me.
While some software developers or tech-savvy folks may use their knowledge to try to circumvent the system, some like Vadim Yakhin make publicly accessible tools to fill in the gaps that BC Parks has yet to address. Yakhin is the programmer behind BC Parks Scanner, a website that regularly checks for passes and can notify you when someone has cancelled their booking.
Not knowing about Yakhin�s website at the time, I had no choice but to hit refresh. After ten hours, thankfully, beginner�s luck pulled through. I�d clutched the worm and secured my golden QR code to Joffre Lakes in an encrypted e-mail folder.
The system is quite precarious for those who are planning trips from far away and don�t have the luxury of multiple potential dates to visit these popular parks or the ability to get on a computer at 7 a.m., but tools like Yakhin�s BC Parks Scanner can put you ahead, especially when you feel the weight of the whole province’s reputation resting on your shoulders.
What�s the Point of the Park Pass Booking System?
Although the current system is bothersome, it exists for various reasons. Not only does the pass system reduce crowding and ensure that each visitor has a peaceful, enjoyable and safe time, but it also allows for the sustainable maintenance and conservation of the environment there.
Additionally, Joffre Lakes/Pipi7�yekw is an ancestral and sacred land for its Indigenous stewards, the Lil�wat Nation and the N�Quatqua, where many cultural celebrations and harvesting practices take place. This year, Joffre Lakes/Pipi7�yekw closed from April 30 until May 15 in celebration of the Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe, again from June 14 to 23 for the summer solstice and Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations, and once more from Sept. 3 to Oct. 6 for harvesting and National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. It�s important to ensure that the land takes breaks from the foot traffic that it welcomes throughout the summer and to ultimately recognize that the park sits on unceded territories.
How Do Day-Use Passes Work at Each Park?
Joffre Lakes
Capacity: 500 visitors per day
Kind of pass: All-Day Pass
When the DUP system is in effect: From May 16 to October 2024
When the park is closed: April 30 to May 15; June 14 to June 23; September 3 to October 6
Who needs a pass: Every person over the age of 12. Those who are 12 or younger are exempt when accompanied by a parent or guardian with a valid pass. If you have an overnight camping pass, you don’t need a DUP. You can only book four trail passes per transaction, per day.
Garibaldi Provincial Park
Capacity: 55 vehicles at Diamond Head; 200 vehicles at Rubble Creek; 50 vehicles at Cheakamus
Kind of pass: All passes are issued per vehicle. For Diamond Head and Rubble Creek, DUP passes are valid for the whole day. For Cheakamus trailhead, there are two slots: AM passes are valid for arrival and departure before 1 p.m. and PM Passes are valid for arrival and departure after 1 p.m. and you may only book one pass per time slot daily.
When the DUP system is in effect: Daily from June 13 to September 2, 2024; Only over the weekend and holidays from September 3 to October 14, 2024
Who needs a pass: Passes are issued per vehicle, with a maximum of 12 people (adults and children) per pass. If you have an overnight camping pass, you don’t need a DUP. You can only book four trail passes per transaction, per day.
Golden Ears Provincial Park
Capacity: 100 vehicles at Alouette Lake boat launch; 790 at Alouette Lake South Beach; 110 at Gold Creek Trailhead; 55 at West Canyon Trailhead
Kind of pass: All passes are issued per vehicle. Only passes for the Alouette Lake boat launch parking are valid for the whole day. The rest follow the AM/PM time slots, but no passes are required after 3:30 p.m. You may only book one pass per time slot daily.
When the DUP system is in effect: Fridays to Mondays from May 3 to September 2, 2024
Who needs a pass: Passes are issued per vehicle, with a maximum of 12 people (adults and children) per pass. If you have an overnight camping pass, you don’t need a DUP. You can only book four trail passes per transaction, per day.
Mount Seymour
Capacity: Not disclosed by BC Parks
Kind of pass: All passes are issued per vehicle with a maximum of 12 people (adults and children) per pass. Only passes for the Alouette Lake boat launch parking are valid for the whole day. The rest follow the AM/PM time slots, but no passes are required after 3:30 p.m. You may only book one pass per time slot daily.
When the DUP system is in effect: The dates have yet to be announced for the upcoming winter season.
Who needs a pass: Vehicles parking in lots P1 and Lower P5. If you are camping in the backcountry, you must park in P1 and book a day-use pass for the day of arrival only. If you are a Mount Seymour Resort pass holder, or you are arriving by a shuttle service, on foot or by bike, you are exempt from the DUP system.
