Backpacking trails in British Columbia

Beautiful British Columbia is a great place for a holiday. Fly into Vancouver and from there explore everything from the rugged BC coast to the interior mountain peaks. In between, stop for a glass of wine in the vineyards of the Okanagan or some lake kayaking on one of the great lakes of the BC interior.

BC has a little bit of everything for visitors. There are stunning coastal walks on Vancouver Island and near Vancouver, where you can also combine some sea kayaking. Surfers flock to the village of Tofino, for big waves surrounded by forests.

In winter, BC is home to great ski resorts. Famed for the light champagne powder that falls here, you can choose world-class Whistler or any number of smaller regional resorts, all of which boast great ski terrain and wonderful, fun little towns nearby. Consider a trip ski touring or snowshoeing while in the mountains, a great way to enjoy some serenity in a busy world.

Summer sees hikers, climbers and mountain bikers descend on the BC mountains. Famous mountain ranges, like the Island Alps, Coast Mountains, Monashees, Purcells, Selkirks and Rockies provide enormous opportunities to explore. Many of these mountains are crossed by only a single road, providing the ability to truly get off-grid and explore.

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Backpacking in British Columbia

British Columbia packs an extraordinary range of backcountry into one province. In the east, the BC Rockies hold some of Canada’s most celebrated multi-day trails, from the Rockwall in Kootenay National Park to the lake-studded backcountry of Lake O’Hara in Yoho. Head west and the landscape shifts to the rugged Coast Mountains around Garibaldi Provincial Park, the alpine meadows of E.C. Manning Park near the US border, and the wild ridges of Vancouver’s North Shore. Whether you want golden larches mirrored in an alpine lake or a tough traverse beneath glaciated peaks, BC has a backpacking trip to match.

Top Backpacking Routes in British Columbia

• the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park
• Floe Lake and Numa Pass
• the Lake O’Hara backcountry in Yoho
• the Frosty Mountain Loop in Manning Park
• Castle Towers near Whistler

Best Time to Go Backpacking in British Columbia in 2026

The BC backpacking season is shaped by elevation and region. In the BC Rockies (Kootenay and Yoho), high passes hold snow into early summer, so July to mid-September is prime, with late September bringing golden larch colour around Floe Lake and the Rockwall. The Coast Mountains around Garibaldi open a little earlier at lower elevations but stay snowbound up high until midsummer, while Manning Park’s meadows peak in late July and August. Midsummer is busiest, and the larch weeks in late September fill up fast.

Planning a Backpacking Trip in British Columbia in 2026

Planning a BC backpacking trip for 2026? The province’s backcountry splits across two reservation systems. Provincial parks such as Garibaldi near Whistler and E.C. Manning Provincial Park are booked through BC Parks, while the national parks of Kootenay and Yoho run on the Parks Canada system, where the Lake O’Hara quota bus is famously competitive. You’ll find quieter options around Squamish and Vancouver’s North Shore. Reservations for the marquee trips open months ahead and sell out quickly, so book as early as you can.