Best Pender Island Camping
One of the best things to do on Pender Island, besides the hiking, the food, the beaches and the art galleries, is to go camping on Pender Island.
When it comes to Pender Island camping, you have quite a few options. There are backcountry campgrounds on Pender Island, glamping sites on Pender Island, and front country campgrounds on Pender where you’re not too far away from your car, but need to camp in a tent.
If you’re looking for the best Pender Island campgrounds you’re in the right place. I’ve broken them down by camping style, so you’re sure to find what’s right for you!
Want to visit more Gulf Islands? Check out where you can camp on Galiano Island!
Know before you go
- Always camp in designated camping spots at backcountry campgrounds
- Reserve online where possible (indicated below)
- Never leave any trash behind and leave the area better than you found it
- Respect any and all rules and regulations around campfires
- Do not make loud noise after 10 pm, respect your fellow campers
Backcountry camping on Pender Island
Backcountry camping is camping with minimal facilities. You may not have fresh drinking water supplies, and the toilets will be basic pit toilets that don’t flush.
Most backcountry campsites in BC require you to walk into them with all your gear i.e. you cannot drive up to these Pender Island campsites as you can with front country camping.
For campgrounds in Pender Island, the walk from the parking lot to the campsite is not far.
Shingle Bay campground
The Shingle Bay campground on North Pender Island is right by a pebbly beach and is super popular with people looking to get out on the water in a kayak or paddleboard.
There are just 10 campsites at Shingle Bay campground and you will need to take a short walk (about 250 metres) downhill from the parking lot to the camping spots which are marked out.
From the campsites here you get breathtaking views of Captain Passage and nearby islets. There are a few walking trails into and out of this campsite. For instance, you can walk to Otter Bay, Ella Bay and Roe Lake on Pender.
As a backcountry campsite on Pender Island within the Gulf Islands National Park, this campsite is owned by Parks Canada and so reservations are made through them.
Make sure you book in advance during the summer season, especially for long weekends.
- Cost: $12.75 per person, per night
- Reserve online here
- Pet friendly: Yes
- Toilets: Pit toilets
- Drinking water: No
Beaumont Campground
*As of 2022, Beaumont Campground is no longer open to overnight stays until further notice.
Beaumont Campground is another campsite on Pender Island owned and operated by Parks Canada.
While the campground is now closed for overnight access, you can use it for day access. There is no drinking water but there are pit toilets.
The Beaumont campsite is accessed via a short hike. There are two possible routes to get to the Beaumont campground. You can either hike from Canal Road on Pender (parking available), which is a 2 km hike up to Mount Norman and then down towards Ainslie Point and the campsite.
Alternatively, you can start from Ainslie Point road (no parking). This is a 1.6 km hike along the Ainslie Point trail which goes down quite steeply through the forest and boulder fields. You’ll come out to a view of the shoreline and see some small trails leading down to the camping area.
While you can’t camp here, it’s a nice spot to stop while on a Pender Island hike and a great spot to chill out for the day with a book or a picnic lunch.
Front country camping on Pender Islands
Front country camping is where you can pull your car right up to the campsite. Sometimes called car camping, this style of camping is the easiest way to get started since you don’t have to think about what you pack. You’re so close to your car you can do multiple trips there and back.
Port Browning Marina Resort
Open all year round, Port Browning Marina is a privately run campground on Pender Island with RV sites and tent camping.
They have a total of 12 campsites, a mini group campsite and a large group campsite. Four of the 12 sites are for RVs which have access to power, sewer dumps and water. They have ocean views and are right next to the pool too.
The tent campsites are in amongst the apple orchard and are drive-in sites. Many of them have ocean views and you’re just a short walk down to the beach. Plus, you’ll get access to the on-site pool at Port Browning Marina Resort too.
Browning Marina Resort has a pool, onsite pub and restaurant (Bridgeman’s Bistro) and is within walking distance of the beach. There’s free parking and wifi, a washroom block with showers and a grocery short a short drive away.
It’s the perfect location for camping in Pender Island
- Cost: $65 per night for tent camping (max 2 tents per site), $90 a night for RV camping
- Reserve online here
- Pet friendly: Yes
- Toilets: Flushing toilets and showers
- Drinking water: Yes
Prior Centennial Campground
Prior Centennial Campground on North Pender Island is the only front country campground on Pender Island run by Parks Canada. As one of the cheapest front-country campgrounds on Pender Island, it books up quickly, especially in the summer.
Here, there are 17 drive-in campsites situated in amongst the trees. It’s a short 10-minute drive from the Otter Bay ferry terminal to Priort Centennial campground and so you’re close to some of the stores and amenities of North Pender Island.
The campsites are unserviced (no electrical hook-up), and each site feels quite secluded and private thanks to the forest location.
Each campsite has its own picnic table and fire pit. There are shared pit toilets around the campsites and drinking water taps available.
By staying at Prior Centennial campground you’re close to some great beaches on Pender Island for swimming.
- Cost: $18.75 per person, per night
- Reserve online here
- Pet friendly: Yes
- Toilets: Pit toilets
- Drinking water: No
Glamping on Pender Island
Camping is not your style? Check out these options for glamping on Pender Island where you can enjoy a real bed, lighting and electricity with the same great views that camping can offer you.
WOODS on Pender
WOODS on Pender is a somewhat insta-famous glamping resort on Pender Island.
Here, you can stay in stylish airstreams, rustic cabins (with great facilities), or the WOODS motel. This Pender Island resort is set in amongst the forest and was created for people looking to relax in nature, without giving up on some home comforts.
Many of their Pender Island accommodations come with BBQs, hot tubs, fire pits and hammocks. You’ll also get a private bathroom, showers and a fully equipped kitchen.
One of the best restaurants on Pender Island is Coffee + Kitchen which is part of the WOODS on Pender resort and you’ll have access to a games room, free wifi, hiking trails nearby and fantastic views. It really is the perfect place to stay on Pender Island.
- Cost: From $275 a night
- Reserve online here.
Port Browning Marina Glamping tents
Port Browning Marina Resort (see above) is also starting glamping on Pender Island. They will have several canopy-style adventure tents that are insulated and heated so you can enjoy the outdoors with all the luxury of the indoors.
Each tent sleeps four people and you can enjoy ocean views. Inside the tents, there is a queen bed, sofa bed, linen and towels, an electric fireplace, lighting, seating, a mini fridge and tea/coffee maker, mugs, and wine glasses. You just need to buy the food!
- Cost: From $119 in low season
- Reserve online here
Waterfont Glamping Escape
Available on VRBO, this waterfront glamping estate offers a bell tent for camping on Pender Island.
Here, you’ll have all your home comforts with the added benefit of stunning Pender Island views.
The bell tent is on a large property which you’re free to explore. There’s a herb garden, a small forest area and a dock on the water which you can jump off for a swim or sit and watch the sunset.
The bell tent has a queen bed, kettle, and microwave and there’s a shared bathroom in the caretaker cottage with more cooking facilities. You’ll also have access to water.
- Cost: From $144 a night
- Reserve online here.
FAQs on Pender Island Camping
When is the best time to visit Pender Island?
Is there free camping on Pender Island?
Please respect locals and their land and do not camp near houses and other buildings. If you do wild camp on Pender Island make sure you always take all your trash with you and ideally leave the area better than you found it.
Last Updated on August 9, 2024 by Hannah
Hannah started That Adventurer after graduating back in 2013 and has documented all of her adventures since then. From backpacking South America to city breaks in Europe, a 3 month road trip across the USA in a self-converted van and 6 years living in Canada, you’ll find posts on all of this.
Hannah specialises in active travel and on That Adventurer you’ll find hiking, walking, biking, skiing and all sorts of active travel guides to allow you to see a destination in an adventurous way.
Now back in Europe, you’ll find new guides as Hannah and her husband spend the next year ‘digital nomading’ from Norway to Portugal, Switzerland to Scotland and places in between.
